Latest news with #WarringtonCouncil
Telegraph
3 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Travellers turn Cheshire green belt field into car park in 72 hours
A group of travellers have caused outrage after parking on a six-acre green belt field and turning it into a gravel car park within 72 hours. Bulldozers, excavators and HGVs moved onto the plot on the outskirts of Burtonwood, Cheshire, and started the unauthorised work over the bank holiday weekend at the end of last month. It is believed the travellers bought the land, with caravans and associated vehicles being moved onto the site on May 23. In three days, a 10ft-high wooden fence was erected along the boundary, and half the field was covered in hardcore and gravel. Around 13 caravans, four vans, a digger and three cars were parked on the hardcore earlier this week. Following the unauthorised work, a retrospective planning application was submitted to the local council. Warrington borough council launched an investigation after concerns were raised by nearby residents. An enforcement notice has also been submitted by officials. 'The transformation is shocking' Ward councillors Stuart Mann and Kevin Burgess had reported concerns to Cheshire Police and Warrington borough council over possible planning breaches. ScottishPower was also asked to conduct an emergency investigation into a possible attempt to tap into the mains supply. The council said it would 'take strong enforcement action within the legal framework' and that 'this has already commenced'. Cllr Mann said: 'It is important for it to be known that the people who have done this own the land. Concerns have been raised, and the council needs to ensure that necessary checks and balances have been put in place.' Locals took to Facebook to express their concerns, with one saying: 'The transformation is shocking.' Another said: 'It seems they ain't going anywhere. Hopefully, they are good neighbours.' A third added: 'They are obviously wanting privacy – the speed that the border fence has been erected is phenomenal.' Villagers said excavators were digging up half of the field and removing the earth in tipper trucks between the bank holiday's Friday and Sunday. They also told how work went on continuously over the three days. The plot is on Farmers Lane, at the Tan House Lane junction, with locals saying the land was green belt and for agricultural use only. Travellers are an ethnic minority group and are protected under equality legislation. Commenting on the situation, Cllr Mann said: 'I would like to thank residents for their patience and support, as well as the many emails and calls I have received. 'As matters are now involving a formal and legal process, and to maintain independence of any application and investigation, I am unable to share anything more than is stated below. 'I have met with the chief executive of Warrington borough council and the MP for Warrington North to raise our ongoing concerns regarding the development on Farmers Lane. 'I have received, from the borough council planning and enforcement teams, that a retrospective planning application has been received, but that it is yet to be validated. Any such application has to be determined on its relative merits. This will take a number of weeks. 'Information will be gathered as part of this process, which will inform the enforcement position.' Warrington borough council also said it had 'established a priority enforcement case' over the situation in Burtonwood.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Warrington Council's adult safeguarding system 'does not work'
Warrington Council's adult social care services have been rated as requiring improvement by inspectors, with concerns raised around its "complex" safeguarding Care Quality Commission (CQC) said the authority's procedures "didn't structurally work to keep people safe", with its digital triage system on its online portal automatically closing some referrals without them being said "rapid and widespread improvement" was needed in this area but there was also "positive work" being done by Council said it would act "swiftly and decisively" on the recommendations and that improvements were "already being made". The report said the authority spent just over a quarter of its budget on adult social care last year, and that there were about 3,500 people accessing long-term adult social care support and about 2,000 using short-term support during the CQC said safeguarding processes were complex and a cause for said the online portal for reporting safeguarding concerns had responses being triaged digitally depending on the answers given and could "result in some safeguarding concerns being closed inappropriately".But in other areas, the report said, there had been a "clear culture shift" and the authority was working on a "prevention first" there was "mixed feedback" about peoples' experiences, many spoke positively about staff and described them as "caring, compassionate and helpful".But some were frustrated by the length of time they had to wait for assessments, the report added. 'Good foundations' James Bullion, CQC's chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care, said the authority had "passionate staff" who were doing "positive work""However, the local authority has a lot of work to do around how they were safeguarding residents, and this is the area we found needed rapid and widespread improvement," he said."Warrington Borough Council have some good foundations on which to build their improvements and continue to do the things they are doing well."The watchdog said it would notify the health secretary and outline the area where improvement was Maureen McLaughlin, cabinet member for statutory health and adult social care, said: "I understand the concerns this may raise with residents."While there are clear areas of strength highlighted in the report, there are also areas where the council needs to do better."The council is acting swiftly and decisively on the recommendations outlined in the report - listening to the feedback provided by the assessors and working at pace to put the necessary changes and improvements in place."Ministerial envoys are set to be sent into Warrington Council over concerns raised about its commercial programme and council's children's services were last year rated as good overall, including outstanding in two areas. See more Cheshire stories from the BBC and follow BBC North West on X. For more local politics coverage, BBC Politics North West is on BBC One on Sunday at 10:00am and on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Resignation calls over 'critical' Warrington Council report
A former MP has called for resignations at a council after an "incredibly critical" report into the authority.A best value report on debt-ridden Warrington Council recently recommended appointing commissioners to take over the running of parts of the authority, although the government plans instead to send in ministerial Carter, the previous Conservative MP for Warrington South, told BBC Politics North West that he believed there should be a "senior level resignation".The council said it would respond "positively, co-operatively and at pace to all the recommendations made by government". The report, which had been ordered over concerns raised about the council's commercial programme and debts, said inspectors were not confident the authority had the "will and capacity" to make changes without external Carter was the MP when the investigation into the authority was launched by the previous government and said he still wanted to see commissioners sent in."I think all members of the management team at Warrington Council need to consider their positions very carefully," he said."There is significant criticism from inspectors and inspectors don't make those criticisms lightly."The inspectors have made recommendations, they feel very strongly that new people are needed to come in and supervise what happens here."I think that probably tells you very clearly that there needs to be a senior level resignation, I'd expect that to come from the chief executive and those people that put forward these schemes that have put the finances of Warrington Council into such a difficult position." A spokesman for Warrington Borough Council said it would not be commenting on Mr Carter's calls for leader, Labour's Hans Mundry, said the authority would develop an improvement and recovery plan and appoint a transformation and change director."I want to make it explicitly clear that the council will respond positively, co-operatively and at pace to all the recommendations made by government regarding the best value inspection report," he said."The council takes this matter very seriously, but I reassure residents and businesses that we will be pro-active in addressing the challenges."He said the authority would "continue with our strong track record in supporting vulnerable people, growing our strong economy, improving opportunities, ensuring we have vibrant communities and a good quality of life for all of our residents and businesses".The government has invited comments on its planned intervention and the council will discuss the report on 16 June. See more Cheshire stories from the BBC and follow BBC North West on X. For more local politics coverage, BBC Politics North West is on BBC One on Sunday at 10:00am and on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Warrington Council to increase school transport payments to parents
Warrington Council has outlined plans to make a "huge saving" by encouraging more parents to drop their children off at school rather than use transport provided by the local council has reported high demand due to a rise in the number of pupils with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) coupled with "over-inflated charges" from has approved changes to its public transport budget to cut the costs, including plans to increase payments to families who use their own vehicles to take eligible pupils to school to encourage more councillor Jean Flaherty said this would save the council cash but also provide a "betters service for children." The increased payments would fall under what is known as a personal transport budget, which is given to eligible parents or carers to help cover the cost of transport. Councils are required to provide transport for certain pupils, including SEND pupils and those who live a certain distance away from their school.A report to councillors said the authority had experienced a "year-on-year escalation of transport costs", alongside a 79% increase in contracts for children with SEND transport needs over the last five years. 'Quite daunting' Other changes approved by the council include altering the system it uses to measure the distance from pupils' homes to council also wants to invest in transport training for some of those over 16 it currently drops to school. It pays for transport for 123 young people over 16, 105 of whom receive either taxi or minibus transport which costs more than £800,000 a highest individual cost is more than £37, said the changes to the personal transport budget were a "really good option".She said: "It's better for children to be taken by a parent, family member or close friend than being put in a vehicle on their own or with other children, it can be quite daunting for children especially with special educational needs."It also demonstrates a huge saving for the council, so we're finding we're not only able to save money but provide a better service for those children which is our key consideration." See more Cheshire stories from the BBC and follow BBC North West on X. For more local politics coverage, BBC Politics North West is on BBC One on Sunday at 10:00am and on BBC iPlayer.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Government to intervene at debt-ridden council
Ministerial envoys are set to be sent into Warrington Council, after concerns were raised around its commercial programme and debts. An inspection was ordered by the previous government last year, after criticism of the authority's £1.8bn debt which was mostly in relation to its commercial investments. Local government minister Jim McMahon said the authority was failing to comply with its best value duty in relation to five areas, including leadership, culture and use of resources. But the government has stopped short of appointing commissioners to take over some functions of the authority, as recommended by a report produced by the inspectors. The BBC has contacted Warrington Council for comment. McMahon said the report had found strengths in the local authority in areas including children's services, public sector partnerships and community engagement. But it highlighted serious concerns in five areas - continuous improvement, leadership, governance, culture and use of resources. The report said there was "resistance" in the council's response to external challenges and that the inspectors were not confident it had the "will and capacity" to make changes without external leadership. It also found a lack of strategic direction, members being "highly respectful" of powerful officers with a "defensiveness to internal and external scrutiny". The council's commercial programme, it said, "lacks transparency" and decision-making was "disproportionately influenced by a small group of officers" and the authority managed a complex investment programme "without a clear strategy or the required expertise". The minister said he was proposing an envoy model rather than taking over functions through appointing commissioners - which happened at nearby Liverpool City Council - meaning the authority would remain responsible for its improvement but with "support, challenge and advice" from the envoys. Inspectors had recommended appointing commissioners, saying they did not have "confidence" that the council acting alone "recognises the severity of the issues it faces". They also recommended the authority should sell some of its commercial assets, introduce a transformation programme and review its own scrutiny committees. Andy Carter, a former Conservative MP for Warrington South when the inspection was ordered, said he felt the government's choice of ministerial envoys was "a cop out". "The inspector recommends a commissioner with full powers to run the council and that's what the government should do, particularly as the council have failed on numerous occasions to address the issues that have been raised," he said. McMahon said he was asking the council and residents for their input on the proposed intervention, which he was seeking to be in place for five years. See more Cheshire stories from the BBC and follow BBC North West on X. For more local politics coverage, BBC Politics North West is on BBC One on Sunday at 10:00am and on BBC iPlayer. Inspection ordered at debt-ridden council Debt-ridden council 'needs panel' to oversee investments Warrington Borough Council
