The latest news from Poynton’s Conservatives:
Anson Road Civic Amenity Site Safe – for now
Cheshire County Council has postponed plans to close Poynton’s household waste site on Anson Road. The Council had commissioned a firm of consultants to review these sites across Cheshire, and they had recommended that the Poynton site be closed. However, in view of the fact that the County Council will be abolished in April 2009, it was decided to leave any decision to the new Cheshire East Council.
Poynton Conservatives are concerned that the future of such a site was even considered without local consultation. No attempt was made to find the views of local people and the Parish Council. The County Council have refused to release the consultant’s report, (paid for by Council Tax payers) claiming it is confidential. We have made a formal request under the freedom of information laws to see the report, and also to find out how much the consultants were paid.
While the current site may not be perfect, this is in part due to Cheshire County Council’s failure to properly maintain Anson Road. If the Poynton site closed, residents would be expected to travel to Bollington, which would increase traffic and hence pollution. There would also be a rise in fly tipping.
Our three prospective candidates for the new Cheshire East Council, Joe Beard, Howard Murray and Roger West, are all committed to ensuring that local views from across the village are fully considered prior to any decision being made.
Streetlights – a problem solved
For many years, some of Poynton’s streetlights have been owned and run by Poynton Parish Council, rather than the Cheshire Highways Department. This meant that the electricity costs, plus repairs and new bulbs, were paid for by Poynton residents.
The Parish Council has longed believed this to be unfair, as the streetlights in most other towns and villages are all paid for by Cheshire Highways. This situation was known as “double taxation”.
However, Parish Councillors Charles Gorst and Tony Hall, who lead negotiations with Cheshire Highways, have now persuaded them to take over the vast majority of the lights currently run by the Parish Council. This will save Poynton residents around £20,000 each year. These lights will in future be maintained and paid for by Cheshire Highways. This is an excellent deal for Poynton.
This success follows an agreement last year with Macclesfield Borough Council, to end double taxation for Parish Council run facilities like Poynton Civic Hall and the play areas.
Tesco: Rejected
Macclesfield Borough Council have rejected Tesco’s planning application for a supermarket on London Road South. Local MBC Councillor Roger West and Parish Councillor Laurence Clarke both addressed the Borough Planning Committee and stressed the problems that such a store would cause.
A separate application by Waitrose for a supermarket on Park Lane is likely to be considered by the Borough Council in early May. As with the Tesco application, villagers will be given every opportunity to state their views.
LAC
