Plans for a new church hall at St. Mary’s, Handbridge have been released for public consultation and are on display inside the church. Click on any of the photos to enlarge.
SMOKE AND MIRRORS?
Exactly what is intended by way of this application by the owners for a change of designation to none residential educational from residential use? Any intention to subsequently pass the site on to the University of Chester is certainly not declared in the application (find this to judge for yourself on the CWAC Planning site by searching for application 14/04193/FUL). The only real evidence we have of alleged disposal to the University (that just a few weeks ago was reported as having no interest in acquiring any site in Handbridge) is found in that David Holmes article in last week's Chronicle based on his conversation with P.J.Livesey. Reg Barritt of Chester Community Voice and Handbridge Residents Council says: “The key planning argument against the University getting hold of this site for its educational use is that it already has enough undeveloped land available at its 5 acre Glen Esk site. That site is conveniently located next door to the main campus on Parkgate Road, for which they have already paid we understand some £2.64m on which to develop new estate to meet the University’s growing needs”. He says: “ The Glen Esk site has been designated to be taken out of the Green Belt for the purposes of educational use by the University in agreement with the LA. Its proposed use is encapsulated as a policy in the existing Chester City Local Plan (retained Policy DF2). This Local Plan remains active until the new Local Plan Part 2 is agreed, and that is some way off yet”. He adds: “Therefore the Handbridge site is not actually required to meet such educational need, but on the other hand Chester does have an assessed shortfall of sites available to meet demand in the City for market and affordable (none student hostel) housing as is highlighted in the incoming Local Plan, with this site designated as it stands to meet that need. This Application is threatening to compromise that necessary use. Of great concern to the community of Handbridge is the threat of studentification of our streets over the years that would follow any such university expansion here, with the same fate awaiting us as we have already seen the demise of the Garden Quarter in Chester and similar areas in many other UK towns and cities. The Local plan seeks to support regeneration of City areas with mixed residential development as well as to protect those already here. Yet the way HE need is being catered for outside the stated aims and objectives of our Local Plan is currently repeatedly happening in conflict with meeting these agreed aspirations”. IMPACT OF STUDENTIFICATION The Local Development Framework Panel is meeting on the 24th November (5.30 PM at HQ, Room G1)to hold an open discussion between the LA, University, and other interested parties including the public the impact of Higher Educational expansion on Chester. Those with an interest in this matter are urged to attend. Meeting details can be found on the CWAC website at this link. FOOTNOTE: CCV UK tell us they will be presenting a draft strategic and control policy document to CWAC at this meeting that is intended to ensure sound management of the impact of developing studentification of Chester. They say they have had to spend much time and effort in producing this because, despite the long process of developing the new Local Plan the LA has been through and CCV UK’s persistent efforts to have the issue addressed in that process, CWAC itself has no such policy in place or even proposed to deal with this key matter. Avril Coady of CCV UK says: “unlike in some other university cities it has been left to us to press the matter on the LA rather than for them to have willingly deal with it”.”What we have found in our work on this issue is Government evasion and indifference to such concerns about impact on local communities. They seem to be doing all they can to massage thorough university expansion across the nation with little or no regard for impact on local people, and indeed many other agreed aims and objectives in Local Plans .The best the various authorities seem to do is to try piecemeal to keep the lid on the pressure cooker of problems this growth in HE is causing; and of course that is bad governance”. Article submitted by Reg Barritt of Chester Community Voice and Handbridge Residents Council. Not far from Handbridge where Duke St. meets Park St. there's a wonderful illustration of the mess caused by the de-criminalisation of parking. The BMW in the photo has been parked in a 30 minute bay for at least the last three weeks. Badly parked over the line reducing the availability of spaces for others, it's got 3 parking tickets stuck on it's windscreen.
Apparently it's not a Police matter because it's not a danger to the public. Community Safety Wardens are making enquires but have no power to move the vehicle. The maximum number of tickets it can be given is three. The Council cannot tow it away until it's road tax expires - which in this case is April 2015 ! Do you remember the days when we didn't have PCSO's, Community Safety Wardens, Council Parking Wardens etc etc and all we had was the Police. We seem to have made things far to complicated and as a result no one knows who or what to turn to when action is required. CATHOLIC HIGH SEEKS PLANNING APPROVAL for ALL-WEATHER SPORTS PITCH on DESIGNATED GREENBELT LAND10/3/2014 25 September 2014
Dear Parent/Carer, Let me begin by thanking everyone involved in our Open Evening last week, which was simply excellent. We have a great school, students, and staff, with great facilities, and a warm, welcoming, and caring atmosphere which was obvious to everyone who came to see Queen’s Park High School for themselves. I am very pleased to welcome parents of the new Year 7, and I know this will be a very special year for your sons and daughters. They will gain so much from all the new opportunities they have at Queen’s Park High School, and they will contribute so much as well through their energy and enthusiasm, and their openness to new possibilities. We all want them to aim high, and to be happy. At the other end of the age range, in the 6th form, we are very proud of our A level results this summer, when almost 60% of all grades were A*-B, and better than any local authority school for miles around. This builds on five years of rising grades, and opens the door for strong university and career opportunities when our students leave. Looking ahead I am very pleased to announce that we have appointed Mrs Karen Logan as Acting Headteacher from 1 November, to lead the school when Mr Casey retires. Mrs Logan brings a wealth of experience, and I know the leadership of the school will be in good hands, with full support from the Governing Body. Meanwhile the Governing Body has been working hard on the recruitment of our next Headteacher. The position has been advertised, and interviews will be held in mid-October. The appointment of a new Headteacher is an important stage for any school, and naturally ushers in a new chapter in the life of the school community. This will be a chapter of new possibilities, and as governors we will make sure the school builds on its successes, aims high, and does well. Finally, I need to address some rumours which have been circulating about the future of the school, which you may have heard, or seen in The Chronicle newspaper. Let me spell out that nobody has any plans to close Queen’s Park High School. Cheshire West and Chester Local Authority has given categorical assurances on this, and is emphatic that the school is very much part of secondary education in Chester into the future. We are extremely committed to our students, and the success of Queen’s Park High School. Thank you for your continued support which is so important to the whole school community. Yours sincerely, Patrick Hill Chair of Governors Queen’s Park High School Although no mention or official announcement can be found on the school's website, Handbridge Life understands that Headteacher, Stephen Casey will be leaving Queen's Park High in October 2014. Mr. Casey joined the school in September 2009. Dismayed parents learned over the weekend that Overleigh Day Nursery trading as Overleigh Nursery Limited has ceased trading with the loss of up to twelve jobs. The nursery, which has been registered since 2008 with a capacity to care for up to 140 children has closed leaving the owners out of pocket by reportedly a quarter of a million pounds.
Despite putting in 70 hours a week it seems the owners have been an able to make the business viable. There has been concern over the fate of the nursery since last week when parents received a phone call telling them only that the nursery was unable to accept children this week, the first week of the new school term. One working mother turned up today, Wednesday, with her son not having heard the news. Removal men are today clearing the building which is owned by Grosvenor Estates. A notice reads that all enquiries should be directed to Parkin S Booth @ Co., insolvency practitioners. Old Wrexham Road received some well overdue attention from Cheshire Highways this week with the installation of off road parking for residents.
This project has been a subject of much discussion by the Handbridge Schools Travel Safety Group for the past few years and has up until now been kicked into the long grass because of the high cost due to services running directly below the surface. The narrow road gets choked with parent's cars and school buses twice a day at dropping off and picking up time, so providing off road parking should mean a real improvement for road users and pedestrians who often have to contend with vehicles mounting the pavement to get past each other. |
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