Utkinton and Cotebrook Community Website

Highways have advised that the work on this stretch of road is progressing quicker than expected and have provided the following details.

Works programme update

 Works have begun on the major Improvement scheme at the A49/A51 Red Fox Junction.  As we are progressing more quickly than expected on the first section closure, we have updated the works programme to minimise the overall disruption.

 New programme:

Mon 11 March for five nights to Friday 15 March (inclusive) – A51 Nantwich leg will continue to be closed 7pm to 6am.

Saturday 16 March night – no works, no restrictions to traffic.

Sunday 17 March (daytime)  9am to 7pm – closure of the A49 Beeston leg only.  The A51 will have no restriction to traffic.

Then the full junction will re-open with no closures until:

Thursday 21 March for seven nights to Wednesday 27 March (inclusive) – A49/A51 Chester leg will be fully closed to traffic.

Following this, the full route will again be re-opened to traffic until the carriageway resurfacing works take place:

 From Monday 1 April for seven nights – full junction closure – diversion route A49 Tarporley Road, A54 Winsford to Middlewich onto the A530 back onto the A534 past Reaseheath college (and vice versa).  During the daytime, closures will remain on both Eaton Lane and A49 Beeston legs of the junction with only the straight on movement between Chester to Nantwich (and vice versa) open to traffic.  Please note that this element of works will be weather dependant, any inclement weather will prolong the works programme.

Nominations are know open for individuals to stand as Parish Councillors.

Please see the attached Notice of Election.

Notice of Election

If you are interested in standing as a Parish Councillor, please contact either the Chair – Frank Tunney or the Clerk Anita Langford.

Francis Tunney – Chair at utkintonpc@gmail.com or 07860 917446

Anita Langford – our Clerk at utkintonandcotebrookclerk@gmail.com or ‭07814 089666

May 2nd 2019 sees the four-yearly cycle of elections for Borough, Town and Parish Councils and this provides an opportunity for residents of the Parish to stand as a Councillor and to be able to influence what happens in our community.

Utkinton and Cotebrook Parish Council has a complement of 9 councillors drawn from the two villages that make up the Parish. They are all volunteers and give freely of their time attending eleven meetings each year, managing activities and projects and, most importantly, managing the Precept that is levied as part of the Council Tax.

If you would like to nominate yourself for the forthcoming election, the timetable is quite short and the following four documents explain what to do – simply download them, fill them in and submit to Cheshire West and Cheshire Democratic Services team.

Elections – Standing for election as a Parish or Town Councillor (2018)

2019 Election 01 CWaC Cover Letter

2019 Election 02 CWaC Nomination Pack – Parish Council Elections

2019 Election 03 CWaC Polling Agents Pack – Parish Council Elections

2019 Election 04 CWaC Appendices Pack – Parish Council Elections

Tempted? Well, if you would like to see how we work then you are welcome to attend our next Parish Council Meeting in Utkinton Village Hall on Tuesday 12th March at 7:30 pm.

Want to know more then get in touch 

Anita Langford – our Clerk at utkintonandcotebrookclerk@gmail.com or ‭07814 089666

Francis Tunney – Chair at utkintonpc@gmail.com or 07860 917446

We look forward to hearing from you.

Following on from the earlier message re dog fouling, please see the attached from Cheshire West & Chester Council.

This also contains information about the maximum number of dogs that can be walked and dog lead lengths amongst other things.

PSPO Notice – dogs

Each month, Cheshire West & Cheshire Council issue a Public Health briefing.

February’s is about a healthy weight.

Please see the attached for more details.

Healthy Weight

… The Parish Council have had a number of complaints about dog fouling in and around the Utkinton Village Hall car park.  Whilst there is a dog bin there some owners persist in allowing their pets to foul the grass and given that people and families use the tennis court it seems quite selfish for dog owners not to clear up their pets’ mess.

It can also be a problem along by Primrose Wood – a popular location for walkers, ramblers and dog walkers too.

The law

The Cheshire West and Chester Council (Fouling of Land by Dogs)(General) Order 2017 makes it an offence not to remove any faeces deposited by your dog.  This removal must be done without delay.  The Order applies to all open air areas in the borough and where the public have access, even if warning signs are not displayed.

The exception to this is Forestry Commission land or other land where the owner has given permission that faeces need not be removed.  The Order does not apply to people who are blind and those with other trained assistance dogs for specific disabilities.

The offence carries a maximum penalty of £1,000. You may be given the option of paying a £80 fixed penalty notice if paid within 14 days or £50 if paid within 7 days.  If a fixed penalty notice is accepted you also avoid a subsequent criminal record, if found guilty.

One of our Parish Councillors (Cllr. Burford) recently introduced us to a firm in Bodelwyddan (Plastecowood) who produce structural components by recycling what appears to be ‘PET’ bottles and I was interested to read this piece in the ‘Times Online‘ that takes the process one step further.

Both of these initiatives show what can be done, if only we could reduce the amount of single use packaging we already use and throw away.

Locally, our very own Rose Farm Shop has started using old fashioned paper bags for some  vegetables and their delicious range of (I am told) low-calorie cakes  and pastries – well done!

We can all do something to aid our environment by sorting and, where necessary, rinsing our disposable plastic, but I wish there was a solution for those cardboard food containers with plastic windows!

Frank Tunney

Well, we are proud to report that one of our residents was nominated and won a well deserved award at a prestigious ceremony last week.  It gives us huge pleasure to report:

Sports News Reporter
Winner: John Richardson – Sunday Mirror
Highly commended: David Conn – The Guardian
Highly commended: Neil Ashton – The Sun

On behalf of the Parish Council, well done indeed.

We are trying to ensure that our newsletters get the widest readership – mainly within our two communities, but others in far-flung exotic places in the ward also like to read them too.  Do you have experience with using Acrobat Pro and producing what are called ‘Flip page’ or ‘Turning page’ documents, if so and you are willing to help us learn, please get in touch with our editor at utkintonpc@gmail.com it would be greatly appreciated.

We have been advised that CWaC are planning the following closures to A49/A51 Four Lane Ends junction.

Please note the following temporary road closure to enable Cheshire West and Chester Borough Council to carry out major road works. The works are due to commence…

Please note there will be approx. 5 weeks of disruption.  These dates below may change as works are weather dependant.

Initial programme is:-

Night Closures between the hours of 19:00-06:00hrs – reopened during the daytime.

March 11^th  for 7 nights – A51 Crewe leg closed – diversion route A49 Tarporley Road, A54 Winsford to Middlewich onto the A530 back onto the A534 past Reaseheath college (and visa versa).

March 20^th for 3 nights –A49 Beeston leg closed – diversion A51 to A534Burland to A49 Ridley and visa versa.

March 25^th for 5 nights – A49/A51 Chester leg – diversion  route A49 Tarporley Road, A54 Winsford to Middlewich onto the A530 back onto the A534 past Reaseheath college (and visa versa).

Following on with the

Carriageway Surfacing works:-

Following the 3 weeks Civils works we shall continue with the night closures for resurfacing of the carriageway.  Programme:-

Monday 1^st April 7 nights –  full junction closure – diversion route A49 Tarporley Road, A54 Winsford to Middlewich onto the A530 back onto the A534 past Reaseheath college (and visa versa).

Please click on TRO4204 A49-A51 Red Fox Junction -18mth Notice_Order and the diversion road.

The Contact at Guilden Sutton is Sian Williams on Tel: 03001237036