@kaleighwatterson
The BBC's political reporter for Cheshire. Cat lady, Sandgrounder, fan of loud tights. Find me: 📺 Politics North West, North West Tonight 📻 Radio Manchester, Radio Merseyside, Radio Stoke 🖥️ bbc.co.uk/news
Warrington could soon have more councillors. It's all part of a boundary review in the area, which could also see the area with more wards too.
Find out more:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
#Warrington #Cheshire #news
My cat was headbutting my phone as I wrote this so that's my excuse for the typos!
A council tax rise of just under 7.5%, potentially millions of £s worth of borrowing alongside millions of £s cuts - that's all in Warrington Council's latest budget which ewe signed off this week.
I'm looking into it on Politics North West today - BBC One, 10am or on iPlayer
Crewe Heritage Centre is set to restore some of the natural landscape lost when the railway arrived in the town in the 1830s.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
If you live in Warrington, your council tax is going up by more than the usual amount next year - after the council signed off their budget last night.
Full details:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
#warrington #counciltax #news
Warrington Council signed off their budget tonight - which includes a 7.48% council tax rise and £40m of cuts
And it's Warrington on Monday - £40m of cuts proposed, including a plan to close the town centre CCTV control room, as well as a 7.48% council tax on the rise.
I'll be there on Monday with all the updates on that meeting.
But other amendments - 2 from the inds around a new pothole machine trial and funding for additional community funding, as well as Cons one on more funds for the Parent Carer Forum (which supports SEND families) were passed.
Read more:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
One interesting bit of the discussion was around a Green cllr amendment asking for a move to 3-weekly bin collections. Lots of debate on that idea - and it was rejected.
Then last night it was the turn of Cheshire West and Chester Council.
We heard during that meeting that the council's financial position was "better than we had hoped".
But there were still cuts - £33m of them - signed off. As well as a 4.99% council tax rise.
And interestingly, during the meeting the dep leader said they'd actually been hoping for a new town in Crewe - linked to the new Leighton Hospital which will be built in the coming years.
The motion was rejected and you can read the full story here:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Meanwhile also at that meeting, there was a motion from the Conservative group calling for the leader and dep leader to resign.
This was over the controversial Adlington new town, and a letter sent last summer.
(read more on that letter and the response to it: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...)
And at the meeting, they signed off plans to use up to £25m of this allocation and put council tax up by 4.99%.
You can read more on this here:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
On Wednesday, Cheshire East met for their annual budget meeting.
They were recently allocated up to £35m of exceptional financial support from the gov. EFS isn't extra cash - it basically allows councils to borrow to cover their day-to-day spending. But they do have to pay it back so its not cheap.
So it's been a busy old week of budget setting in Cheshire, so here's the details of what's gone on if you missed any of it.
And we still have Warrington to go on Monday too.
Cheshire West and Chester Council signed off their budget last night - with £33m of cuts and a 4.99% council tax rise.
But the authority said its position was "better than we had hoped".
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Cheshire East's leader and deputy leader survived a motion calling for their resignations.
And it also emerged during the meeting there were calls for to Leighton in Crewe to be the site of a potential new town, according to dep leader Michael Gorman.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
(don't worry, I still have some sweets left!!)
The meeting is still going on - they're discussing a motion calling for the resignation of the leader and dep leader, put forward by the Conservative group.
Cheshire East Council's signed off its budget - with a 4.99% council tax rise. It's also needing to use exceptional financial support to balance the books
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
A number of protestors were outside and we had four public speakers on Adlington earlier on in the meeting.
Stocked up on sugar for today’s full council meeting (I do also have some fruit!)
On the agenda is discussing the council’s budget and a motion calling for the leader and dep leader to resign over a letter sent about the Adlington new town plans.
Last year, Cheshire East Council closed three of its tips. So what's the impact been on people in those areas?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
#macclesfield #cheshire
Warrington Council says the decision to allocate it exceptional financial support "provides clarity".
It doesn't mean extra cash - but it's a way to allow councils to borrow to cover their day-to-day spending in a way they're not usually allowed to do.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Six North West councils - including Cheshire East and Warrington - have been allocated exceptional financial support from the government.
Read more about what this means here:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
After calls for them to resign, Cheshire East's leader and deputy leader say a letter where they initially indicated support for a proposed new town in Adlington was "not in line" with the council's views or planning policies.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
#adlington #cheshire #news
Cheshire's Labour Police and Crime Commissioner Dan Price has defended his office's use of a pool car, after criticism by opposition politicians.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Why does Warrington Council want to increase council tax by 7.48% - and what's led to this?
I answer some of the questions around its finances and its debt levels.
bbc.co.uk/news/article...
#warrington #councilfinances #Cheshire
Cheshire Police's chief constable has criticised plans by Warrington Council to close the town centre CCTV control room. The authority's facing a £179m gap in its budget over the next four years and said it needs to make "extremely difficult decisions".
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
#warrington
Calls for Cheshire East's leader and deputy leader to resign over controversial Adlington new town plans
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
#adlington #cheshire #news #cheshireeast