Newsletter - Issue 4 - April 2011

TRANSFER OF ASSETS/SERVICES TO PRESTBURY
Prestbury Parish Council would like to gauge residents’ opinion before making any decisions about important changes being proposed by Cheshire East Council that will affect Prestbury residents.
Town and parish councils are being encouraged to take on the ownership of and responsibility for various local authority assets and services. Cheshire East ‘s budget for 2011-12 shows a cut in expenditure of £4.8m and there is growing pressure to either cease the provision of ‘non-statutory’ services or to transfer them to Town and Parish Councils. If local residents wish to see these non-statutory services maintained by the Parish Council then funding them will require an increase in the precept (Council Tax portion allocated to the Parish Council).
Two types of assets and services are under discussion: those that CEC has a statutory duty to provide e.g. litter picking, road sweeping and grass cutting of verges, which could be ‘devolved’ to the Parish Council and funded by Cheshire East and non-statutory duties that CEC is not obliged to provide. These include Christmas trees and decorations, public toilets, hanging baskets, flower tubs and beds, bus shelters, street name plates, ownership and maintenance of the football pitch, benches, children’s play area. Some of the non-statutory services may no longer be provided or, if residents wish to maintain some or all of the non-statutory services, an increase in the Parish Council precept will be necessary.
Cheshire East proposes that the transfer / devolution of assets and services will take effect from April 2012, the start of the next financial year. Prestbury Parish Council is yet to recommend a position either way as local residents need to be consulted and more information is needed. The Parish Council hopes to be in a position to recommend a way forward after the Annual Parish Meeting (see below) with the final decision being taken with Cheshire East in the summer. For the full report go to www.prestburyparish.com

ANNUAL PARISH MEETING
The Annual Parish Meeting will take place on 3rd May at 7.30pm at Prestbury Church of England Primary School. The main theme will be the transfer of assets from Cheshire East to Prestbury Parish Council.

FAREWELL TO PARISH COUNCILLORS
Councillor Norman Ridley will be stepping down from Parish Council duties in May after forty years of dedicated service. He was chairman of the Parish Council from 1976-78, chaired the F & GP committee for many years and has served on the planning sub-committee throughout his forty years on the Parish Council. He has been active in P4P and is responsible for producing the Prestbury Footpath map. In the mid-70’s he set up the Aollotment Group and is a founder member of Prestbury Amenity Society.
Also stepping down in May is Councillor Richard Comber, chairman of the Parish Council since 2007. His energetic vision encouraged P4P: he served on its steering committee and has liaised with several community groups in order to realise P4P’s recommendations.
Councillor Christine Musgrove is also standing down in May. She has been vice-chairman of the Parish Council and vice-chairman of the planning sub-committee since 2009. She has been involved in various working groups and P4P. Our thanks go to all three councillors for their contribution to the community.

ST PETER'S CHURCH/FORD HOUSE SURVEY RESULTS
The survey carried out by the Parish Council in respect of St.Peter’s Church and Ford House planning applications achieved a remarkable 52% response from residents. On the extension to the Church = 448: YES / 203 :NO . On the demolition and rebuilding of Ford House = 535: YES / 161: NO. For full details go to www.prestburyparish.com

PRESTBURY FOOTPATH MAP
The Prestbury Footpath map can be obtained locally from Persia, The Pharmacy and Prestbury Library (open Tuesday and Friday) price £1.00

ADOPT A STATION
The Adopt a Station group will be holding its second meeting on 12th May at 7.00pm in the Council Chamber. All are welcome to attend and support this project.

LOCAL ELECTIONS
The Elections for all seats on the Cheshire East Council, and for seats on local Town and Parish Councils, will be held on Thursday 5th May 2011. This will be the first election for the newly defined electoral wards, following a review by the Boundary Committee in 2010. There are now 82 Councillors on the Cheshire East Council. Prestbury ward is now a single seat ward covering Prestbury Village, Mottram St Andrew and Over Alderley. These changes have reduced the size of the ward with a consequent reduction in the number of Prestbury Borough Councillors from three to one. The elections will also cover Prestbury Parish Council where there are 12 seats divided amongst the three wards of Butley (6 seats), Fallibroome (1 seat) and Prestbury (5 seats).
Residents are being urged to contact the Council to check that their details are on the official Register of Electors for 2011. To find out if you are registered, or to request a postal vote, ring 0300 123 5016. The closing date for postal vote applications is April 14th.

HIMALAYAN BALSAM CLEARING WEEKEND
Volunteers are again sought this summer to join the ‘Balsam Bash’ on the week-end of 23rd – 25th June. The aim is to clear the invasive Himalayan Balsam that is destroying the native plants along the River Bollin. SAVE THE DATE – MORE DETAILS LATER

POLICE MATTERS
Close liaison with the local police continues. Local crime is low but house theft, car theft and theft from sheds and outbuildings is still a regular occurrence. Keep your doors and ground floor windows shut at all times. Lock up your cars and outbuildings – do not invite more crime!
Our village Police Constable Michelle Phythian and our PCSO Lisa Cash maintain a police presence and visibility in the village. Your councillors meet with them monthly to keep in touch. This year they will be holding street surgeries, local crime prevention displays, observation visits, and driver engagement days to improve local road safety awareness and to reduce speeding.

TRAFFIC SPEED

It is a matter of great concern to your Councillors that cars enter our village by all the main access roads, travelling at speeds in excess of the safe and legal speed limit. Excess speed presents a real danger to the public, especially to our children and older people. The safe speed limit is 30 mph on the roads into the village and 20 mph in the village centre.

To drive in excess of these limits is to put lives at risk: above these limits you may not be able to stop in time if faced with an unexpected incident on the road ahead.

We call upon everyone who lives in Prestbury to set an example.
Never drive above the speed limit within the village limits.
Show other road users that we care.
Always drive below the limit in the village.
Slow others down by 'setting the pace'.
Keep our roads safe in Prestbury !

STOLEN GULLEY COVERS
A recent trend in Prestbury has been the theft of gulley covers. Residents should be alert to this dangerous development and report any stolen gulley cover to CECC on 0300123 5500 (new number), as they will quickly make it safe