On 13 June 14 of us visited Worsley Old Hall and then joined a fascinating guided walk around the Bridgewater Canal basin at Worsley.

Worsley Old Hall, now a restaurant, was lived in by John Gilbert, the agent to the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater. The Bridgewater Canal, often said to be the first true canal in Britain and the modern world, was built by the Duke in the 1760s to transport coal from his collieries in Worsley to Manchester.  There are some 50 miles of underground canals.

In Worsley village  we followed in the footsteps of the late Queen when we crossed a bridge over the canal and those of Queen Victoria when we climbed the steps up to St Mark's Church which was designed by George Gilbert Scott.

After the AGM on 1 April we had a fascinating talk by Dan Price, Cheshire Police & Crime Commissioner, on the role of Police & Crime Commissioner.

He sets the budget,& precept on our council tax bills, for the police in Cheshire.

He doesn't interfere with operational policing but he:

• listens to the concerns of the public via citizens' assemblies - so far the only Police & Crime Commissioner in the UK to do so
• funds local projects from the proceeds of crime to help to create more cohesive communities
• is encouraging, & assisting, secondary schools in Cheshire to ban the use of mobile phones in class. This has already had beneficial results.
•  is helping ex-offenders into meaningful careers. At present 75% of offenders reoffend within 9 years of release from prison, mostly because they haven't been able to get a job.

On 4 March our very own Heloise Graham, an architect who specialises in the restoration & enhancement of historic buildings, gave us a fascinating insight into her work.

Heloise has worked on several well-known buildings in & around Manchester including Sunlight House on Quay St and the former Masonic Hall.

Did you know, for example, that Sunlight House on Quay St, Manchester’s first skyscraper, was designed by Joseph Sunlight & had a swimming pool in the basement? A special structure had to be erected to enable restoration of the dome to proceed while people were swimming below.

Heloise restored the entrance of the Midland Hotel after it was damaged by fire, using stone from the same Scottish quarry as the original.

Heloise explained how she aims to display fine original features of a building whilst also introducing modern enhancements in keeping with the building, for example new glass windows at the entrance to Sunlight House.

On 4 February Cllr Sam Corcoran, former Leader of Cheshire East Council, outlined Cheshire East's environmental aspirations as illustrated in this slide

Howard Murray, a former Cheshire East & Poynton Town councillor, gave us an extremely interesting talk about the Poynton shared space which he masterminded in 2012.

Report

It cost £2.3M. At the time many people opposed the idea but most now recognise that it has been a great success. It has significantly reduced the number of accidents and has made Poynton a more attractive place to visit.

On a show of hands there was considerable support for the idea of doing something similar in Wilmslow. Frustratingly, however, there seem to be some significant obstacles

(1)  Who would drive it in the way Howard did?

(2)  In 2012 Cheshire East put some money which it found down the back of the sofa towards it. As the highway authority Cheshire East would have to give the idea its blessing. But nowadays it doesn’t have any money to put towards it.

(3)  The man who designed the Poynton scheme has died.

Cllr Michael Gorman, Deputy Leader of Cheshire East Council, explained that with effect from May 2027 there will be an elected Mayor of Cheshire & Warrington

Report

If Rachel Reeves can find the money down the back of the sofa the Mayor will receive £21.7M per annum for 30 years to go into an investment fund to stimulate growth and including brownfield housing & adult skills.

The three existing councils – Cheshire West & Chester, Cheshire East & Warrington – will continue.

The Mayor will receive this additional funding in the same way as other regional mayors – for example Andy Burnham in Manchester.

The idea is for major investment decisions to be taken locally rather than by central Government. This should avoid, for example, the person in Whitehall who had never been north of Watford & thought 800 car parking spaces at Manchester Airport would have been enough to cope with HS2!

Did you know, incidentally, that 25% of the UK’s dairy farms are in Cheshire?

The future of Romany’s garden and the vardo by Cllr David Jefferay

Report

On 1 October Cllr David Jefferay outlined the interesting proposal to restore Romany's former garden between Wilmslow Library & Parkway, including perhaps bringing back to Wilmslow his vardo which Cheshire East - in the view of many of us, foolishly - gave to a museum in Bradford in 2013.

The problem of flooding has hopefully been solved by clearance of a blocked drain. It is envisaged that the existing footpath would become a Romany memorial walk, with appropriate signage, to commemorate Rev Bramwell Evens aka "Romany" whose radio broadcasts in the 1930s & 1940s about wildlife were a precursor to David Attenborough. Rev Evens retired to Parkway in 1940.

It is envisaged that the project would be funded from the reserves of the now defunct Romany Society, Wilmslow Town Council, and the money which Cheshire East has received, and is still sitting on, from developers in return for planning permissions in Wilmslow East.

AGM followed by talk by Michael Dukes on Arthur Walpole, Wilmslow resident who played a leading role in the discovery of groundbreaking cancer drugs.

On 5 February we had a lively update by Lisa Russett on the Wilmslow Business Improvement District.

Report

The businesses in the centre of Wilmslow pay a levy amounting in total to about £200,000 per annum in addition to their rates  in order to pay for activities and events which help to promote Wilmslow.

Teepees were erected in Bank Square at Christmas. There will be a face trail including characters such as Darth Vader with prizes to be spent in Wilmslow businesses and there will be another Wilmslow Street Festival & Wilmslow Live this year and a sci fi trail for children in April. They are currently working on digital noticeboards for the town centre.

Report

Our talk on 4th December was an update in what is going on with Wilmslow Town Council and also with Cheshire East Council from Lata Anderson who is a councillor for both.

Lata Anderson

Lata gave us an interesting update, and there was much discussion about various aspects of both councils.

Highlights of WTC included the imminent appointment of a Community Coordinator, who will work alongside and help community groups where required, and the potential appointment of Town Rangers who would help with wear and tear, hedges, signage and aiding with events. 

Wilmslow has 5 CEC councillors holding important positions, including deputy leader (Cllr. Michael Gorman) and Chair of Northern planning (Cllr. David Jefferies).

Lata’s talk was accompanied by informative slides. If you would like a copy of these, please let her know, she’ll happily share them.

Chris McClory reminded us of the invitation To Wilmslow High School’s Christmas event and several people said they were interested to go.

Happy Christmas to you all, see you in the New Year.

Report

On 6 November Sal Potts, senior project manager at Mersey Rivers Trust, gave an interesting talk about the River Bollin. Her team manages the stretch of the river from Macclesfield Forest to Manchester Ship Canal.

A charity called Bollin Environmental Action & Conservation (BEACON) was formed in 2010 to advise farmers and other landowners adjoining the river on steps to improve the quality of the water. The middle stretch of the river which runs through Wilmslow is at present rated only "moderate" by the Environment Agency because of contamination by, for example, industry and phosphates from agriculture. But progress is being made. 

Landowners value help from a body which is independent of regulators.

A total of over 700 hours was spent on habitat restoration in 2023. This included trying to reduce, among others, Himalayan Balsam, Japanese knotweed (which they inject) and Giant Hogweed.  They also run community projects including a bio-blitz and pond-dipping.

Report

Did you know that Transition Wilmslow have created an eco-forest on land near the allotments off Land Lane? Althea Wilkinson of Transition Wilmslow gave us a most illuminating talk about it – and their ongoing work to transform a neglected piece of land into an area friendly to plants, wildlife and the environment generally.

Report

After the AGM Sonia Dykstra gave us a lively account of the Wilmslow Green Room which is this year celebrating its centenary. For instance, did you know that the theatre has a sprung floor?

Report

On Wednesday 1 March Brian Donohue, Terry Davenport & Professor John Handley, members of the Wilmslow Neighbourhood Plan Implementation Group, gave us an update on implementation of the Wilmslow Neighbourhood Plan which was adopted after a referendum of Wilmslow residents in 2019.

Following covid the proposal to build a hotel on the site of Tesco Express & the adjoining properties on Alderley Road has been dropped, as has the proposal to build a multi-storey car park at Broadway Meadow.

Businesses in Wilmslow have voted to create a business improvement district under which they will pay additional rates which over the next 5 years will generate £1M to improve the town centre.

A new playground has been created at Little Lindow.

There is a proposal to make Green Lane one way & move the buses somewhere else.

McCarthy Stone has applied for planning permission to build an apartment block on the site of the police station. This conflicts with the proposal in the neighbourhood plan to build affordable housing there.

Now that peat extraction at Lindow Moss, which could otherwise have continued until 2042, has ceased in return for planning permission to build 14 houses on the site of the former peat buildings, restoration of the Moss has commenced. This is already beginning to make a huge improvement to the environment.

Speaker, Sally Potts, Senior Project Manager, Mersey Rivers Trust

Report

The ten thousand year-old Lindow Moss bog faces a bright future - that was the clear message of Wilmslow Civic Trust's first meeting of 2024. Giving the good news were John Handley, Emeritus Professor of planning and environment management, Gary Parker, interim chair of the newly-formed Friends of Lindow Moss, and Helen Battilana, the trust's link with the Lindow Moss Partnership, who addressed the meeting.

Prof. Handley, giving a history of the bog, which was formed after the last great ice-age, but hit the headlines in 1984 with the discovery of the sacrificed body of an lron Age man, said the future for the nationally significant Lindow Moss was "surprisingly good." The main measure to rescue the bog - an important carbon "store" - was to raise the water-table to its previous level, which will take about two more years to achieve. Peat had been dug locally from the Moss for 800 years, but commercial large-scale extraction after 1997 had done the most damage to its eco-system"

Gary Parker said more than 100 people had attended this month's formation meeting of the Friends of Lindow Moss whose main aims were to increase the bio-diversity of the wetland, help to reduce climate-change, add to local history and to improve access to help towards the personal well-being of local people, who included walkers, cyclists, horse-riders and anglers. The new group had heard views ranging from calls for getting better access to the Moss and the return of the "Wilmslow Pete" bog-body from London's British Museum, as well as the full restoration of the bogland. He added: "l am very optimistic for the repair of Lindow Moss and for its future."

Helen Battilana, reporting a programme of events this year called Discover Lindow 2024, said activities will include walks on the Moss - with a "Dawn Walk" on August 1 to mark the discovery 40 year ago of Lindow Man accompanied by the evocative playing of a little-known karnyx, an ancient horn instrument - art exhibitions, and a course on Lindow Moss, its people and its landscape at the Wilmslow Guild for Lifelong Learning in the autumn.

For more information on Lindow Moss please see:

https://www.discoverlindow.org

Talk about the Business Improvement District initiative in Wilmslow, by Lisa Russett
Report

On 6 September Lisa Russett of Groundwork, an organisation engaged by Wilmslow Town Council to promote the town, explained about the Business Improvement District which was launched in November.

Businesses in the town centre with a rateable value over £15,000 have agreed to pay a levy which over the first 5 years will generate £1M to boost business in Wilmslow. This was used to pay for the ice rink in Bank Square in the run up to Christmas (which will be repeated this year), a dinosaur trail for children and other events. It is too early to quantify the benefits but early signs are very encouraging

Report

A 75 year-old vision of what Wilmslow might have been was unveiled to members of the Wilmslow Civic Trust this month.

Trust member Ray Acton recalled the Mawson Plan of 1947, which drew up plans to turn the "higgledy-piggle" old village centre into a post-war modern town.

The plan was commissioned by the former Wilmslow Urban District . But Trust chairman Stuart Kinsey said some of the plan's proposals must have left councillors "aghast."

The plan's author, architect and town planner Edward Mawson, who died in 1950, thought the Wilmslow of the time had "a pleasant countryside atmosphere."

But the old centre, in the Church Street area leading to the ancient parish church of St. Bartholomew, had grown
"like Topsey" and was "a rough street, dirty and smelly, from smoke and the gasworks," said Mr Acton, an experienced local historian.

Mr. Mawson's scheme looked far into the future and envisaged new housing in circular mini-estates as the population doubled, a new railway station, a big bus station, and 60 foot-wide main roads. "There would have been a lot of demolition," said Mr. Acton.

Mawson's radical solution for Wilmslow predicted big population growth for the outlying areas of Lacy Green, Handforth, Dean Row, The Hough and Pownall Park. Some of that has happened - but not all.
The plan has been almost completely forgotten over the years."It was top-down planning," summed up Mr Kinsey. "Now we have a democratic process which the Wilmslow Plan has evolved, giving us different ideas."

Report

On 1 February Ian Baillie, Chairman of Friends of the Carrs, gave an extremely interesting illustrated talk about Friends of the Carrs.

Since covid the Carrs in Wilmslow has become very popular.

The Carrs was given to the people of Wilmslow by Henry Boddington (of the brewing family) of Pownall Hall. It is now owned by Cheshire East & since 2005 has been looked after as a country park by ANSA assisted by a small group of volunteers called Friends of the Carrs, assisted by a Bollin Valley ranger.

The path from the Parish Hall car park to the Twinnies car park was upgraded with money from the EU via Natural England.

Over the years about 950 trees have been planted, including recently two oak trees in memory of the Queen & Duke of Edinburgh.

Children from Lacey Green School have planted wildflowers & children have designed posters to try to discourage litter. Transition Wilmslow has provided apple trees.

Friends of the Carrs have also received help from Wilmslow Town Council, Tesco & Waitrose.

Wilmslow Town Council paid for the toilet block & refreshment kiosk in the Parish Hall car park near the children's playground.

Wilmslow Rotary & Cheshire East paid for the gym next to the tennis courts.

Report

Craig Browne, Deputy Leader of Cheshire East Council gave us a most illuminating bird's eye view of Cheshire East Council.

Did you know that

The population of Cheshire East increased by 8% between 2011 & 2021 and is forecast to increase by a further 10% by 2031?

Cheshire East Council has a budget of £330M, so if inflation is now 10% it will need a further £33M, plus a further £60M which it received from the Government this year but won't receive next year, just to stand still?

Two thirds of the budget goes on health & adult social care & children & families benefitting together only about 5% of the population?

Council officers in Cheshire East are low paid by comparison with other councils and with the private sector so it is difficult to attract, for example, planning officers of a calibre to process the large number of often complex planning applications which the Council – including as it does the so-called "golden triangle" – receives?

Report

Wilmslow Civic Trust members were delighted to give Jackie Weaver full authority to take charge of their meeting on Wednesday evening (7th). Those present learnt a great deal about the real Jackie Weaver and her serious work with Local Town & Parish Councils … and the fun Jackie has enjoyed since becoming a celebrity.

Jackie talked about the qualities of an ideal councillor and encouraged more people to put their names forward for election to their local council*.

She runs the Cheshire Association of Local Councils. She didn't consider this an even remotely high-profile position & was more surprised than anyone else to be catapulted on to the national, and even international, stage a few years ago as a result of a video of a meeting of the (then dysfunctional) Handforth Town Council which she had chaired 12 months previously went viral on the internet. 

* In this connection you may care to note that there will be elections to Cheshire East & all parish councils in Cheshire on 4 May for which nominations have to be in by 4 April. There will be briefing sessions for potential candidates on Monday 20 February & Monday 6 March, at 5.30 for Cheshire East & 7pm for town & parish councils.

Report

Ray Acton gave us a typically well-researched talk on 5 October about Smithies' paintings and metalwork, produced at his studio on Manchester Road, examples of which can be seen at, among other places, Fulshaw Hall and St Bartholomew's Church in Wilmslow.

Report

The last Trust talk  -  via Zoom  - was given by Dominic Crisp from Everybody Leisure. He gave a very informed overview of the many activities available at the Cheshire East Leisure Centres and described the set up, which in 2014 became a charitable trust, running  16 leisure centres,  9 pools and 6 cafes. All profits are ploughed back into the facilities, though currently the centres are running on a loan from Cheshire. The turnover is around £1.6m and a staff of 860 is employed. Not surprisingly, the pandemic caused considerable problems, but a number of online exercise groups were organised, available to members, which were well utilized and enjoyed. Gradually, a wider range of health and wellbeing programmes are being inaugurated, including  pre and post operative cancer care rehabilitation, falls prevention, Nordic walking, walking football, as well as the usual group keep fit classes of varying intensity. 

In 2019, as lockdown came into force, 16 leisure centres were closed, memberships  frozen, 8,000 children's swimming lessons put on hold and  98% of the workforce put on furlough, the remainder being employed on necessary maintenance. At this point the National Lottery stepped in with a very helpful grant.  The furloughed staff were formed into a covid response team, and a food bank was created, working with local authorities and supermarkets to distribute £5,000 worth of food,  as well as making more than 200  phone calls to vulnerable people.  The challenge now as confidence returns, is to get the centres running as nearly as possible to something approaching 'normal'. Not only for the public but also for staff. Fortunately, a gradual increase in use of facilities has been seen in the last couple of months.

Across the whole of Cheshire East there is a huge investment  programme  underway at all sites, with Wilmslow in line for complete redevelopment as part of the 5 towns business plan. Eventually the aim is that facilities should self - fund, but for now the loan is essential. 

Keith Osborne gave a warm vote of thanks to Dominic, saying that he was hugely impressed by the scope of activities available, but suggesting that some form of advertising could be helpful because, despite living very close to the Leisure Centre, he was entirely unaware of the impressive range of facilities on  offer. Dominic was very open to following up on this suggestion.  

Next meeting 2nd March Dr Jonathan Swinton 'Alan Turing's Wilmslow' at Wilmslow High School  at 7.30pm  (jointly with Wilmslow Historical Society)

Report

Members of Wilmslow Civic Trust enjoyed an interesting talk, on Zoom, given by Greville Kelly, Director of Business for The Groundwork Trust. Groundwork is a federation of charities which promote practical community action across the country to assist in the transition to an inclusive net zero economy. This means creating 'Green ' jobs that build wealth locally, changing behaviour to reduce waste, helping businesses to be more responsible and empowering communities to improve their quality of life via volunteering and local involvement.

Greville has had a constructive few months working with local businesses and other stakeholders, discussing ways in which the town centre might be reinvigorated . A new town centre management group has been set up, which will meet for the first time in October - almost 500 businesses from those with national status to small independents, and including representatives of local residents, have signed up to participate.

Confidence within the business community has been very mixed, but 55% were reasonably confident about the future, despite there being 21 vacant properties in the town. Many felt that the 'marketing ' of Wilmslow as a town is very important, and could be improved - eg. pavements were rated as poor whereas the floral arrangements were highly praised and much valued.

There were concerns expressed about crime and security, particularly in the evenings and even more so on Friday and Saturday nights. Links are being developed with 'Pub Watch ' to try and address these problems. £50,000 has been given by Wilmslow Town Council to support events in the town during the next 6 months - these include the Tour of Britain (cycling ) in September, and new lights for the Christmas display. Other projects might cover food, fashion, sustainability and technology, but much remains uncertain despite reduced Covid restrictions. Some of the problems which emerged during the discussion session were the very high rents , and the effect of online shopping; it was pointed out that Amazon pays a very small amount of tax compared with the high street and there is some pressure nationally for the introduction of a sales tax, but of course this is beyond the scope of local government. As usual, warm thanks were expressed to Greville by chairman Stuart Kinsey, for giving participants an insight into the hoped-for improvements to the town.

Report

Following the W.C.T. zoom A.G.M., thirty members of the Trust heard from Tony Collier B.E.M., chairman of the Altrincham Development Forum, how the town had been lifted from its lowest point ten years ago, when it made national headlines as a ghost town, to its gradual renewal as a busy and vibrant town today. Under the guidance of the Forum - a joint Public Private Partership, the regeneration project has focussed on the strength of Altrincham as an historic market town, and has revived the old market area to great effect with local produce, excellent cafes and arts and crafts shops at its core. It is hoped that other community assets such as the old Town Hall will also be protected, improved, and brought into use.

From the outset, there has been a great deal of public consultation, and initially good participation, but as so often happens, active interest has waned considerably over the years, and the Forum is now led by a small working group of around a dozen. The positive effects of the successful redevelopment of the market area have been felt right across the town, not only in that immediate area, with some previously closed chains returning and a reduction in the vacancy rate from 20% to around 8% in 2019. The recent loss of both Debenhams and Rackhams is however a looming problem and it is envisaged the solution will be found by restricting retail to ground floor level and reserving upper floors for residential use.

The Forum is encouraging an overall reduction in retail space, alongside trying to increase town centre leisure facilities plus residential use and an improvement in pedestrian and cycling provision. The cornerstone of these improvements is to ensure an attractive environment throughout the town, so that both business and the public want to come into the area and use its facilities. Altrincham recently won an award for being Britain's Best High Street and the best place to live in the North West. Chairman Stuart Kinsey thanked Tony for presenting an interesting talk and leaving us with ideas which could be helpful for our own high street, and gave him a donation for Prostate Cancer U.K. as a 'thank you . '

Report

On March 3rd, Wilmslow Civic Trust members participated in a zoom talk given by Group Head of Community Engagement Robert Pattison, along with Andrew Murray, Manchester Airport Planning Manager.

Because of the huge reduction in passenger numbers and flights during the pandemic, time is now being spent giving consideration to future needs, improved efficiency, development of aircraft with lower emissions and progressing the latest satellite systems.

The airport is presently down to between 5 - 10% of its usual level of business - now only eighteen flights per day. Some staff have therefore been made redundant, with most of the remainder on furlough and staff across the board taking a 10% pay cut. All operating costs have been reviewed, with some building developments being cancelled or deferred - unless needed for safety reasons. Terminal 1 is currently the only one operating, and as traffic is unlikely to increase markedly for at least a year. The new T2, due to open in May will remain as the only operational building; T1 will then be upgraded.

A 'Green Agenda' is being promoted - noisier aircraft paying higher charges, and the airport has committed to waiving landing fees for the first airline to have electric planes! A large area between the airport and Wythenshawe, known as Airport City, is rapidly expanding. Amazon and DHL. are already installed. The HUT Group have purchased three logistics centres as well as planning to build their own H.Q. Also included are plans for some manufacturing facilities and at least three hotels.

Prior to the pandemic, around 29m passengers used Manchester annually. The airport authority eventually aims to increase this number to 45m, but no date has been set for this because of present uncertainty.

Maybe with future travel in mind, there were plenty of questions from members, ranging from wanting to know the reason behind the pick-up and drop-off charges (to reduce severe congestion), why local planning applications sometimes have to be submitted to the airport, (in case of problems with tree-height, bird-strike, wind turbines) and the rationale behind the airport train timetable which some felt was inconvenient - (out of their hands, organized by Northern Rail) Anxiety was expressed that expansion might necessitate another runway, but it seems there is plenty of capacity with current facilities.

Thanks were given to the speakers by acting chairman Christopher Dodson, not only for their interesting and informative talk, but also for giving hope to those in the audience who were anxious to resume travel in the not too distant future.

Speaker: Wendy Sinfield, Community Relations Manager, Manchester, Manchester Airport

Speaker: the architect Annabelle Tugby, recently associated with the proposed re-development of the Tesco Express block in central Wilmslow.

Report

W.C.T members recently enjoyed, via zoom, a very successful and interesting presentation, on the Handforth Garden Development, given by Scott Royal from Cheshire East Council and Mark Thompson the Project Manager. The 114 h. site will eventually consist of 1500 houses plus 175 care units, as well as shops, leisure facilities and a school. The project has been awarded National Garden Village status by central government - ( one of 14 countrywide, ) which will attract funding of £21.7 m. which will go towards primary infrastructure ahead of housebuilding. High tech, design and sustainability will be integral, with district heating, electric car charging points , car share, Park and Ride all included.

It is the intention to build both housing and community infrastructure to a high standard, with good insulation and good design part of the remit. Dairy House Farm, which is Grade 2 listed, will be restored, although future use is not yet decided, but as community cohesion and participation will be encouraged, this building could play a part in that. Both Manchester and Salford universities are involved with some of the planning and ecological infrastructure, the intention being to have a net gain in biodiversity rather than a loss, as might be expected when using a greenfield site. All the ponds in the area will be enhanced, tree planting, installation of owl boxes and a mini 'green belt' between the development and the A34. are all part of the design.

The hope is that plans will be passed this autumn, so that the development can move forward in stages, with a variety of house types in place by 2023, whilst the mixed use high street, which is intended to hold individual rather than nationally known outlets, will take around 10 years to be fully developed. The timescale for this exciting and interesting project is for the whole site to reach completion by 2030. Thanks were expressed to the speakers for this excellent inside view of this future proofed development, by Chairman Stuart Kinsey.

Report

Wilmslow Neighbourhood Plan was again the subject of the February meeting of the Trust - the large audience confirmed that members are very keen to keep abreast of developments and implementation of the plan and following the talk members were ready with questions for our speakers. As previously, the dedicated team - Brian Donohoe, Terry Davenport and Martin Watkins brought members up to date with progress so far.

The intention now is to form working groups to establish priorities, so that proposals and developments are properly coordinated; currently the working group is awaiting the appointment of a representative from Cheshire East, as it is important to keep C.E. involved with all developments - they are the ultimate authority and progress cannot be made without their approval. The original core group has a great deal of specialist expertise, but representation from business, town groups and residents who have particular skills and interests would be very welcome. The National Trust and the River Authority are both participating in the N.P. on local environmental initiatives.

A number of sites for possible future development have been identified, amongst these are the Police Station, - a large but underused site, which could have some housing;, the Tesco site, ( which attracted adverse comments from 99% of respondents to the original N.P. survey ) and which is the focus of a proposal for a boutique hotel. A recent display in the library, put on by the architect and the developer of this scheme, received many favourable comments. The other site in question was the Broadway Meadow car park: filled to capacity on a daily basis, there are regular and understandable calls for a multi storey to be built, but one of the practicalities which would need to be addressed is what to do with the cars currently using it, during the process of rebuilding. The results of last years parking survey is now taking shape, and yellow lines are imminent around Alderley Road and Knutsford Road - needed for traffic flow and safety, but again shifting rather than resolving the problem. It is also hoped that cycle paths and footpaths will soon see some improvements, as well as environmental initiatives in the Bollin Valley and tree planting in the area, which is being supported by Transition Wilmslow.

The audience discussion covered many topics including the possibility of building affordable housing, enforcement of building standards, and a suggestion that residents could rent out their driveways to ease the parking shortage. The meeting closed with thanks from the Chairman Stuart Kinsey to the speakers not only for the informative talk, but for giving their time so generously to the Trust . The next meeting of the Trust will be the A.G.M. and will be held on March 18th, at the library. The talk will be given by Tony Collier B.E.M.who will talk about the recovery of Altrincham, and what Wilmslow might learn from it.

‘Improving the Jim Evison Playing Fields: Options and Implications’ – a discussion led by Scott Storey.

Report

The Jim Evison Sports field on Altrincham Road was the topic of the meeting last week. Scott Storey, of Sport Wilmslow, presented a clear and comprehensive overview of the present unsatisfactory arrangements and the plans and ambitions for the future. Three years ago, a group of interested parties - players and parents, set up a Community Interest Group in order to explore the possibility of improving the facilities on this 16 acre site. At present there are 6 grass football pitches and 4 rugby pitches,all liable to flooding, as well as the changing rooms, now so antiquated that they are mainly used for storage. The architect designed plan has been developed in consultation with both sports clubs and Cheshire East Council in the hope that all interested parties will be happy with the outcome.

The development needs to be commercially viable whilst at the same time not undermining other available facilities in the area. Within the pavilion there could be a cafe, bar function rooms and fitness studio - at this stage these are simply suggestions; outside there would be 3 astro turf pitches, retention of a number of grass pitches, areas for running, rounders, and netball - and there will be parking for 200 cars . The estimated cost will be around £7 million with annual running costs of about £25,000. Talks are progressing with sponsorship, Lottery money, Football Association and Rugby Football Union as well as Cheshire East Council all expressing support. 

Some members of the audience were concerned about the impact of this development on local residents, but Scott gave assurances that the building would be high quality, in keeping with the Waters building and the Colony, as well as being environmentally sustainable and would have generously planted tree cover. Scott was supported in his talk by councillor Mark Goldsmith, who emphasised the importance of the development for an area which is at present designated the worst pitch in the borough. Both speakers were warmly thanked by chairman Stuart Kinsey. The next meeting of the Trust will be on February 19th, in Wilmslow library at 7.30 for 7.45 when there will be a discussion with council members/ officials on Working with the Neighbourhood Plan. All welcome

Talk by Ray Acton. The End of World War One in Wilmslow

Location: Wilmslow Library.

Report

The October meeting of the Wilmslow Civic Trust was an informative talk, with some lively discussion, on the work and achievements of Wilmslow Town Council.

Christopher Dodson, a former councillor, followed by Lata Anderson, recently elected, and Martin Watkins, present chairman, participated in the presentation and discussion. The Town Council was founded in 2010, following lobbying by a number of parties - including W.C.T. -when three parish councils , Styal, Wilmslow and Handforth were formed; all members work in a voluntary capacity.

Over the years the Council has been the instigator and supporter of a variety of worthwhile projects and activities in the town, including helping to finance the Citizens Advice Bureau, St. Bartholemew's food bank, Cinema in the Carrs, organizing the Remembrance Sunday parade, allotments administration, Christmas lights and the much appreciated public loos and refreshment kiosk adjacent to the Parish Hall.

A local handyman is employed by the T.C. who ensures that public spaces and C.C.T.V Are well maintained.

The T.C. has also worked behind the scenes to resurrect the Rex cinema, and has encouraged the development of the recently adopted and very important Neighbourhood Plan.

Parking in the town, an increasingly difficult issue, is the responsibility of Cheshire East and they are, at last, carrying out a feasibility study into the provision of a multi - storey car park.

The relationship between W.T.C. and Cheshire East is frequently difficult, particularly on planning matters, where the role of the T.C. is only advisory, and often ignored when there is disagreement. Efforts are being made to increase local responsibilities, and the T.C. is working to develop a communication strategy in order to widen and encourage dialogue with residents.

The council holds the view that local representatives are more able to reflect the needs and views of Wilmslow residents, rather than decisions being taken in Crewe by people unconnected to the area.

Stuart Kinsey gave the vote of thanks to the speakers for their contributions and for giving the audience both an enjoyable evening as well as insight into the working of local government.

Talk: ‘Fracking Shale for Oil and Gas – the Myths, the Truth, the Future’. 

Dr Peter Webb, energy consultant operating worldwide.

AGM followed by a talk ‘The Challenges and Satisfaction of Re-opening the Wilmslow Cinema’

Report

A large crowd filled the library meeting room last Wednesday for the Wilmslow Civic Trust's A.G.M. and more keenly, dare it be said, to hear Tony Mundin describe his many years of experience in rejuvenating closed and sometimes semi - derelict cinemas. Before Tony's talk, Chairman Stuart Kinsey led members through the formalities of the A.G.M. and with Treasurer Kieth Osborne's report and minutes approved, thanked both the committee and members for their support during the year. There is a new system in place, whereby four committee members trawl planning applications and contact W.T.C. with any concerns; if any member has particular concerns about an application, then do let a committee member know. As there were no nominations, the committee was re-elected en bloc.

Following a break for refreshments, Tony described how his first foray into cinema revival, in his home town of Belper in 2006, led to three further acquisitions - Heaton Moor, Melton Mowbray, and now in Wilmslow. In fact, Tony had been interested in the Rex some years ago, but Multiyork occupied such a large portion of the building, that even a plan to extend the premises,failed to provide sufficient space for the facilities needed. After Multiyork's demise however, contact with the landlord was swift, and with support from the Town Council and a group of enthusiasts, negotiations began. Fortunately at that time, there was an E.U. grant available to refurbish upper floor retail space in market towns in England and this, along with the membership scheme, provided vital financial support. The number of seats was massively reduced and comfort increased by a similar margin, but because of this, the subsidy provided from the sale of a wide variety of refreshments, the ongoing membership scheme, and the aim of selling virtually every seat in the house is needed to supports the viability of the project.

Tony gave the audience some insight into the workings of film distribution and programming; the Mundin Family judged the Wilmslow audience to be a patient crowd, who generally don't feel compelled to view new releases on day one, thus, new titles are booked for future showing which is substantially cheaper, and also allows for much greater flexibility in selections and timings - multiplexes must adhere to the timetable set out by distributors. As many will know, the Rex re - opened on 21st December 2018, before the refurbishment was complete, but catching the Christmas trade was an important factor. Tony was happy to say that the final phase is nearing completion, and the much needed lift will be operating in the next few weeks.

A vote of thanks was given by Chris McClory, a member of the Rex Support Group. The next meeting of the Trust will be on 17th April, in the library, when we shall have an update on the Neighbourhood Plan; please come and see what is envisaged for the future of Wilmslow.

7.45pm, Wilmslow Library.

A talk by Dr James Pulle, Headteacher about challenges for the future.

7.30 for 7.45pm
The Wilmslow Neighbourhood Plan - what next?
Location: Wilmslow Library

Report

Members and friends of Wilmslow Civic Trust were brought up to date on the continuing development of the Neighbourhood Plan by three leading members of the twenty volunteers who have been working tirelessly on the scheme for the last three years; Brian Donohoe, Terry Davenport and John Handley outlined the current position. The final plan has now been approved by Wilmslow Town Council and has gone forward to Cheshire East Council and the independent Planning Inspector for final approval. It is hoped that a referendum to be held this summer will ratify the proposals.

The Neighbourhood Plan contains policies for future development, and has gathered information and opinions from many residents via public meetings and surveys. Inevitably, residents differ in their likes and dislikes, for instance - opinion is divided on the merits or otherwise of Grove Street, but all seem to be united in their dislike of the nearby Tesco block. A great deal of work has gone into environmental matters, with a strongly voiced recognition that the town is set within an exceptionally fine landscape which is valuable in its biodiversity and historical richness, and this is seen as being important by all residents. The town centre suffers ( 'though not as badly as many others) from the impact of traffic congestion, parking problems and empty shops, therefore a management policy for the town centre is felt to be a priority. This encompasses the area around the junction of Water Lane and Alderley Road and includes the much valued tree lined road going south. The library, it is hoped, could become a strong community focus point and meeting place.

The inevitable pressure to develop, means that an integrated Local Plan with an overall vision needs to be in place, so that the many interest groups will be able to form effective partnerships with neighbouring councils, government agencies, and the National Trust amongst many others, and thus project a positive image of the town to promote investment.

Following final approval, a fresh group of volunteers will be convened to put forward plans to generate funding from a variety of sources - Community Development; Cheshire East Regeneration Team,and Local Enterprise Partnerships are just a few of these possibilities. The Trust urges all residents to participate in the referendum when it is held, for without it there will be fewer constraints on the future development of Wilmslow. A lively question and answer session plus refreshments made a most interesting and informative evening.

Report

Lisa Lowe of ANSA gave a lively and interactive talk to Wilmslow Civic Trust about recycling in Cheshire East – a field in which Cheshire East, whatever its other shortcomings, is one of the leading local authorities.

She went through some of the items where there is confusion about which is the correct bin – flexible plastics, for example, go in the silver bin but rigid plastics go in the black bin and crisp wrappers, because of the way the inner lining is bonded to the outer, at present have to go in the black bin.

Later this year we will be supplied with special bags into which we can place food waste, including meat and fish, and then put it in the green bin with the garden waste. This will increase the amount of food waste which is recycled.

Lisa brought some examples of products made from recycled materials, including a set of coasters made from newspapers, pencils made from bank notes and pencil sharpeners in the form of miniature rubbish bins.

The contents of our silver and black bins are taken to Cheshire East’s transit facility in Middlewich for initial sorting and are then taken to a sophisticated recycling facility at Shotton on Deeside.

Did you know, incidentally, the significance of the name ANSA? Ansa in Latin (and in anatomy) means a loop – hence recycling.

The next meeting will be the AGM on 20 March which will be followed by a talk by Mr Mundin whose family have recently refurbished and reopened the Rex Cinema in Wilmslow to widespread acclaim.

7.45pm, Wilmslow Library
Short AGM followed by a presentation of the Trust’s Millennium Project.
Reflections of Wilmslow in the millennium with guest speaker Marianne Ridley.

Report

The A.G.M. of the Trust was held last week at the Library; members voted to pass the Treasurers report and to re-elect the present committee. Members  of the Trust were invited to stand for committee  or to nominate others, but there were no takers so the  committee  was re-elected unopposed.  The  post of minutes secretary remains unfilled, so if anyone feels they can help with this, do please contact the chairman, Stuart Kinsey you are assured of a warm reception!  As last year,  Stuart mentioned the hard work put in  by the committee,but particularly the two committee members who are involved in the preparation of the Neighbourhood Plan. This has required a  serious commitment in time and effort, but should be completed soon,  and will  then go out to public consultation. Stuart also mentioned some of the work done by committee members in commenting on, modifying, or opposing a number of planning applications during the year. The aim as always, is to keep Wilmslow as the pleasant living and working environment it is known  to be.

Following a break for a chat  and a glass of wine,  Marianne Ridley a second year geography student at Manchester University, gave a  resume of the work she has done on the millennium photos taken by Trust members at that time. Unfortunately, due to the illness of the chairman  then in post, momentum for the enterprise was lost, so that the large collection of pictures languished uncolated and disordered until recently.  This is now being rectified by Marianne.  Eventually it is hoped that the photos will be put on the Trust website, as well as into the Library and  into the Chester archive. Audience participation in Marianne's  presentation, enabled long - standing residents in the audience   to elaborate on earlier uses for particular buildings   - Hurd's cake shop on Chapel Lane was once a plant store, set up at  when Fulshaw Park was being developed, to provide some of the many fine trees and shrubs in the area we still enjoy today. The nursery which grew these plants was sited on the opposite corner at the junction with Bourne  Street.

The Rex Building is one which  most of those present could recall in its glory days as a cinema and theatre, and of course, the hope that a cinema could possibly be  reinstated was mentioned. Romany's caravan, guaranteed to arouse nostalgia in long standing residents,was removed from its site in 2012, having been in the garden  near the Library for seventy years; it is now in the Museum of the Bradford Industrial Society  -  the link to that institution is unclear.  Tesco has been a convenience store for many years; formerly Dillons, and of course  at that time in private hands. Prestons on Water Lane was the old Electricity Board, and the old George and Dragon pub, near the Church, is now offices. built in 1770. The Chapelwood retirement  development  has recenly been built on the site of a large house, Remenham, used for many years as council offices. In its heyday the extensive gardens stretched across what is now the main road.  There were more photos and more reminiscences, and the evening drew to a close  with a warm vote of thanks from Stuart to Marianne for taking members on an enjoyable trip down memory lane.

The next meeting will be  on 18th April  in the Library, at 7.30, when  the Headteacher of Wilmslow High School, Dr  James Pulle will talk about present and future challenges.

7.45pm, Wilmslow Library
‘Running a Modern-Day Prison’ – a talk by Anastasia Parry, a Governor of Styal Prison.

Report

There was a record attendance of around sixty members and friends at last weeks meeting, to hear Anastasia Parry, one of the governors of Styal Prison  give the audience a rare insight into the workings of  this institution. Having been built as an orphanage in the 1890's, and closed in 1956, its fine buildings reopened in 1962 as a women's prison accommodating up to 486 offenders. Because women form only a small proportion of the offending population, Styal covers a wide geographical area and  accepts all categories of offenders; it is therefore a closed facility.

The staffing structure has of course, changed with the times  -  there are now fewer disciplinary staff, and greater emphasis  is placed on care and rehabilitation, and as part of this, literacy and numeracy skills, frequently very poor, are high on the target list for improvement.   (60%  of the prison population lack these skills.)  The Duchess of Cornwall, on her recent visit to Styal, was particularly interested in the work done in this area as she is a patron of the Literacy Movement. Other courses which are available include drug and alcohol interventions, vocational skills such as catering  -  and put to practical use in The Clink restaurant,  as well as hair and beauty courses, art and design and horticulture. Most of these courses are contracted out, reflecting present day politics in our wider society.  There is also a recycling skills workshop for dismantling T.V.s  which is run and paid for by an outside contractor. So popular is this, that a number of women have gone to work in this industry on release.

The mother and baby unit is also provided by an outside agency; here pregnant and nursing mothers can keep their children with them  until they are eighteen months old. Society as a whole with all its problems, is of course reflected in the prison population; inadequacies in the care system, mental health issues, drug taking and marital breakdown can all be triggers for offending behaviour, which if sufficiently serious, can eventually lead to prison. Only 20% of offenders are sentenced for serious crimes which necessitate long sentences, the remaining 80% are  short term, which means that it is more difficult to  offer stability and treatment for their numerous problems, and to encourage them to face up to their wrongdoing and the effect this has on those closest to them.                                                                                    

A warm vote of thanks was given to Anastasia by Chairman Stuart Kinsey.  

The next meeting, on Wednesday 21st March will be the A.G.M. of the Trust, and this will be followed by a presentation of the Trust's Millennium Project  -  a series of photographs showing the changes which have taken place over the last eighteen years. All are welcome.

7.45pm, Wilmslow Library
Information Commissioner’s Office

Report

Last week, 17th January, members of Wilmslow Civic Trust enjoyed an informative talk from Robert Parker, Head of Communications at the headquarters of the Information Commission, based here in Wilmslow. If, like this writer, your understanding of the role of this organization is somewhat sketchy, then this talk would have provided much needed clarification! The Commissioner ( who has a five year term), is a Royal Appointment, is independent of government, and is answerable to Parliament; he or she, is supported in this work by a Board of Management. The office was established by the Data Protection Act in 1984; Wilmslow was the chosen location for the head office for the very practical reason that the first Commissioner, Eric Howe, lived in the area! Over the years, responsibilities increased, and Freedom of Information as well as data protection became part of the remit. The name was then changed to the Information Commissioners Office.

The Commission was set up to ensure data privacy for individuals, and to promote opening up of public bodies - Freedom of Information. These responsibilities are enforced via a series of regulations which cover the three Kingdoms, as well as some international duties, where large businesses are trans national. The I.C.O. encourages good practice, deals with complaints i.e. breaches of data protection, or refusal to allow F.o.I.s and gives advice to organizations and businesses, and it takes action if there is non - compliance with the rules. The Ministry of Justice is responsible for information rights, and finances the work of the Commission.

Public trust in the ability of organizations to store personal information safely, stands at only 20%, and only 8% of us understand how personal information is passed on to other organizations. Fines can be imposed when major breaches occur, as with the recent case of Carphone Warehouse which was fined £4000,000 for putting customer's data at risk. Fines and bad publicity act as a deterrent and hopefully make the public feel that the regulator can and will act when necessary. Personal data must be lawfully processed, not kept longer than strictly necessary, be securely kept, have a clear need to be gathered in the first place, and should not be sent abroad, unless to a country where the same standards apply. Recent legislation will strengthen protection - any data loss must now be reported; at present it is only public bodies which must do this.

A high level of technical expertise is required for this work - many investigators are ex police - and and as the workload increases, so does the workforce. There are around 250.000 calls every year and just under 500,000 phone calls to the I.C.O. . Problems may be reported by, for example,whistle blowers, and by journalists, but these often come only after a breach of the rules. Most organizations recognise the importance of data protection and consult and seek support from the Commission rather than risk fines and bad publicity. Following earlier refreshments, a vote of thanks was given and the next meeting announced. This will be a talk given by the Governor of Styal Prison on Wednesday 21st February - usual venue in the library at 7.30 for 7.45 All are welcome, whether members or not.

Report

A large audience of Trust members and friends enjoyed an interesting talk from the Head of Wilmslow High school, Dr James Pulle. He lost no time in engaging his audience via a bingo style questionnaire, which drew out the breadth of connections which the audience was likely to have with either the school as it is at present, or any of its precursors. There was even a former headmistress among the audience, and of course, there were a number whose grandchildren now attend the school. In 1991, the Secondary Modern,sited on the Hough,and the Grammar school were amalgamated on the present site. The two schools had around 1400 pupils - now grown to 1996. The school is organised on a House system, which creates unity and a strong feeling belonging. There is also a well organised and supportive pastoral framework in place.

Dr. Pulle emphasised the overriding ethos of the school, which is to aim for excellence in all fields, not only good academic results, but also the many extra -curricular activities. There is a varied selection of fields from which pupils can choose, and a few of these are - sports, public speaking, drama productions and the Duke of Edinburgh Awards up to Gold Standard. Interpersonal skills and a sense of responsibility to the wider community are also emphasised at the school, and as students receive a good deal of support from the local business community, in the shape of participation in Careers Fairs, mock interviews, and trips to local enterprises, they also learn to reciprocate that involvement via activities such as running in aid of Guide Dogs for the Blind, Hampers of Hope, and producing poppies from plastic waste to commemorate the fallen of W.W.1. This comes about because of having strong leadership and effective systems in place. There were questions from the audience and refreshments served. At the end of the meeting, Dr Pulle was warmly thanked by former teacher Ray Acton, and received a book token for the school librarian.

7.45pm, Wilmslow Library
A talk: ‘Police community engagement and what this means for the people of Wilmslow’.

Report

At the first of the winter meetings of the Wilmslow Civic Trust, members and friends enjoyed an entertaining and informative talk  from Chief Inspector Rob Dickinson, who is based in Macclesfield, and Sergeant John O'Driscoll, based at the Wilmslow police station, on  policing in our area.  Although many aspects of policing have changed over the years, the basic need for people to feel safe, and to know that if help is requested, police will respond, has never changed.   

Tracing the role of the police from the first 'peelers',  who were dubbed  citizens in uniform,to the present day, when police are generally seen in patrol cars, C.I. Dickinson outlined some of the challenges police have to contend with, amongst which are austerity and the resulting cuts, (which are taking place despite an  increasing population), public scrutiny, and a decline in moral authority.  Despite these factors, we still have policing by consent, and fortunately, they generally go unarmed.

It was no surprise to hear that Wilmslow and the surrounding districts are very safe  areas in which to live. As everywhere, there is the usual sprinkling of burglaries and anti - social behaviour, as well as a great deal of speeding and bad parking, but considerably less than in adjacent  boroughs.  How to cope with  the latter problem is for C.E.C to solve, as the number of residents and their cars increases, without the delivery of car parking provision. Contrary to public perception, police crack down on  vehicle related contraventions  in order to maintain public safety, and not to swell the coffers - changing attitudes to speed is needed to save lives which is the purpose of catching  those breaking the limits.

These days, community engagement is seen as a priority to deter potential law breaking and general disorder, so that liaison with schools and clubs forms a large part of police work. C.I. Dickinson was keen to find out from the audience what the priorities of the general public are - whether it might be scams and online bullying, cycling on pavements, vehicle related crime, or drug taking. Police always welcome information from the public, which helps to build a picture of local trouble spots, even if these seem to be relatively minor, because knowledge can help in reducing future problems.

Dealing with drug use in pubs and clubs is a complex issue involving the potential to close down the premises involved, which may then result in a boarded up property and loss of jobs, an outcome welcomed by nobody.  Residents will be pleased to know that contrary to rumour, there are no plans to close the local station, which is manned by Sergeant O'Driscoll and his team of five PC.s and four PCSO.s.

Having enjoyed refreshments before the meeting and answered questions from the audience a warm vote of thanks was given by W.C.T. chairman Stuart Kinsey along with a donation to the Police Benevolent Fund. The next meeting will be on January 17th and will be a talk from the Information Commissioner, who is based in Wilmslow.

7.45pm
Location: Wilmslow Library
Subject: Wilmslow Neighbourhood Plan
A talk by Brian Donohue (Neighbourhood Plan chairman) about the key aspects and progress of the Neighbourhood Plan.

Report

At the April meeting of the Wilmslow Civic Trust, members enjoyed an informative talk from three members of the Neighbourhood Plan Group; Brian Donohue,, chairman, was supported by Terry Davenport who leads the Town Centre Group, and Martin Hoyle who leads the Residential and Design Group. The plan, which will cover all aspects of future development within the Wilmslow boundary , includes leisure facilities, transport, infrastructure and the natural environment. When the plan is completed and finally through the referendum stage, it will guide land usage for the next fifteen to twenty years. However, the Neighbourhood Plan sits below the Local Plan and cannot contradict or alter it.

Despite many households not receiving the first questionnaire, there was a good response from those who did get one, and it became clear that the natural environment featured significantly in people's enjoyment of the area - many residents emphasised the importance of open spaces, the countryside around, the many fine trees and hedges in the streetscapes as well as the much valued Carrs, whilst being significantly annoyed by the quantity of litter which is left in these lovely areas. The considerable loss of green belt which the Local Plan will bring about, as well as traffic, parking, (particularly long stay), lack of public transport, and empty shops, were all of varying degrees of concern. Terry Davenport, who is leading the Town Centre Group, mentioned some of the problems and ideas which are under discussion, such as more use being made of space above shops for living accommodation, the possibility of two - storey car parking at the station and on Broadway Meadow, but inevitably funding would be an issue for these projects. Many residents expressed a wish for the re-opening of the Rex cinema - unfortunately an unlikely possibility. Grove Street and the Tesco block were both heavily criticised, whilst most people appreciated that the town had a good variety of shops and restaurants and was easily walkable. Martin Hoyle voiced the concerns of many respondents who were worried at the loss of character in the area because of development, and many commented adversely on the quality of some planning decisions. The need for a variety housing was recognised.

If all the proposals in the Local Plan come to fruition there will eventually be eleven thousand new houses within four miles of Wilmslow, and therefore policies need to be in place to stop developers doing whatever they wish, and ameliorating the impact of any development. It is hoped that the draft plan will be ready by the end of August; it will then go forward for a further series of consultations and after amendments, it will go to an independent inspector. The final stage will be a referendum on the plan in about eighteen months time. Brian Donahue emphasised the importance of wide participation in the drawing up of the plan as well as the eventual referendum, because future development will have to take account of its findings and because of its long term implications. The meeting ended with an appreciative vote of thanks to the speakers from Kieth Beckett. It is clear that all involved in the formation of the Neighbourhood Plan are giving a great amount of time and expertise to its formulation. The W.C.T. summer programme will consist of a series of visits and a guided walk around historic Fulshaw Park - details here.

7.45pm
Location: Wilmslow Library
Subject: AGM followed by Developments at Tatton Park and Future Plans for the Estate
A talk by Brendan Flanagan about the National Trust's plans .

Report

Last Wednesday, 15th March, the Trust held its A.G.M followed by a talk on the history and future developments at Tatton Hall. Chairman Stuart Kinsey welcomed and thanked members and friends for their support during the year, outlined the work of committee members who have, variously been sorting and archiving the accumulated paperwork of over fifty years work, since the Trust was founded, making submissions to Cheshire East Council over contentious planning applications, as well as participating in the development of the Neighbourhood Plan.

Stuart gave a warm vote of thanks and a gift to the retiring treasurer of the Trust, Roger Bugler, for his thirty years of unstinting service.

Presentation to Roger Bugler for over 30 years service as Treasurer of the Trust

As there were no nominations, the executive committee was elected en- bloc. If there are any readers who are interested in our work and could offer some secretarial help, they would be very welcome indeed.

The group then enjoyed an excellent talk given by Brendan Flanagan, General Manager at Tatton Park. He gave an account of the growth and development of the park from a private estate to the popular public attraction we all enjoy today. The estate stretches to two thousand acres, of which around half is open to the public, the rest being farmed. The house and gardens as we see them today date from the 18thc. and were designed by the Wyatts and Humphrey Repton. Following generations of Egertons altered and developed the house and grounds, though parts, such as the Japanese Garden, eventually became overgrown. This area was restored in 2001, with the help of a Professor from Osaka University.

In 1958, Maurice Egerton, the last of the line, died, and the estate was left to the National Trust, in lieu of death duties. After this a joint 100 year lease was drawn up with Cheshire County Council - as it was - now C.E.C. who finance and manage the estate. The estate costs £4m p.a. to run, with £1 m of that coming as a subsidy from C.E.C. . All the money coming from the 850,000 visitors each year goes into running the estate, none goes the C.E.C. One third of this income comes from car entry, (entry is free to those who walk in) and this forms the bedrock of its funds.

There are 21 listed building and structures to be conserved, as well as nationally important art and artefact collections to be looked after. In 2014 Tatton received a Gold Award for a large visitor attraction and is in the top twenty attractions in the north - west. As part of income generation over 100 high profile events are held each year, but these have to be balanced with the need to conserve and maintain the landscape. There is an ongoing £8m investment programme amongst which developments have been the opening of the Gardeners Cottage as a restaurant, the upgrading of the Stables Restaurant, and improvements to the Knutsford entrance and the Jubilee Gazebo.

The farm is now focusing on food production and healthy eating, and the main stable yard will eventually become an attraction in its own right, with demonstrations and workshops, artisan crafts, presentations, talks and exhibition spaces. Long term Brendan emphasised that ensuring financial sustainability and reducing reliance on the council was an important aim, alongside, of course, conservation of the estate as a whole. Members enjoyed a fascinating insight into the running of this Cheshire gem, and warm thanks were given to Brendan by Chairman Stuart Kinsey.

Brendan Flanagan, General Manager at Tatton Park with Chairman, Stuart Kinsey

7.45pm
Location: Wilmslow Library
Subject: The Lindow (Workhouse) Trust
A talk by Richard Briggs (chairman) and Jacqueline Bilsborough (former clerk) showing how the Trust continues its work in Wilsmlow today.

Report

At last week’s meeting, members and friends enjoyed a fascinating journey back in time, to 1772 and the founding of the Lindow Workhouse Trust.

Richard Briggs, and Jacqueline Bilsborough, ( chairman and former clerk), gave a fascinating insight into how the Trust was formed, and how it carries on its work of supporting local people in need, up the present day.

The Lindow Workhouse Trust was set up and funded by a number of benevolent local worthies, with the aim of relieving poverty in the area, exacerbated in part by accelerating industrialization and the reduction in domestic production. Work such as silk button making and handloom weaving, hitherto performed at home, and often involving a whole family, gradually became factory based, and with that change came a good deal of dislocation and hardship.

The Trust members, amongst whom were, Humphrey Trafford, the Earl of Stamford, and Samuel Finney, between them donated forty -three Cheshire acres, (about twice the size of a standard acre). The land was let out to farmers, the rents providing income to fund the Workhouse and those in greatest need of support.

The workhouse was built on Altrincham Road on the site of the present day Gorsey Bank school. The cost was £1,031.

After 1836, when the Knutsford workhouse was built, the inmates were moved there, and in 1840, the Lindow workhouse was converted to dwellings and tenanted.

It was finally sold to Cheshire County Council in 1938 and demolished. However, the income from rents continued to be used to help those whose employment was either erratic or low paid. Gradually, the land was sold off, the last plot in 1994 for £60,000.

Now the money is held in the Charities Investment Fund, yielding an income of around £12,000 p.a. Grants are given for a range of needs, from heating for the elderly, to school uniforms for youngsters. Where possible, the Trustees try to ensure that local suppliers are used, so that the virtuous circle is maintained within the local community. Jacqueline and Richard brought along an interesting collection of old photographs and minutes books which, after the break for refreshments, prompted lots of questions from the audience. A vote of thanks was given by Ray Acton.

The 1773 workhouse in the 1930's when it housed several families who paid rent to the Lindow Trustees. The large stone commemorates the gift of the Common to the people of Wilmslow Parish by Alderman Royle, a Manchester Councillor and merchant who lived on Manchester Road and who bought the land from Lord Stamford and the de Traffords. It commemorates Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, 1897.

7.45pm
Location: Wilmslow Library
Subject: Wilmslow in 1916
How the stress of war affected the people of Wilmslow.

Report

The speaker at last weeks Trust meeting was local historian Ray Acton, who gave a fascinating account of daily life in Wilmslow in 1916. He described how it was hoped that The Big Push would bring the war to an end; that was a vain expectation, and with the launch of the Zeppelin, came the extra and terrifying dimension of aerial bombardment. Locally, aside from the loss of life which was keenly felt every where, the major problems centred around the sharp reduction in the male labour force. As a consequence, women were recruited into jobs formerly held by men, and those traditionally done by women such as housekeeping were left vacant. As there were around thousand female servants looking after the many large houses , their move onto farms and into factories and shops , accelerated the development of the numerous household appliances we have today.

Shop work, hitherto a male preserve, gradually opened up to women, giving them more money and independence - a status they were not prepared to relinquish in 1918. Farming, an integral part of the fabric of Wilmslow, had over a hundred registered dairy farmers, with forty milking sheds and supported by one hundred and eighty labourers. Despite the use of P.O.W.s and the lowering of the school leaving age for boys going into farming, the shortage of male hands made the government fearful that food production could fall, with consequent price rises. Cheshire Education Committee therefore set up training schemes for women to learn farming skills, ploughing and dairy work, as well as shop management and book - keeping.

When Zeppelins hit Bolton, fear and panic spread, but the false alarms were so frequent that eventually the sirens were switched off ! Care was taken however to keep night time lighting to a minimum, with the pressure of town gas reduced for street lighting and strict blackout regulations enforced by Special Constables. Despite all the difficulties and sadness of wartime, determination to beat the enemy never wavered, and the Government produced a series of morale boosting films, one of which, 'Britain Prepared', drew scathing comment from an American critic, who claimed that 'this film has all the inspiration of a hardware catalogue'. Positive Government planning also raised morale, with social housing and new council offices on the agenda at the wars end.

By 1916 there had been many irreversible changes, nationally and locally, attitudes towards women , and their changing roles, as well as to government and society as a whole. Refreshments and a lively question and answer session followed.

The next meeting of the Wilmslow Civic Trust will be on Wednesday 15th February at 7.45 in Wilmslow Library, when Richard Briggs and Jacqueline Bilsborough will talk about the continuing work of The Lindow Workhouse Trust. Members free - non members welcome - £2 on the door. Any enquiries 01625 526547

7.45pm
Location: Wilmslow Parish Hall
Subject: Manchester Airport
Anna Russell, Head of Communications at Manchester Airport. Plans for future development.

Report

The first meeting of the winter season took off on October 19th, with Anna Russell, Head of Communications at Manchester Airport, giving the audience an informative update on future developments.

Since the first flights at Ringway, as it was, in 1930, through increasing traffic over the next thirty years, the airport has seen many alterations and upgrades. From around 1.5m passengers in 1997, to the 22m mark by 2007, Manchester Airport has seen steady growth and improvements. This latest development will see an investment of £1b, funded and owned by Manchester City Council, other Local Authorities, and I.F.M. an Australian pension fund.

manchester Airport

The current refurbishment comprises a transformed Terminal 2, which will be expanded by 140%; this will eventually have a direct link to a revamped Terminal 3 and is expected to increase passenger numbers from the current 25m to around 50m. 
There will be improved transfer facilities enabling direct access between aircraft and terminal, links between buildings, improved and automated baggage check in and reclaim, plus more stands and piers for aircraft. This will be alongside over fifty food and drinks outlets and a reconfiguration of the Duty Free area, so that the endless trek can be curtailed if passengers don't wish to shop!

The infrastructure around the airport will also be improved, with links to Airport City and HS2 and HS3 playing an important role in the increase in passenger numbers. The whole programme will be phased over ten years with, it is hoped, minimal disruption to passengers, airlines and the local community.

All the building will be within the current boundary, and in due course, the public will be able to respond to the proposals.

The number of jobs is projected to double from 20,000 now, to 40,000 within 30 years, and for 70 airlines to be using the facility, reaching 210 destinations. 

Impressive plans which should cement Manchester's claim to be at the centre of the Northern Powerhouse.

Refreshments and a question and answer session rounded off a very interesting evening. 

7.45pm
Location: Wilmslow Library

Adrian Fisher (Strategic Planning Manager, Cheshire East Council) will talk about progress to date on Cheshire East Local Plan and its impact on Wilmslow.

Report

The meeting room in Wilmslow Library was filled to capacity on 20 April , when Adrian Fisher, Head of Planning Strategy, gave a talk to members and friends of Wilmslow Civic Trust on progress so far of the Development Plan put forward by Cheshire East. Adrian Fisher succeeded in steering a neutral and uncontroversial course through the history of Town Planning and the Green Belt, going back to Biblical times and forward to 19c and 20c ideas of planning, which was to enhance Public Health and prevent urban sprawl.

It should be recognised that the designation of Green Belt does not necessarily signify landscape quality, rather, it defines open space around urban development. Hitherto, in this area, there has been no need to encroach on Green Belt land but now, perceived housing needs coupled with government policy demand the lifting of restrictions in certain areas.

The target for house building is some 200, 000 units p.a. currently the reality is around 150,000 units. All Green Belt is graded according to a traffic light system, with green denoting a site of major importance, those offering a significant contribution designated amber, with those considered less significant being red. Reviewing the Green Belt is a rare occurrence, but this is the time for such a review because of overriding housing needs. 

The plan, as originally submitted, was rejected, it seems, because there was insufficient housing planned for the projected economic growth. The land under review is designated either for immediate development, or is 'safeguarded' for future development. Following the previous pause, there are now newly included areas of land at Little Stanneylands, with 200 houses, Heathfield Farm with 150 houses, plus 9 ha of safeguarded land at Upcast Lane - only to be used if essential because of acknowledged traffic problems. Alongside the Development plan, there is an infrastructure plan being mapped out, which assesses future needs for schools and health care.

There was, not surprisingly, a lively Q&A session at the end of the talk, with concerns being expressed over effects on house prices, air quality, pressure on schools and other infrastructure. Questions remain on how effective the period of consultation has been, and what influence individual views are likely to have on the Plan.

7.45pm
Location: Wilmslow Library
AGM followed by
The Wilmslow Business Group
A representative from the Wilmslow Business Group will talk about who they are, what they do and their objectives for the future of Wilmslow.

Report

Following the formal part of the A.G.M. refreshments, and adoption of the new title , the Wilmslow Civic Trust enjoyed a lively and informative talk given by the chairman of Wilmslow Business Group.

Catherine Mackenzie outlined the aims and ambitions of the group for the future of the town.Any business or community group can join the association, the only proviso is a keen interest in the area - plus a subscription. 

The objectives are to make the town the best it can be, to bring vibrancy and interest into the town, to develop business, and to provide support to members wanting to promote and enhance their enterprise. The group have been instrumental in organising various events, such as the Motor Show, the Art Trail, Food and Drink Week, and encouraging the Artisan Market. 

Future events being planned are a Wellbeing Week and Community Awards.The latter are given for those individuals who offer 'service with a smile', and the last one was given to an outstanding assistant at the Sainsbury's store.

The Group work not only with the business community, but also with Wilmslow High School, where they help with mock interviews, and careers advice, as well as with the Town Council, Cheshire East, local churches, Incredible Edible, and other voluntary organizations . 

The Wilmslow Neighbourhood Plan is an important opportunity for businesses to put forward their views on the future development of the town and to make concrete suggestions that they feel would benefit the area, such as improved parking facilities. The evening was rounded off by the speaker fielding a variety of wide ranging questions. 

As many Wilmslow residents will know, The Civic Trust also have an awards system, which are given for well designed buildings, or alterations to existing buildings which enhance the locality. Nominations , which can be for housing or commercial premises, would be most welcome.

7.45pm
Location: Wilmslow Library
Our Health Services
Jerry Hawker (Chief Executive of Cheshire East Clinical Commissioning Group) to talk on how health services are planned and purchased.

Report

Members of Wilmslow Trust were given an interesting and informative talk by Jerry Hawker, Chief Executive of Cheshire East Clinical Commissioning Group. He outlined the very complex structure of the NHS and the section of it occupied by Clinical Commissioning Groups which replaced Primary Care Trusts following the 2013 reorganisation.

The figures cited were immense. The NHS is the fifth largest employer in the world, employing 1.6 million people, with a commensurate annual budget of £111 billion.

Despite this, and contrary to popular belief, management costs are a relatively modest 2.6% of the total, and in 2014, the Commonwealth Fund rated the NHS the best and most efficient care system worldwide.

Of the £240 million spent by Cheshire East CCG, the largest slice, around 50%, goes on hospital care, the remainder on the day to day running costs with which most of us are familiar - mental health, ambulances, learning difficulties and community care, for example. 

In recent years, the private sector has also been part of the framework, and in East Cheshire is responsible for those with learning difficulties.

Planning is in hand to expand GP services with pre-operative assessments and some diagnostic tests being carried out at local surgeries. These plans, however, will depend on being able to recruit a sufficient number of doctors. It is also intended to rebuild integrated Community Teams, bringing nurses and therapists back into the community.

The question of choices was also mentioned, as well as the allocation of scarce resources. For example, should paracetamol or gluten-free food be available on prescription?

There were plenty of questions from the audience, and there was a lively discussion with many questions asked and answered, but no doubt very many more awaiting perhaps a future session.

7.45pm
Location: Wilmslow Library
Macclesfield Town Development
Keith Smith (Chairman of Macclesfield Civic Society) to talk on the Macclesfield Town Development Plan.

Report

At their January meeting, members of the Wilmslow Trust enjoyed an interesting talk on the town centre redevelopment in Macclesfield, given by Keith Smith, Chairman of Macclesfield Civic Society.

Keith, himself a planning officer until his retirement, was well placed to point out the strengths and drawbacks of the various parts of the town centre, from its 18th century terraced houses and cobbled streets, to some of the less pleasing 1970s additions. The refurbishment of some Georgian houses, until recently used as offices, near the Town Hall and within walking distance of the Treacle Market, and now leased as affordable homes, have proved very popular indeed. On a different scale, some larger fine redundant buildings have also been converted to living space.

Following the collapse of the large characterless town centre project last year, Cheshire East and Macclesfield Town Council, together with economic, social and environmental groups, have come together on a regular basis to discuss future planning. There is encouragement for independent enterprise, for example, the award winning butchers, Carters, where the meat goes all the way from farming to pie making under the same family ownership. Keith emphasised how fortunate we are to have the tradition, in this country, of strong non-governmental movements, such as Civic Societies as trips to some parts of the world show that civic pride and involvement is clearly lacking.

Refreshments and questions rounded off an interesting and enjoyable evening.

7.45pm
Location: Wilmslow Library
Wilmslow at War
An illustrated talk by Ray Acton on the reaction of Wilmslow people to the first year of the Great War (1914-15). What were the Scouts guarding? Who were the men in pith helmets? Who were Max Weber and Alphonso Windelinkx? What would the Suffragettes do? Was it 'business as usual' ?

7.45pm
AGM followed by Lindow Common - the latest developments

Location: Wilmslow Library.

Theme
The AGM to be followed by a talk on the latest developments at Lindow Common to be given by Paul Hughes the Ranger responsible for the Common.

(Open to the public. Non Trust members: £2 at the door).

7.45pm
Wilmslow in World War One

Location: Wilmslow Library.

Theme
Talk by Ray Acton showing how Wilmslow's society endeavoured to adapt to the shock of war.

(Open to the public. Non Trust members: £2 at the door).

7.45pm
Quarry Bank Mill - Update

Location: Wilmslow Library.

Theme
Eleanor Underhill the General Manager of Quarry Bank Mill the National Trust property at Styal will give an update on all the latest developments including the fish ladder, the upper gardens and an insight into the background of the filming of the TV drama The Mill.

(Open to the public. Non Trust members: £2 at the door).

 7:30pm
A Talk about The Peak National Park

Location: Wilmslow Guild, Bourne Street.

Theme
Talk by John Scott, Director of Planning on pressures and issues including wind farms, road improvements and housing provision.

(Open to the public. Non Trust members: £2 at the door).

7:45pm
A Talk about Airport City

Location: Wilmslow Library.

Theme
Talk by Ruairidh Jackson, Senior Projects Director for this large Manchester Airport development close to Wilmslow.

(Open to the public. Non Trust members: £2 at the door).

Report:

On 18 February Birgitta Hoffmann gave us a fascinating account of Wilmslow in World War One based on the researches she and her local archaeology group have made. Among other things she told us about the hospital which was set up in Wilmslow near the present Kenmore Medical Centre.