News in Sandbach

Cheshire East Council is urging motorists to park legally and considerately after seeing a rise in illegal and irresponsible parking during the latest lockdown.

It comes amid concerns that vehicles responding to 999 calls could be prevented from accessing emergencies or getting the injured and sick to hospital.

New statistics showing Government support to businesses in Congleton have been welcomed by local MP Fiona Bruce.

Businesses across the constituency have benefitted from £69,022,081 worth of loans since the start of the coronavirus outbreak.

A surge in Covid-19 infection rates in recent days in Cheshire East has prompted a call for a new test and trace system to be established.

The number of people testing positive for coronavirus in the borough jumped by 188 yesterday. That took the total of Covid cases reported over the last seven days (up to November 12) to 928, a rise of 16 per cent on the previous week.

An ancient woodland of "world importance" near Sandbach has had its 'no hunting, no shooting' signs ripped down, as a wildlife campaigner fears illegal activity is taking place at the site "all the time".

Brookhouse Moss, which is located in Smallwood, has been designated as a Site of Significant Scientific Interest (SSSI), a designation which brings strict rules on activities in the area.

Cheshire East councillors are set to vote next week on whether to adopt a new committee style of decision making in what would be the biggest shake-up of governance since the authority's establishment.

The move would see the scrapping of the current cabinet system and a move to politically proportionate committees being set up in different council areas of responsibility, such as social care.

The League against Cruel Sports is calling on voters in Cheshire East to urge their local councillors to ban fox hunting on public land.

Hunting with dogs was banned 15 years ago, but the League says it has compiled 30 reports of activities relating to suspected illegal fox hunting in Cheshire during the last cub and fox hunting seasons alone.

A new crowdfunding platform could soon be established by Cheshire East Council, after cabinet members approved plans to procure a system for such work.

Councillors also approved a list of 'general purposes' and rules for which crowdfunding could be used at the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, November 10.

The Sandbach lamppost poppy sponsorship scheme has raised a record total of £780 for the Royal British Legion.

The annual scheme involves individuals, groups and businesses sponsoring a poppy to be place on a lamppost in the town centre to help commemorate Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day, which was marked yesterday.

Cheshire East Council has stressed its bin collections will continue through lockdown - even if it gets extended beyond December 2.

Ansa Environmental Services, the council's waste company, has pledged to deliver a full service across the borough, including the fulfilment of its Christmas bin collection schedule.

Cheshire East has pledged to secure the future of local communities by joining the Countryside Climate Network, which the council says will help it deliver on its promise to be carbon neutral by 2025.

The Countryside Climate Network promotes the voice of the countryside in the climate change debate and already has over 20 local authority members.