Poynton Town Council

Annual Report 2009/10

Poynton Town Council Annual Town Assembly 2009/10 : Reports from the Mayor, Chairmen of the Standing Committees and Representatives to Outside Bodies

Town Mayor’s Report, Councillor Tony Hall

This is the first full Annual Report of Poynton-with-Worth Town Council since changing its status from a Parish Council on 1 April 2009. The decision to change was not taken lightly but the opportunity to maximise the benefit from Cheshire East Council taking over from Cheshire County Council and Macclesfield Borough Council was too strong to resist. For a long time the Parish Council had considered that Poynton, despite having a larger population than Knutsford, had not had a fair share of County Council services because of our distance from Chester and also our Parish status.
I was proud, in May last year, to have been appointed Poynton’s first Town Mayor. In my acceptance speech I said my main priority would be to raise Poynton’s profile within Cheshire East, now administered mainly from Sandbach. One year later, Poynton is now well known across the whole of Cheshire East. I feel I have played a significant part in this through my attendance at civic services hosted by other councils as well as other meetings, but readily acknowledge the energy and application of our Cheshire East councillors who are working within the new authority on a daily basis.
I consider that I have also raised the profile of the Town Council within Poynton itself. My appointment as Mayor was particularly well received by our residents. Press coverage was good and I received several letters of congratulations. One, in particular, reminded me that “with Worth” is important and should not be overlooked. I was also almost overwhelmed by the number of invitations I began to receive, many more than in previous years I am told. The conversational ice breaker on many occasions has been my now modest “Ribbon of Office”, but this has helped convey the message and everyone I have spoken to has been in favour of our new status. I am particularly grateful to Cllr Mrs Angie Smith for being my consort on a number of occasions.

As in previous years the highlight of the Town Council’s calendar was our annual Civic Service and Reception along with the presentation of our Civic Awards. I received many compliments from our civic guests on the content and quality of the proceedings. On a personal note I was glad my 90 year old mother was able to attend and very much enjoyed the occasion. Sadly, later in the year, she took ill and died just before Christmas.

In September I made the, by now, annual pilgrimage to Hungary to attend the Erd Days street festival. I would like to stress that I and all other travellers to Erd over the years we have been twinned paid our own air fares. A formal conference, The World is our Planet, surrounded the event and I delivered a presentation on Recycling of Household Waste. It was appropriate but the local media only asked for my opinion on Erd’s proposals for a new sewerage system.

Although the annual Remembrance Service is a Royal British Legion event the Town Council again played a significant part in its organisation.

As well as fulfilling a Public Relations role the Mayor is also Chairman of Town Council Meetings. This is largely a formality since most work is undertaken by one of 4 committees as evidenced by the Reports from the respective Chairmen. I am grateful for all the hard work put in by these committees and not just in the last 12 months. Outside of these committees a working group has, for the last 3 years, been reporting periodically to the Town Council on proposals to revitalise the Park Lane shopping area. The scheme is to be funded by Cheshire East Council and the working group has evolved into a project team comprising 3 Town Councillors, two members of the public, many Cheshire East officers and, lately, outside design consultants. Extensive research and consultation has taken place to develop a scheme based on the principles of Shared Space which has been successfully introduced elsewhere, mainly on the continent. The design is yet to be finalised but it is hoped that work will start in the summer. We are acutely aware of the traffic difficulties experienced in Poynton over recent years and months, indeed currently, and the aim is to have a well managed project to minimise further disruption. We are confident the end result, which includes Fountain Place, will be worthwhile and we learned only last week that a TV programme may be featuring this scheme. The Park Lane scheme is primarily about regeneration. While it is not intended to reduce traffic numbers, it is being designed to reduce speed and keep vehicles moving.

News that the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities has supplemented Government funding to enable the A555 east west bypass to be constructed was welcomed, but it is felt this will only marginally reduce traffic numbers and then only on Chester Road and London Road North. We are continuing to press for a southern bypass in every way we can.

The reports from Committee Chairmen provide details of the extensive work carried out during the last year and also mention the challenges ahead. I shall not repeat them other than to say the impending closure of BAE Systems site at Woodford is a major concern in many respects. It has implications also for our near neighbours in Cheshire East and the issue is also being addressed by the Poynton Local Area Partnership.

I would also like to thank the officers of the Town Council for all their hard work over the last year. In November we said goodbye to our former Town Clerk, Brian Hogan, who left us for bigger and better things at Congleton Town Council and to Peter Sturmey who retired. Brian was good enough to provide a warm handover to our new Town Clerk, Malcolm Adams who joined us in January. Malcolm is already showing his worth as are John Brookes our new Operations Officer and Dr Tracey Shields our new Youth Coordinator.

John’s name is mentioned in more than one Committee Report which shows both that the role was very much needed and that he is effective in that role. However the main reason the role of Operations Officer was created was to handle the proposed devolution of services from Cheshire East. This has not come as quickly as first thought and will be a further challenge for the future to be managed by our Management & Establishment Committee which, apart from personnel issues which are not reported, has only dealt with matters of urgency, appropriate to other committees, and which are covered in the Committee Reports where appropriate.

In conclusion Poynton-with-Worth Town Council has had a successful first year building further on the achievements of the former Parish Council. The Town Councillors acknowledge the challenges ahead and will pursue them with the same vigour and in the best interests of the residents of Poynton.


Annual Town Assembly: Parks Buildings & Highways Committee Report

Chairman
Cllr. Bryan Lewis
Vice Chairman
Cllr. Mrs. J. Sewart

1.Civic Hall Accommodation
During the year the adequacy of the present office and function room accommodation in the Civic Hall has been questioned. A sub-committee was formed and a number of exploratory meetings were held. Various options have been mooted ranging from selling the hall, to reconfiguring the present space to open up two new offices, to incorporating a mezzanine floor in the main hall, and to extending the hall with a second floor above the front elevation of the building.
One major factor has been the possibility of the police re-locating from London Road to the Civic Hall. The drivers for such a move are twofold; the present accommodation on London Road is no longer sufficient for their needs and will involve the police in applying to change another house to office use, and being based in the Civic Hall would promote greater visibility and accessibility for them. A concept drawing to show how this could be achieved was commissioned from a local architect. Discussion of this option is ongoing.

2.Operations Officer
A new Poynton Town Council position of Operations Officer was created early in the year. Mr John Brooks was appointed to this post on 1st June 2009. He has rendered stalwart service during an often difficult time. Amongst other areas, he has been active in determining the service level required for street cleaning, acting as the first point of contact for the Waitrose project, in notifying Cheshire East Council of the need for remedial work and monitoring their progress, and in consulting on and supervising direct works undertaken by this Council.

3.Road-works
Road-works have caused major disruption to roads in two principal areas, viz, Woodford Road and Park Lane.

This council was notified that Woodford Road would be closed for thirteen weeks, from 14th July until 12th October, in order to repair and strengthen the bridge at Norbury Brook. In an effort to lessen the impact of diverted traffic we asked for diversion signs to be placed strategically on the various approach roads. This request was ignored by our neighbouring council. In the event, disruption was even more prolonged than had been anticipated, with the time the road was closed over-running by almost 50%, or a further six weeks until 24th / 25th November.

Temporary traffic lights have now been in place on Park Lane since early January. The traffic restrictions were planned by the contractor building the new Waitrose supermarket. However, a greater than anticipated involvement of the various utility companies working around the site has caused some delay.

It is worth noting that, as a Council, we are powerless when it comes to road-works and other construction activities. Supervision of the work and rectification of problems is the responsibility of Cheshire East (and their staff) as the contracting authority. The Operations Officer acts in the best interests of Poynton residents but, with these major works, resolution of problems is down to his dint of persuasion and good relationships built up with the contractors.

4.Parks
The problems with the drainage in Brecon Close play area were corrected. New drainage was installed in July 2009. This work also necessitated the re-laying of the footpath leading from Park Lane. Although the new drainage does not solve the problem in the larger park area behind the children’s play area it does stop flooding into the bungalows and keeps the play area useable, even during periods of wet weather.

The Youth Co-ordinator, Dr Shield, made a successful bid to Cheshire East for funding of the revitalisation of Barnaby Road play area. A grant of £45,000 has been approved and proposals for the development should be made to the relevant Committee(s) in the near future. The possibility of locating an outdoor gym in the park is also being explored. Consultation with local residents will be required should the necessary funds become available.

5.Footpaths & Bridges
We are assured by the Cheshire East Council staff member responsible for “Bridges & Structures” that the long awaited footbridge replacement between Hazelbadge Road / Kirkstall Close will be installed during the school summer holidays.

After making representations in early November 2009 about the lack of progress we were offered a slightly earlier date but that would have led to greater disruption than waiting for the school holidays. Assuming work will go ahead as notified, by the time a new bridge is put in place it will be the best part of 2½ years since a permanent solution to the problem was promised.

Complaints were received from older residents that some footpaths in the Anson Road / Coppice Road area were becoming impassable because of the condition of the stiles. A site visit was made by Councillors, the Operations Officer, and the Cheshire East staff member responsible for Maintenance of Rights of Way. Four of the stiles have now been replaced by “kissing gates” and it is hoped that another two will be replaced when the land owners can be traced.

6.Street Cleaning
It has been recognised for some time that Poynton was not receiving the service it was paying for in this area. With the new Cheshire East Council coming into being, the opportunity was taken to press for a solution through the new Local Area Partnerships. The Operations Officer quantified the service level that should have been provided to Poynton. (As a gesture of good will he supervised and assisted with the same exercise for the other LAP areas.)

It proved impossible for Cheshire East to devolve the service as had been initially promised. However, what has happened is that the service provided has been doubled. Even though this is still short of the full requirement there has been a marked improvement in street cleaning.

7.Snow & Ice
In January, the un-forecast severity of the winter weather caught out everyone. It was recognised by the Council that it was not possible for Cheshire East to grit every path and side road. A small emergency supply of salt and sand was procured and a local contractor employed to spread it on identified areas of greatest risk.

During this summer, when grit prices are once more at a normal level, our emergency stocks will be replenished. Our contractor has said they will purchase a small spreading machine for use in the future. This forward planning should ensure mild winters for the foreseeable future!

8.Parking Restrictions & Traffic Calming
Various requests have been made by residents to have new parking restrictions put in place, current parking restrictions enforced, and traffic calming measures put in place or still others removed.

Once more, as a Council we were in the hands of the Unitary Authority. All requests were discussed in Committee and, where appropriate, they were referred to the responsible persons in Cheshire East. In every case excuses were given as to why further action would not be taken. We are continuing to press for Poynton to be given higher priority in Cheshire East’s annual review plans.

9.Concluding Remarks
In closing his report last year the then Chairman hoped, “that with only Cheshire East to deal with in the future ……. better service will now be delivered to the residents of Poynton”. Although in places this report has been critical of what can been done and of what has been achieved, relationships with the new Council are noticeably better than those with Chester, and service levels are continuing to improve. This has been achieved through Poynton Town Councillors pressing for action at Cheshire East level and, in no small way, due to the visibility of our Cheshire East Councillors in their various offices.

Annual Town Assembly: Planning & Environment Committee Report

Chairman: Cllr Laurence Clarke
Vice Chairman: Cllr David Robbie

1. The Council’s Planning Committee met 14 times between April 2009 and April 2010.
 
2. Parish councillors reviewed all the 122 Poynton planning applications, and made a recommendation to Cheshire East Council. As planning officers at CEC decide the vast majority of planning applications using delegated powers, this is the only formal review by elected representatives of planning applications.

3. Formal responses were also made to licensing applications, tree preservation orders and similar matters. Where work done to new or refurbished buildings appeared to conflict with the planning consent, this has been reported to the CEC Planning Enforcement Team. One long running case (Georges Road West) has now been resolved.

4. The Committee has responded to consultations by Cheshire East Council and the North West Regional Assembly on new strategic plans and policies that will affect the people of Poynton.

5. We remain concerned at suggestions that the North West Regional Assembly may soon begin a formal review of Green Belt boundaries. The Town Council remains committed to protecting the village environment and maintaining the existing Green Belt around Poynton.

6. We have continued to press CEC on air quality in parts of Poynton, especially around main roads. They have supplied results from automated monitoring of air quality near the junction of Clifford Road and London Road South. We remain concerned at the existence of significant air pollution in this area, although it is currently just inside legal limits.

7. The most important planning issue to arise over the last year is the future of the Woodford Aerodrome site. While the majority of the site is in the Stockport Council area, about half the runway is in Cheshire East, with part in Poynton. The Town Council has urged both Cheshire East and Stockport to ensure that any development is limited to the factory sites, and that the Poynton Bypass is completed using a shorter route across the runway.

8. Another concern is ensuring that Stockport provides schools and other public services for any houses built on the Woodford site. Traffic problems in Poynton will increase if significant numbers of new residents try to use services in the village.

9. The new Waitrose store on Park Lane is now being built. The Town Council has been consulted by CEC and Waitrose on issues such as the car park and the mural on the side of the new building.

10. The Town Council is committed to protecting Poynton’s environment, and will work with Cheshire East to ensure action is taken against flytipping and flyposters.


Annual Town Assembly: Community Order and Public Safety Committee Report

Chairman: Cllr. Jos Saunders
Vice-Chairman: Cllr Mrs Barbara Sutton

This has been an interesting year for the committee, with much more emphasis being placed on community initiatives and less emphasis on initiatives that tackled anti social behaviour. This is because the excellent work which began when this committee was first created is still continuing.

This does not mean that we can afford to be complacent, however we need to take pride in the fact that incidents of anti social behaviour have been reduced by 30% on Park Lane alone, compared to the previous year.

This achievement emphasises the partnership between the Police and the Community. We are extremely fortunate in the fact that the Poynton Community are willing to volunteer their time to benefit our village. An example of this is the Connect team who engage with our youths every Friday night.

1.In order to facilitate further reduction in crime, our committee together with Councillor Sylvester from Cheshire East have supported the introduction of a Cold Calling Zone on the Bird estate. A public meeting was held before its introduction which included presentations from both the Police and Trading Standards and the reaction from the residents was extremely positive. The public launch for this was on the 20th April and we will look forward to its results. In order to publicise the risks of cold calling, especially to our vulnerable residents, the Police have become even more proactive in engaging with our elderly folk. This has been achieved by Mandy Simpson (one of our hard working PCSOs) attending activities directed at the elderly in the Civic Hall. As well as discussing cold calling, it has helped Mandy respond to any other concerns that the elderly members of our community may have. Our cold calling initiative has been recognised as an important tool in crime prevention, beyond the Poynton boundary and other areas including Disley are now discussing its introduction.

2.Our support to the local Police Community Action Team continues. This can be seen by the negotiation of the new Service Level Agreement for the 4 PCSOs. This agreement will last 3 years and the content of it is seen as a template for other areas in Cheshire East. An example, once again, of Poynton taking the lead. We have also agreed to continue our financial commitment for the 4 PCSOs who continue to do an excellent job. Again their work in Poynton is recognised beyond our local community and currently, because of their achievements here, Prestbury have requested and now have, a PCSO deployed to their Parish. I think that we can justly be proud of the fact that other Parishes have recognised the great strides that we have made in Poynton and are now following our lead.

3.The individual achievements of our PCSOs have also been recognised. Chris Howard was nominated for a Jane’s award last year for his service to our community.

4.I would also like to thank the Police for their commitment to community activities. These include their involvement in the activities to address anti social behaviour during mischief week and the proposed skate board competition on the 17th July.

5.The Police also deserve our thanks for their continued commitment to exploiting every possible means of communication with the public. As well as their continued commitment to

a.Joint surgeries, Crime prevention days and CAMS
b.E mail distribution of important updates
c.Carrying the CAT phone and thus being readily available to the public
d.Monthly newsletters

The police have also embarked on “street surgeries”. These have been very successful and have managed to reach far more members of the public than the CAM meetings. This has meant that they are resolving far more of the issues that matter to the community of Poynton.

6.Our committee have always recognised the importance of engaging with the young people of Poynton. It has been recognised that engagement can achieve a tangible and measured reduction in anti social behaviour. However, our committee has not lost sight of the fact that the needs of all young people and the volunteers who work with them should be recognised. With this in mind a Youth Co-ordinator, Tracey Shield was appointed. The purpose of this role is to facilitate, co-ordinate and deliver a comprehensive approach to engaging with young people in Poynton. Thus far the areas that Tracey has concentrated on include:

a.The fishing fun day was extended to year 6 pupils for the first time to facilitate a smooth transition to the High School.
b.MEND which concentrated on 6 families who needed support to achieve a healthier life style.
c.The Youth Safety project.
d.Not in our Neighbourhood event, an event which concentrated on reducing anti-social behaviour during mischief week.
e.Developing a volunteering scheme.
f.Securing grant funding for Barnaby Road play area.
g.Establishing an outdoor gym for the Barnaby Road Play area
h.Securing grant funding for 2nd Poynton Scouts
i.Co coordinating CRB checks
j.Organising the skate board competition on the 17th July.
k.Discussing with Poynton Sports Club and the Police, a proposed series of events, targeted at reducing anti social behaviour.

7.This committee remains committed to the achievement of a community that is not only safe but clean. Therefore this committee has continued to support the local firm, No Graffiti. Incidents of this criminality have reduced but it is vital that we continue a zero tolerance to this anti social behaviour.

8.Litter, unfortunately still remains a problem. However, the appointment of our Operations Officer has definitely improved the situation; John Brooks has ensured that this problem is dealt with as soon as is practical. The community has also played its part, with members of the community giving up their time, together with Councillors on the annual Litter Pick.

9.This committee has always recognised that it exists to serve all of our community. This includes our most vulnerable. Therefore a working group has been established to identify if our elderly members have needs that are not currently being met, and, if they have what steps should be taken to rectify the situation. This is obviously a huge remit, however, we are determined that once again Poynton will take the lead in our area at addressing what is increasingly becoming a most important priority for our community.

10.Finally, I would like to thank all of the members of this Committee for their continued support in ensuring that our community remains, a happy, safe and vibrant Village to live in.

Annual Town Assembly: Finance and General Purposes Report

Chairman: Cllr. Charles Gorst
Vice Chairman: Cllr David Robbie

The main remit of the Committee is to ensure that sufficient funds are made available, largely via the Precept but also Grants, to enable the Town Council to carry out its functions. The Committee is also involved in projects, under its General Purposes remit, which do not easily fit with any of the other Standing Committees.

The major initiatives undertaken by the Committee during the year were :-

1. The Committee successfully implemented the setting up of a part-time Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) in Poynton, based at the Civic Hall. Funding was obtained from Cheshire East Council, Johnnie Johnson Housing Trust, Cheshire Peaks and Plains Housing Trust and from the Town Council itself. This project was admirably instigated and led by Cllr. Mrs Jos Saunders.

2. In order to help businesses cope with the effects of the recession, Cheshire East Council promoted a Recession Mitigation Scheme, in which it invited local councils to devise schemes for their own areas. Poynton Town Council took advantage of this and set up a “Think Local – Shop Local” campaign in Poynton whereby over a six month period, local shops were invited to apply for free advertising in the Poynton Post. This resulted in six double page spreads over the period. This campaign was financed jointly by Cheshire East Council and Poynton Town Council.

3. The Town Council was successful in applying for a grant under the Government’s “Playbuilder” scheme, administered by Cheshire East. This will enable the purchase of playground equipment for the Barnaby Road play area to a value of £45,000.The subject of football pitches in general has been transferred to the Parks, Buildings and Highways Committee as it is considered to be the more appropriate Standing Committee.

4. Earlier in the year, members of the Committee sensed there was a desire amongst a good number of residents for additional Allotment Sites in the Village. Several possible sites were identified, but the respective landowners have not given their consent. Subsequently, the Committee considered that the subject of allotments was more relevant to the Parks Buildings and Highways Committee and this has now been passed over into their remit. They will continue the search for suitable sites.

5. The Committee is currently in the process of setting up a dedicated Town Council Website which will provide members of the public with easy online access to information regarding Town Council activities and useful sources of information.

6. Following a lengthy period of research and consultation, work is to start shortly on the Village Centre Improvement Scheme. This is an ambitious multi-million pound scheme funded from a number of sources. Poynton Town Council is in the position to contribute £100,000 to the scheme, having built up reserves over several years, and so will not affect the Precept.

7. Following the decision to become a Town Council, and thereby the requirement to have a Mayor in place of a Chairman, it has become necessary to replace the regalia worn by both the Mayor and Deputy. One particular criterion we adopted when we took the decision to become a Town Council was that the costs of the transition should be kept to a minimum. With this in mind, over the past several months we have been pursuing Cheshire East Council and Macclesfield Charter Trustees for them to make available to us some of the civic regalia which belonged to the former Macclesfield Rural District Council (of which Poynton was the largest area) and now kept either on display or under lock and key. With cooperation from the above two bodies, we hope to be able to adapt some of that regalia to our own requirements, thus keeping costs to an absolute minimum.

8. As in previous years, grants were provided to local groups and organisations including Poynton First Responders, Poynton in Bloom and Poynton Commodores.

Finally, and after very careful consideration, the Committee recommended to Full Council that the Precept for 2010/11 should be increased by £5,579, an increase of 2.47% over the previous year. A major constituent of this is that, following the massive reduction in Bank Rate, interest to be received by the Council on its Bank Deposits is estimated to fall by £8,500. The overall Precept equates to 74p weekly for a Band D Household. This represents the first increase for three years.

Annual Town Assembly: BAE Systems Local Consultative Group Report

Town Council representatives: Cllrs D A Robbie and Mrs J Sewart

A number of meetings have been attended over the past twelve months and all of them have revolved around the future of the BAE Systems site at Woodford after it closes in 2012 when the last Nimrod aircraft rolls off the production line. No other substantive issues were discussed.

The members of the Group consist of representatives from BAE Systems, Poynton Town Council, Cheshire East Council, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, Woodford Community Council and Churches on a fairly regular basis. The make up does fluctuate from meeting to meeting with regular attendees and various people called in on an ad hoc basis as required.

A lot of discussion has taken place outside of this Group and Poynton Town Council’s views are expressed in the consultative document that has been forwarded to Stockport Council for their Core Strategy Document.

The important issues are as follows:

1.The site lies in the Green Belt and is partly in Cheshire and partly in Stockport.

2.The current buildings (aircraft hangars, workshops, offices, etc.) lie in the Stockport Council controlled part of the site. These are designated as Major Existing Development Sites (MEDS).

3.BAE Systems needs to sell the site and as far as the Council is aware this has not been achieved yet although a number of developers have expressed an interest.

4.Stockport Council and Cheshire East Council are looking at the best future use of the site particularly from a Planning view. In practice, Stockport Council has been working on this for a long time and Cheshire East Council have some catching up to do; this is partly due to the recent local government reorganisation where the old Macclesfield Borough Council had done some work which is now being followed through by Cheshire East Council.

5.BAE Systems and Stockport Council are considering the best use of the land under Stockport’s control and the likely outcome appears to be a mix of use between housing (25% affordable housing) and retail/light industry but with no increase in the footprint of the existing buildings. Figures for new housing range from about 900 (BAE Systems estimate) to 450 (Stockport Council estimate).

6.Poynton Town Council have seen an opportunity for the route of the proposed Poynton By-pass to take a more direct and shorter route (and therefore cheaper) if the eastern section of the runway is removed (a decision on this has not yet been taken).

7.Poynton Town Council is also concerned about the infrastructure of the area around the site because of its knock on effect in Poynton. Issues being considered, for example, are transport, roads, schools, medical facilities and shops.

8.One issue that is clear is that although there may be some sort of low key final employee event, there will not be an air show which a lot of people would like to see. The reasons for this are cost, time and resources to set it up, none of which are now available.

9.It is essential that Poynton Town Council is kept fully in the picture on the future use of this site. Our overall objective is to preserve the Green Belt, continue to press for the construction of the southern link of the Bypass, and ensure that the local infrastructure necessary to support the development is put in place in advance of any such development taking place.

Annual Town Assembly: 2448 Squadron Air Training Corps Report

Town Council Representative: Cllr Mrs J Sewart

Mr Chairman, as the appointed member to 2448 Squadron ATC this is my report to Council regarding the activities of the Squadron. I shall present the years report under the headings: activities; achievements and administration.

Activities

A normal programme of ATC activities such as: gliding, flying, adventure training, aviation studies and community service has been run throughout the year.
As per last year a detachment of cadets visited France where they organised and performed at The Menin Gate ceremony. This has now become a regular feature of the Squadron’s annual programme.
During 2009 cadets have attended a Summer Camp at RAF Cranwell, one cadet went on an overseas camp to Germany and one to Cyprus. In October there was once again the North Wales trip attended by a number of cadets. This is an activity camp with such activities as rock climbing and power boat handling.

Achievements

Yet again the Sqn won the High Peak RAFA Trophy for collecting the most donations for the Wings (Battle of Britain) appeal within this area.
The Sqn also formed a substantial element of the annual Remembrance Day parade held here in Poynton. Members may also have noted cadets ‘on duty’ at the Poynton Show, the Brass and Abba concert and also The Community Youth Event at the High School.

Individual achievements have included five cadets completing the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award Scheme; and four of them were presented with their certificates at St James’ Palace in the presence of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.
Two cadets have been awarded their ‘wings’ for gliding after achieving a Gliding Scholarship, four cadets have been awarded BTEC in Aviation studies and eight cadets have achieved Lifesaver and First Aid awards.

In sport, 2448 Squadron are the local ATC Senior football winners and table tennis semi-finalists. Dan Giddings came first in the ATC finals for 800m at RAF Cranwell and is northern champion at cross country running. Sam Bindotti was captain of the Victorious Wing Football team and represented the Northern region. Many other cadets represented the Wing and region at rugby, swimming, hockey, football and athletics. Two cadets completed the difficult Nijmegen March (60 miles in 4 days) in Holland as part of the Wing Team.

Administration

As regards the administration and leadership of the Squadron, Adult Sgt Scott Taylor has undertaken the running of the squadron from Squadron Leader John Morten. Sgt Taylor is a qualified First-Aider and wing radio Officer. Poynton Squadron 2448 has 35 cadets on its books, more than any other squadron in the area. The squadron enjoys great support from the Civilian Committee run by Mr Len Davies and civilian instructors who give up their time to help out on a nightly basis.

The success of the squadron enjoyed both collectively and individually is attributable to the hard work and enthusiasm of the leadership, other instructors, the Civilian Committee and the cadets themselves.

Last year the review closed with a quotation from the RAF’s internal audit report on ATC Squadrons. It is worthwhile to quote it again:

“2448 Squadron is a strong, vibrant and well run unit”.

Mr Mayor it gives me great pleasure to submit this report to Council.


Annual Town Assembly: Parish Plan Report

Town Council representatives: Cllrs Mrs Barbara Sutton, Mrs Angie Smith and Rob Heywood.

The Parish Plan was chaired by Malcolm Adams until December 2009, with other key individuals being responsible for the main aspects of the Plan. The newly appointed Youth Co-ordinator, Dr. Tracey Shield, has a responsibility to provide advice and support to the Parish Plan team regarding youth activities.

The year commenced with a new Chairman, Malcolm Adams, a new name, the Parish Plan Monitoring and Implementation Group (PPMIG) and an updated vision. In May a proposal, detailing objectives for the year was put to the Community, Order and Public Safety Committee, (COPS) to secure part funding for the activities that had been planned. The total bid was £5,000 and was sanctioned by the Committee on the basis of funds being made available on production of receipts, as activities took place. Poynton in Bloom also succeeded in their bid to the Council for £3,000 for planting schemes in and around Poynton.

One of the main activities that the PPMIG undertook was the Christmas Fest, which was held on Tuesday 1st December. A small working party had been set up to co-ordinate the Fest, which included Malcolm Adams, Mike Beanland, Diane Smith and Cath Roper. The Fest is an opportunity for the local community to get together, either to participate in one of the festival activities or just enjoy a seasonal evening in Park Lane. Many of the local shops, cafes and restaurants stayed open for business and were again very supportive, while the local schools, bands and churches provided much of the entertainment. Unfortunately the weather was not kind but this did not put off local residents braving the heavy rain to make the evening a great success.

Other projects, under the banner of Youth Engagement, have been taking place to provide support to the young people of Poynton. The Youth Safety Project, the Gateway Project and Through The Gateway Project, developed to engage young people in constructive and structured activities involving community groups, the police and First Responders, continue to be a success. The MEND healthy living programme was delivered to tackle issues with weight. The Hope for a Healthier Life Exhibition was organised in conjunction with the Sports Development Team, to promote an awareness of a range of sports clubs and societies.

The Parish Plan has been very involved in the creation of the Skateboard Park in Deva playing fields, which opened in early May. The Skateboard Park has been a great success and continues to be a valuable leisure facility for the youth of Poynton. The PPMIG have secured an extension on the maintenance grant from the Lottery to support a Skate Fest planned for later this year.

Members of the Parish Plan team are also working closely with the Community Development Officer for the Performing Arts College to assist with the development of the Noye’s Fludde project, the staging of Benjamin Britten’s opera of the same name. This project has attracted the Lottery’s largest ever commitment to a small grant scheme supporting community projects.

Another Drug Proof your Kids programme commenced in September supported by the High School. Debt counselling courses and Parenting Skills are also available, organised by the leader of the Community and Family Life stream.

Under Village Aspect, a dedicated group of people have been busy planting and enhancing the public areas of Poynton Village. A Garden Safari was organised in the summer, the bus shelter on London Road has received some well needed care and attention; there has been involvement in the Annual Litter pick and preparations are underway to provide Poynton with summer baskets and bedding plants.

With the appointment of Malcolm Adams to Town Clerk, the PPMIG has been left without a Chair Person since January. However individual members have continued in their endeavours so although there has been nobody at the helm, good work has continued. For the Parish Plan now to go forward interested parties need to meet and discuss whether this body is still the right vehicle to channel community activity. If it is so agreed, a new Chair Person needs to be appointed and a new strategy developed, which is aligned with the overall vision for Poynton, and coordinated with the Town Council.


Annual Town Assembly: Twinning Association of Poynton (TAP) Report
 
Town Council representative: Cllr Gabor Bartos

This year the only engagement of the TAP was to organise the Choral Festival at the St Georges Church, with the St Georges Singers, Poynton Male Choir and the guest Szirmok Ladies Choir from Erd. We have learned from this well received and successful concert that TAP should organise a similar event with more choirs from Poynton.
 Members of the Szirmok Choir were kindly accommodated by friends and members of TAP. Some very good friendships developed from this between hosts of families and members of the choir.
 
One result from this well-attended and very successful Hungarian Evening was that TAP increased its membership.
 
Children from both towns’ High Schools have exchanged e-mail addresses with possible plans for a student exchange. Tracey Shield, our Town Council’s Youth Coordinator attended TAP’s AGM in February, and has offered her help with this kind of activity. Unfortunately the Poynton Air Cadets planned trip to Erd has been cancelled due to some technicalities.
 
TAP has also brought together some local clubs and associations, like the gardeners club, winemaker’s society and fishing club. They are already building closer links based on this introduction.
 
In the past year TAP has been mainly involved with planning future events up to three years in advance, with preparations already under discussion for the tenth anniversary of the Twinning Agreement between Poynton and Erd.


Annual Town Assembly: Poynton In Bloom Report


Town Council representatives: Cllrs Mrs S Horsman and Ms Rebecca Horsman

The Poynton In Bloom group now has a new Chairman, as Mr David Jones has stepped down.

Susan Warrington (Poynton In Bloom, the Poynton Village Improvement Scheme Working Group and the Poynton Plan Monitoring and Implementation Group) and John Brooks (Poynton Town Council’s Operations Officer) have actively supported the Poynton In Bloom group’s activities, and these have been coordinated with the Town Council’s operations and objectives.

John Brooks was able to brief the group concerning Cheshire East Council’s and Poynton Town Council’s responsibilities as regards street cleaning, grounds maintenance and major projects. New trees are planned as part of the Poynton Village Improvement Scheme, to replace existing and diseased trees. Hanging baskets will be provided by Cheshire East Council this year, but both these and the Christmas tree will probably need to be funded by the Town Council in future years.

Plans are in progress for planting and maintaining tubs and beds in and around the village. Those flower beds at the junctions of Clifford Road and Chester Road, School Lane and Park Lane and at London Road South, near Clifford Road are to be maintained from the Poynton In Bloom budget provided by the Town Council. The Clifford Road bed is likely to be given a ‘railway’ theme, with kind support from Chris Hasall.

Poynton Junior Gardeners are active at the Long Row, Poynton Green and the School Lane bed. The Garden Safari will take place on Saturday 17th July 2010, from noon to 5pm, with any monies raised going to a local charity.