Poynton with Worth Town Council’s Annual Report for 2012/13

2

CONTENTS Report Page Town Mayor’s Report 3 – 4 Community, Order and Public Safety (COPS) 4 – 7 Facilities, Infrastructure and Economic Devel. (FIED) 7 - 11 Annex to FIED Report – PVRS 11 - 13 Finance and General Purposes (F&GP) 13 – 15 Management and Establishment (M&E) 15 - 16 Planning and Environment 16 – 18 2448 Squadron Air Training Corps (ATC) 18 – 19 Almshouses Trust 19 - 20 Poynton Local Area Partnership (LAP) 20 – 21 Parish Plan Group 22 – 25 Poynton In Bloom 25 - 26 Twinning Association of Poynton (TAP) 26 - 27

3

TOWN MAYOR’S REPORT

Councillor Mrs Sandra Horsman It’s funny, but when I look back on this last year I never would have believed it would have been so busy, so enjoyable and would have flown by so fast, starting with the Queen’s Jubilee, then the Olympics and Paralympics, the Christmas Fest, and more recently International Women’s Day - how lucky can a person get? I’ve danced on the streets of Poynton at a Jubilee street party, wallowed in mud at the Poynton Show, watched with great pleasure several school shows and listened to the wonderful music and songs of Poynton’s singers and brass bands. During our successful Jubilee celebrations in June I met delightful people from our twinned Hungarian town of Erd and from Reghin in Romania, with whom we have a Friendship Agreement. I meandered with them down Park Lane in the sunshine having our photos taken with a variety of scarecrows, much to the delight of our visitors, who clearly thought Count Dracula was the best! Civic Sunday in mid-July was brilliant and the service very cheerful, with a group playing the hymns and the children taking part. The church was packed, much to the delight of the vicar. Remembrance Sunday was as moving as it was memorable. We marched to the Vernon Building Society Brass Band and there were many more young groups than usual in the parade. My special thanks go to the High School’s junior choir, the PJS, who sang the Military Wives song I’d requested, “Wherever You Are”. Our Village Revitalisation Scheme opened fully last year, and is viewed by many as a considerable success. Yes, we have had our critics but a good number of them changed their view when everything was finally finished and working. It has been so pleasant to walk down Park Lane in the sunshine, seeing people sat outside enjoying themselves. It is something special, well thought of and something of which we can be proud. Many of my invitations have been out of Poynton to other Mayor’s civic services (I’ve never been to church so many times in one year, or to so many parades) and the refreshments offered afterwards have been a real treat. I’ve made many friends among these people and learnt many things about their Councils and their plans, as well as taking the opportunity to promote Poynton. We are well thought of in many circles as a hard working Council that knows where it’s going and works hard to get there. All in all I have tried to accept every mayoral invitation, and after all 43 is not bad going. I think we have only missed two, which clashed with something else.

4

I would like to thank my husband and Consort John. He has enjoyed this year as much as me but for different reasons. He got a bit of a shock when I told him I had been voted in as Deputy Mayor, then to take over as Mayor a year later, but he soon got used to the idea. Wherever we went there was always some unique incident that happened, making each one memorable e.g. refreshments served in the pews at Wilmslow, the marathon parades at Knutsford and Bollington, and the wonderfully professional staging of “Joseph and His Technicolour Dreamcoat” at the High School. My thanks go to our Town Clerk who kept tabs on me and made sure I did the job correctly, and also to the Town Council for their constant support and encouragement. It was a proud moment for me when I was voted in as Mayor and I hope I have taken my duties seriously, performed them well, and been an enthusiastic ambassador for Poynton.

STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS

Community Order and Public Safety (COPS) Committee

Chairman Cllr Jos Saunders Vice Chairman: Cllr Joan Sewart Once more this has been a very productive and active year for this Committee. Again, much of our time and energy has been spent ensuring that our village remains a vibrant and safe environment, whilst continuing to meet the needs of our residents. The demography of our village means that we have a high proportion of elderly people living in Poynton. The objectives and achievements of this year reflect this.

1. Appointment of an Adult Health and Well Being Co coordinator

This Committee has long recognised that coordination of services for the elderly can only benefit our residents. Therefore after the success of the Parish Plan Group in securing match funding, we are now actively seeking to recruit for this post. One of the key objectives for the post holder will be to improve public and community transport for our elderly residents. Our local buses were under threat (see para. 3 below) and whilst that threat has now abated, transport remains a key concern of this Committee. Our elderly residents cannot always access a bus; therefore transport needs to be more receptive to their needs.

5

2. Poynton Home Services Scheme

This has now been in operation for 12 months, and is available to all. It has been very successful and it will be up to the Adult Health and Wellbeing Coordinator to continue to improve and expand its service. Reputable local contractors who have signed up to the Scheme provide services that include, painting and decorating, gardening, plumbing, joinery and computer skills. There are now 17 contractors signed up and a growing number of residents are making use of the Scheme. Feedback has been extremely positive from both customers and contractors. One of our Councillors has availed themselves of the painting and decorating service, and was completely satisfied with the cost and quality of the work.

3. Bus Services

Our bus services were under threat of withdrawal and this Committee supported the successful efforts of the Cheshire East Councillors that secured our new service. For the first time, the west of the village now enjoys a regular, frequent service, whilst the east has a more frequent service which enables access to both Poynton and Hazel Grove Stations. We acknowledge that the service is not perfect, and therefore our residents will be asked for their views in the next few weeks and wherever possible improvements will be made.

4. Higher Poynton Summer Fest

This Committee continues to support community events and is delighted to be able to support the dedicated and enthusiastic team of volunteers who are working tirelessly on this event. The event will take place at and around Higher Poynton station on the Middlewood Way on 14th July. It promises to be a fabulous event with literally something for everyone, ranging from Morris dancing, dog training, free canal boat trips, and plenty more besides.

5. Youth Coordinator

Our Committee continues to recognise the importance of activities for our younger residents and our Youth Coordinator Erica Adkins is working tremendously hard to make sure that their needs are met. Her achievements include:

• The Poynton Bike Scheme (in conjunction with PCSO Chris Luke)

Erica and PCSO Chris Luke secured £400 funding from Cheshire Crimebeat to match fund £400 from the Town Council, and were also able to secure £200 worth of bicycle safety accessories from the Cheshire Crime Prevention Panel which were given out as goody bags as part of the bike marking events. Since May 2012 they have marked over 100 bikes as well as organised and supported the delivery of a community bike maintenance course in partnership with Phil

6

Howard of the In Gear bike shop and a community bikeability course and family bike ride in partnership with Cheshire East’s Leisure Development Team. They have also supported a scheme to ‘make bike lights cool’ by giving out 10 pairs of lights to young people in the village who were riding without lights.

• Poynton 2012 Embrace the Games

For this Family Fun Day Erica secured £1750 from a variety of local businesses and groups, including Cheshire East Community Grants, ‘Johnnie’ Johnson Housing Trust, Peaks and Plains Housing Trust, Poynton High School and Poynton Round Table, with additional funding of £750 from the Town Council. Erica also secured in-kind support from the Leisure Centre on the day and in the planning stages. Local sport and community groups supported the event running taster sessions on the day. A number of these groups have seen an increase in membership or have gone on to run regular sessions with support from Erica and Cheshire East Leisure Development Team.

• Launch of a live database of activities in Poynton

This is an ever-growing database supported by local group ‘Mums in the Know’ of Poynton, and is updated regularly.

• Poynton Youth News Blog

This is a monthly blog post that promotes activities, projects and events for young people and group leaders. The updates get sent out to around 200 individuals and organisations.

• The Poynton Legacy Fund

£400 has been raised for the Poynton Legacy Fund and the Committee is in discussion with local sports group as to how they can continue to raise more and make the fund available to local groups/individuals.

• The Youth Safety Projects, in conjunction with the Police, the High School and other partner agencies.

• Securing Funding for Audio Visual Equipment from Poynton Round Table - £500 was donated to Connect to enable diversionary activities to be delivered on Friday evenings with support from the Police and Erica.

• Interim administration of the Home Services Scheme

• Reviewing the Town Council’s Safeguarding Policy

This is an annual review that will take into account the recent changes to DBS checks, formerly known as CRB checks.

7

6. The Police

Our support for the local Police Community Action Team continues. Our residents need to feel that Poynton is a safe, vibrant community and our partnership with the Police undoubtedly helps to achieve this. This support is underlined by the recent renewal of a three year Service Level Agreement for the PCSOs and the appointment of a 5th PCSO - we welcome Chris Jackson to the team. Our Committee has 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. We have been pleased and proud to support the Police in the following engagement activities and strongly believe that this has contributed to the continued reduction in anti-social behaviour in our village. The projects include: The Youth Safety Project; Community Links; Fishing Competitions; Operation Unlink; Driver Engagement Days; Speed Watch; Speed Indicator Device Deployment; Shop Watch; Police Surgeries. This list is not exhaustive and also does not take into account the work they do to minimise vehicle obstruction in the ‘Shared Space’ zones. Our Policing team also deserve thanks for their continued commitment to exploiting every possible means of communication with the public. We are all aware that communication and engagement is the key to reducing crime in the area. Our Policing team now post a minimum of 3 Tweets a day.

7. Conclusion

Finally I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of this Committee who have all worked tirelessly to ensure that Poynton remains a safe, pleasant and vibrant place in which to live.

Facilities, Infrastructure and Economic Development (FIED) Committee

Chairman: Cllr Alex Smith Vice Chairman: Cllr Geoff King As usual, this has been a very busy year for members of FIED. I would like to thank all members of the Committee and Working Groups for their continued enthusiasm and support throughout the year.

8

It also has been a frustrating year: Utility companies seem to be a rule unto themselves in being able to dig up our roads with little or no advance notice. In addition, too many items brought to the attention of our Committee throughout the year have been related to issues with Cheshire East Council (CEC). Whilst CEC can be applauded for freezing Council Tax, this has not been without cost. An increasing number of services are either not being done or are taking an unacceptable length of time to get completed, resulting in significantly more work for Poynton’s Town Council. However, despite the frustrations, the Committee should be proud of what it has already achieved and what it will achieve in the coming year. Remit of Committee Previously called ‘Parks Buildings and Highways’, the Committee was renamed Facilities, Infrastructure and Economic Development (FIED) to recognise and emphasise the importance of the ongoing regeneration of Poynton in line with part of its draft Vision, which includes: “By ensuring continuous improvements to, and pro-active management of, the local economy, environment, Poynton will, by 2030, have retained its village feel and distinct rural setting, as well as continuing to develop as a strong and sustainable community.” Operations and Events Manager Due to the previous part time Operations Officer and Assistant Town Clerk becoming the Parish Clerk of Handforth, Richard Holland was recruited as full time Operations and Events Manager and Deputy Clerk. The enhanced remit was to take over responsibilities previously covered by CEC, and to provide more focus on working with businesses to improve and sustain the retail and service sector offering to residents and visitors. Richard has already become a popular, key and integral part of the Council, being the main interface with CEC for highway-related issues and in developing a Business Forum and database of businesses and commercial properties in the Poynton area. Richard produces for the Committee a monthly report that ably demonstrates the myriad of day to day operational issues affecting Poynton. Ranging from highways issues to tree maintenance to breakfast meetings of the Business Forum, his reports cover too much to be included in this summary. If interested, readers are encouraged to read his report that is available from him at the Civic Hall. Civic Centre and Library Complex A Working Group is ensuring that Poynton Town Council’s (PTC) views and requirements are taken into account in the proposed integration and modernisation of the Civic Hall and Library. Besides creating a new single entrance to both buildings, the project’s scope includes refurbishing the Civic Hall roof and Main Hall floor, and reviewing opportunities to improve the IT

9

infrastructure to allow for better Wi-Fi access for both buildings. Due for completion this year, the Working Group is currently waiting for a site visit and detailed plans from the architect. Clifford Road In May 2012, road narrowing was implemented by CEC on Clifford Road, on an experimental basis, subject to any concerns being raised by a deadline of early December 2012, with no prior consultation of the details with either residents or PTC. Predictably this met with wide scale opposition from residents and Council alike. This has been further exacerbated by CEC seeming to ignore both the consultation process and the feedback received from both the Council and residents. It is an embarrassment to the Chairman of this Committee that this issue is still unresolved. What appears as ineptness on the part of CEC should not detract from the frustration felt by this Committee. Parks and Play Areas The Committee has approved the erection of security fencing at Barnaby Park, similar to that already in situ at Brecon and Hockley Parks. Poynton Village Revitalisation Scheme (PVRS) Phase 2 of the Village Revitalisation Scheme was completed in Easter 2012. A report, designed to be used as a media release, is attached as an Annex to this report. Although the PVRS does not report to FIED but to full Council, it is worthy of note in this report because the responsibility for ongoing maintenance and snagging of Phase 1 (Park Lane) and Phase 2 (Fountain Place) has been moved to FIED. The Committee, through the Operations and Events Manager, continues to pressure CEC to expedite its contractors to complete Phase2 snagging and repairs. The fact that this is taking so long is yet another cause of frustration. The Committee believes it is essential to ensure the regeneration of Poynton is not just Park Lane and Fountain Place centric. Two Working Groups are therefore in the process of working with both residents, retailers and owners to revitalise the vitally important School Lane and Queensway retail areas of the village. School Lane Revitalisation Through the considerable efforts of this Working Group, a comprehensive improvement plan is being implemented to improve the visual appearance and quality of the School Lane retail and residential complex and the surrounding area. Thanks to generous sponsorship from the Poynton Horticultural and

10

Agricultural Society (PHAS), the area will shortly be enhanced through the provision of planters that will be maintained by residents and Poynton in Bloom. Queensway Revitalisation The Working Group continues to work with residents and the principal owners of Queensway businesses to ensure the area can prosper and benefit from the increased footfall from the regeneration of the village centre. Improved parking, directional signage and the appearance of the street scene are some of the areas which should see improvement in the coming year. Parking Review A Working Group has been established to review all its parking in both rural and retail locations. It believes that maintaining free car parking as long as possible is essential for the growth of its retail and visitor economy. The Working Group continues to review options to increase its parking provision. It has also recommended that restrictions be placed on the newly created parking bays on London Road. They were designed to encourage short stay passing traffic but are being abused by advertising vans and used on a long stay basis by staff from nearby business premises. The Working Group has also worked with the Community, Order and Public Safety Committee to encourage enforcement of existing parking regulations throughout the village. Allotments The process of PTC taking over responsibility for its allotments on a 125 year lease from CEC has now taken over one year. The Committee remains committed to supporting its allotments, and will do everything possible to ensure this matter is resolved in the coming year. Utilities The Council has been continually frustrated by utility companies carrying out work with little or no notification to either CEC or the Council and minimal consideration given to traffic movement and morning and evening traffic peaks. The Committee is grateful for the work of Cllr Murray who has been successful in getting the support of David Rutley MP. He is citing the Poynton example of abuse by utility companies in the wider national consideration of the issue at Westminster. Street Lighting As with many other parts of the country, CEC switched off many areas of street lighting to save money and carbon emissions. However despite promises to the contrary, they did themselves no favours by doing this with absolutely no

11

advance consultation with the Council. Fortunately through pressure from residents and the Council, much of this lighting was restored. The Committee requested the assistance of Poynton’s CEC Councillors to expedite with CEC the long standing issue of street light repair and maintenance. Many lights are still not working, although we hope for a favourable outcome in time for the next annual FIED report. Superfast Broadband The Committee is working with ‘Connecting Cheshire’ to ensure much of Poynton and the surrounding area has Superfast Broadband by 2015. There is room for cautious optimism that this will be achieved. Concluding Remarks A large part of the successful effort to keep Poynton a safe, vibrant and pleasant place to live is due to the efforts of Malcolm Adams, Town Clerk, Richard Holland, Operations and Events Manager, Gordon, the Village Handyman and our Caretaker, Laurent. They are unsung heroes, and the Council and residents are hugely fortunate to have such an enthusiastic and capable team that help to make Poynton such a fantastic place to live, work and play. The Committee thank them for their good work.

Annex to FIED Report

First anniversary of introduction of Phases 1 and 2, Poynton Village Revitalisation Scheme (Shared Space)

Memories are short, but 3 years ago Poynton was not an attractive place. A quick look at Google Street View shows grimy main streets in poor repair and nothing to differentiate it from hundreds of other town centres in the North West. As Councillor Howard Murray, Chairman of the Revitalisation Scheme says: “Poynton was dying: we had to revitalise the village centre and the status quo was not an option”.

The £4m Scheme, with a substantial proportion of its funding coming from grants and subsidies, was designed after much simulation and consultation with the public and special interest groups as part of an ongoing project to regenerate the centre of Poynton. Its aim was to create a sustainable, safe and pleasant environment in which to live, shop and play, whilst also coping with some 25,000 vehicles a day passing through its centre.

The roads and pavements have been design-engineered to reduce vehicle speeds. Road signs, kerbs and pelican crossings have been removed and, most radical of all, the traffic lights that controlled the busy junction of two ‘A’ roads, a

12

notorious accident black spot, have been removed and replaced by a double ‘roundel’ design that provide advisory guidelines for vehicle movements. Whilst this has proved controversial for some, in reality its counter intuitive design has achieved its objectives. Traffic constantly moves slowly and safely through the junction. Despite the removal of pelican crossings, pedestrians report finding it easier to cross the roads, with vehicles stopping to let them cross in the “Give Way To All” village centre. Above all, the scheme is proving safe, with no reported injuries in its first year of operation.

Fundamental to the revitalisation of the village centre has been the introduction of “Shared Space”. Poynton Town Council believed strongly that only through first improving its infrastructure could Poynton expect to develop a sustainable economic and retail centre. The bottom line was that if Poynton wasn’t easy to get to, and an attractive place to visit and shop, visitors and residents would go elsewhere and spend their money at one of the myriad of other towns or large shopping centres within its 10 mile radius. Poynton's solution to small town regeneration, with its primary initial focus on improving essential infrastructure as a precursor to sustainable economic regeneration, creates an interesting alternative to the "Portas" schemes, which we believe have met with only limited success in the region. This is one of the reasons why Poynton Town Council has been inundated with requests for further information from Councils, from other organisations throughout the UK and even from as far afield as Australia.

What is now immediately apparent is that Poynton is indeed thriving. It is becoming the preferred retail centre of choice for many Cheshire and South Manchester residents. Footfall has increased by almost 90 per cent and local estate agents report a surge in interest, with potential house hunters wanting to move to the vibrant town just 20 minutes from Manchester Airport but on the fringe of the Peak District. With its bustling centre, free car parking, its mix of independent and national multiples, revitalisation, based on Shared Space principles, has helped Poynton defy the national malaise of many towns. There are significantly fewer empty shops than before, and what is especially pleasing is that many of the new shops that have opened offer premium products and services that make them well placed to compete against the internet and the huge choice of shopping options available in the North West.

And there have been some pleasant unintended consequences. The wide pavements are encouraging more civic events to take place and a cafe culture is starting to blossom. Wheelchair and mobility scooter users love the lack of kerbs. The safer street design is encouraging far more to “get on their bikes” and enjoy Poynton from the saddle. Above all, Poynton has become a friendlier place. “Give Way to All” encourages communication between road users and pedestrians. It is good to see vehicles stopping to allow people to cross the road and this act of consideration being acknowledged by a wave. Research has shown that whilst not all vehicles stop for pedestrians, the majority stop far more frequently than in other schemes around Europe.

13

Whilst Poynton Town Council is pleased with the success of revitalisation to date, it is aware that there is room for enhancements. Whilst traffic speeds within the Shared Space zone are generally acceptable, vehicles still approach and leave the area too fast. The scheme has not removed rush hour queues (it never claimed it would) and the Council continues to campaign for a Woodford/Poynton bypass to reduce traffic volumes. Bus stop positioning is being reviewed to help traffic flow and the Council is being forced to introduce parking restrictions in its newly created parking bays to combat all day ‘bay blocking’ and thereby ensure more short stay ‘shopper’ parking. There is also an ongoing issue with obstructive parking abusing the principles of Shared Space. As Cllr Murray is keen to point out, Shared Space doesn’t do away with common sense or the Highway Code: “Pedestrians need to take responsibility too, and should only cross the road where and when it’s safe to do so. Drivers should still give way to the right, drive with due care and attention, and only park where they are legally allowed to do so”.

Poynton’s innovative “Give Way To All” Shared Space scheme has now been operational for one year. Described by Ben Hamilton-Baillie, who was commissioned to re-design the busy intersection at Park Lane and Fountain Place, as the most ambitious scheme in the whole of the UK, it is helping to create a thriving town centre that is shared between motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. A 16-minute film entitled “Poynton Regenerated”, produced and edited by film maker Martin Cassini, captures the views of residents and businesses before and after the works. Residents say how they were sceptical at first about roads with no pavements, curbs or edges, but how beneficial it is to ordinary users and most of those users with disabilities. Now that the work is completed, local residents say how lovely the place looks and how ‘traffic stops for you’.

Finance and General Purposes (F&GP) Committee

Chairman: Cllr Charles Gorst Vice-Chairman: Cllr Mike Beanland This Committee’s main responsibility is to recommend to the Town Council the amount of precept to be levied in order that the Council has sufficient funds to discharge the various services it provides locally. Once again, as in the previous year, this proved a difficult task as this year we were faced with uncertainties following from the Government’s decision not to reimburse Principal Councils for Council Tax not paid by persons in receipt of various types of benefit. This led to those Principal Councils recouping this by lowering the Tax Base upon which Parish and Town Council precepts are levied – effectively increasing the precept.

14

However, Cheshire East Council agreed to provide the Town Council with a provisional grant in order to offset the effect of this for 2013/14, but it is uncertain whether they will continue this support in future years. Turning to the precept for 2013/14, it is important to stress that Parish and Town Councils exist in order to provide additional or improved services to what is provided by Principal Councils, as well as representing local people on a wide range of issues. Councillors live in the communities they represent and are able to gauge from their contact with local people, as well as from their own experiences, both what is necessary and desired to improve the lives of local people. With all this in mind, and in addition to the broad range of services already provided, the Committee recommended the funding of a fifth PCSO dedicated to work in the village, provide funding for a Woodford Neighbourhood Plan (to try to influence the nature and scale of development at the ex-BAE Systems site), provide a full-time Operations and Events Manager, part fund a new position of Adult and Wellbeing Coordinator ( we already have a Youth Coordinator who works for and with young people in the Village), fund the maintenance of an updated and much improved Town Council website, and provide a budget for tree management on both Inclines. The effect of this was to increase the precept for 2013/14 by the sum of 12p per week over the previous year. The total precept amounts to just over £1 per week for an average Band D household – less than the cost of a loaf of bread, in order to put it into perspective. Part of the budget process involves a review of the Town Council’s Reserves in order to ensure that sufficient funds are available to meet both known future commitments as well as emergency and unforeseen circumstances. The review confirmed that our emergency Reserve is within local government recommendations and that our Earmarked Reserves are sufficient. The Finance and General Purposes Committee is also instrumental in ensuring that the Town Council’s affairs are subject to the scrutiny of both internal and external auditors, and this was duly carried out during this Financial Year. The Visitor Economy Working Group reports to this Committee. Their main brief is to promote Poynton as a desirable place to visit and to enhance the visitor experience in Poynton with the objective of bringing more visitors to Poynton, thereby ensuring that the village continues to be prosperous and vibrant. To this end, the Committee has arranged for the production of an Eateries Guide and Map of Poynton which is available to download from the Town Council’s website. This will be followed with a more comprehensive leaflet providing information about the local attractions, walks, shops and annual events. Also underway is the production of a number of Information Boards to be located at various strategic

15

points including the Nelson Pit Marina and the Middlewood Way, as well as other initiatives. The Middlewood Station Working Group also reports to this Committee and during the year the Group arranged for the production of a survey which was delivered to almost 1,000 households closest to the station. This was designed to seek information about how local people travel, which stations they use and why etc. There was a good response which will be useful in our attempts both to increase patronage at the station and obtain improvements to the timetable so that more trains stop there. During the year, the Committee completed the removal from the Register of Charities of a Town Council charity known as the Frederick Merttens Trust. This charity had been moribund for a considerable time and the remaining funds of £323 were taken over by another independent local charity, the Viscountess Warren Bulkeley Charity, whose objectives are similar. The Committee is provided with a small budget to be used to make small grants to local groups and voluntary organisations. This year a donation was made to Friend’s of St. George’s Church towards supporting the fabric of the Church building. Finally, once again I would like to thank all members of the Committee, together with the Clerk, in ensuring that the Town Council’s financial affairs are kept in good order and that the services provided by the Town Council continue to represent good value for Poynton residents.

Management and Establishment (M&E) Committee

Chairman Cllr Phil Hoyland Vice Chairman Cllr Alex Smith The Management and Establishment Committee is responsible for matters relating to the staff employed by the Town Council, the transfer and devolution of services from Cheshire East Council, the regular review of the Town Council’s Standing Orders, and various other establishment and Town Council workload issues. John Brooks, the Town Council’s part-time Operations Officer left to take up the post of Clerk to Handforth Parish Council in July 2012, and I would not want to

16

miss this opportunity to thank John for all his hard work. Although memories are already fading, John had the unenviable task of helping us through the difficult and challenging conditions we all endured while the revitalisation of Park Lane and Fountain Place was underway. John’s departure, changes to the way the Town Council accessed the services of the Cheshire East Town Centres Manager, and the increasing operational workload provided us with the opportunity to appoint a full time Operations and Events Manager, who also acts as a Deputy Clerk, standing in for the Town Clerk in his absence. Richard Holland was recruited to this post in October 2012 and is already making an enormous impact. During the course of the year Government changes to standards and the Code of Conduct for Councillors came into force as a result of the Localism Act 2011, requiring a comprehensive revision of the Town Council’s Standing Orders. This work, although under constant review, was completed in March 2013. The transfer and devolution of services from Cheshire East to the Town Council has had very little impact on Poynton to date, the only area open for transfer being the Coppice Road allotments. Work on this project continues, as do negotiations with all the stakeholders. Finally, I would like to thank the Town Council’s staff team, who are based at the Civic Hall, for all their good work. They work hard to provide a seamless service for the residents of Poynton and are an invaluable support to the Town Councillors who, as unpaid volunteers themselves, could not manage without this dedicated and committed team.

Planning & Environment Committee

Chairman: Cllr Laurence Clarke Vice Chairman: Cllr Gabor Bartos

1. The Town Council’s Planning and Environment Committee met 14 times

between April 2012 and April 2013. Four of these were additional, unscheduled meetings, which were required due to delays by Cheshire East Council forwarding planning applications to the Town Council.

2. Town Councillors review all planning applications from Poynton, and make a recommendation in each case to Cheshire East Council (CEC). The vast majority of planning applications are decided by Planning Officers at CEC

17

using “delegated powers”, so this is the only formal review of planning applications by elected representatives.

3. Formal responses were also made to licensing applications, planning appeals and similar matters.

4. The Committee has responded to consultations by Cheshire East Council on the draft Local Plan and the Poynton Town Strategy. One meeting to discuss the Town Strategy in July 2012 was attended by more than two hundred local people.

5. The Town Council has continued our long standing policy of opposing new housing development, protecting the village environment and maintaining the existing Green Belt around Poynton. We are advocating a “brown field” first policy for development.

6. The evidence from the consultation on the Town Plan suggests that a large majority of local people support the existing Green Belt boundaries and oppose any major developments around Poynton.

7. The Town Council remains concerned at the existence of significant air pollution in some areas near London Road South, although the main pollutant, oxides of nitrogen, is currently below the legal limit.

8. The Town Council responded to Stockport Council’s consultation on future development of their section of the former Woodford Aerodrome site. Issues of concern included the impact of additional traffic on local roads and the effect on public services in Poynton. Public consultations on the redevelopment of the Woodford Site were held in Poynton and well attended by local residents.

9. Stockport Council’s Executive has recently approved a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for the redevelopment of their section of Woodford Aerodrome. This requires that the redevelopment proposals should not exceed the 42 hectares of the existing developed sites. The housing target was reduced from 950 houses in the initial draft to between 750 and 850 in the final version.

10. The Town Council remains concerned that Stockport Council must provide schools and other public services for any houses built on their part of the Woodford site.

11. We are monitoring closely Cheshire East’s Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA), and are opposing attempts to designate sites in the Green Belt as “developable”.

12. The Town Council aims to work with our neighbours in Adlington and Woodford to develop a Neighbourhood Plan to control development on the former Woodford site.

13. The Town Council remains committed to protecting Poynton’s environment. We have pressed Cheshire East to ensure effective action is taken against threats to the environment such as fly tipping.

18

14. The Annual Litter Pick in March 2013 had to be postponed due to the exceptionally cold weather. Meanwhile we would like to thank those loyal supporters of the monthly litter picks on the last Saturday of each month who help Keep Poynton Tidy.

REPORTS BY TOWN COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES TO OUTSIDE BODIES

2448 Squadron Air Training Corps (ATC)

Town Council representative: Erica Adkins, Youth Coordinator As the Town Council’s appointed member to 2448 Squadron ATC, this is my report regarding the activities of the Squadron. I shall present the year’s report under the headings: activities; achievements and administration. Activities A normal programme of ATC activities such as gliding, air experience flying, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme (D of E), aviation studies, first aid and shooting, has been run throughout the year, as well as many sports for both boys and girls. Cadets have taken part in the bronze D of E, training weekends and fundraising activities. Recently the squadron took part in ‘Exercise Swansong’, Manchester Airport’s bi-annual full emergency exercise. A successful dining-in night took place at Davenport Golf Club in December 2012, which was combined with the Squadron’s annual presentation of awards. The Squadron went on a successful trip to Erd, in Hungary, to represent Poynton. 15 Cadets attended the 318 Sale Squadron’s trip to Belgium in October 2012. Achievements Flt Sgt Alistair Fielding promoted by OC GM Wing to CWO. He has also been given the prestigious honour of being the 2013 Greater Manchester County Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet. This honour has never been awarded to 2448 Squadron before.

19

The Cadets also received a joint Youth Civic Award in July 2012 for their continued support within the community. This award was received on behalf of the Squadron by Senior Cadet Edward Cuss. A number of Cadets have achieved Gliding Wings in the ‘In a Wing’ swimming competition - the Squadron came 11th out of 36. Cpl Johnson won gold in Butterfly. Cpl Johnson & Cdt Morcillo were picked for Wing Team. They picked up a Silver & Bronze (Johnson) and a Bronze (Morcillo). The Squadron has taken part in the Wing Air Rifle Competition - O Turner, R Parks, R Oaks, & Cdt Jackson all took part. 2 awards of ‘Squadron Marksman’ have been won. The Squadron formed a substantial element of the annual Remembrance Day Parade, held in Poynton. They were also on duty at Rotary’s ‘Party in the Park’ open air charity concert in June, and a number of Cadets volunteered at Poynton’s 2012 ‘Embrace the Games’ event in the same month. Fundraising achievements included collecting for the Poynton branch of The Royal British Legion. Administration John Morten who commanded the Squadron for many years has now left. The Squadron would like to put on record their thanks to John for all the work he has put in over the years. The Squadron is now commanded by Plt Off Phil Hadfield who brings a wealth of experience as a former RM Cadet Officer and Police Constable. Flt Sgt Scott Taylor is responsible for discipline and health and safety matters. The Squadron also has support from four civilian instructors. Poynton Squadron 2448 has 39 Cadets on the books, as of March 2013. The Squadron enjoys great support from the Civilian Committee run by Mr Len Davies.

Poynton – with - Worth Almshouse Charity

Town Council representative: Cllr Charles Gorst

In 1854 Lord Vernon gave the land and agreed to maintain the buildings of 6 almshouses near St George’s Church for elderly colliery workers. Today, this is managed by an independent trust with 5 Trustees, one of which is a Town Council representative.

20

The Trustees meet twice yearly and defray out of the income of the charity the cost of maintaining the properties, including their repair and insurance. The accommodation is provided for elderly, fit residents of Poynton who are deemed to be poor and for which they pay a weekly maintenance charge as a contribution. Two new Trustees were appointed in the last year, as well as two others in the previous year. Therefore, by way of introduction, it was decided to arrange a meeting with the residents of the almshouses, to view the houses and to discuss ongoing issues. This was arranged and proved beneficial to both residents and Trustees.

Poynton Local Area Partnership (LAP)

Town Council representatives: Cllrs Alex Smith and Mike Beanland The Poynton Local Area Partnership (LAP) was formed in September 2009. It brings together a wide range of people from the statutory, voluntary and community sectors. By working together, the LAP encourages information sharing, joint efforts and a collective focus on the issues that matter most in the area. The Councils that are members of the Poynton LAP are:

• Poynton • Disley • Adlington • Prestbury • Mottram St. Andrew • Pott Shrigley • Kettleshulme

The Poynton LAP currently has 6 main work areas:

• Older and Vulnerable People - Digital inclusion for older and vulnerable people - Men in Sheds - Health and Wellbeing programme

• Community Engagement • Mapping family services • Carer groups for children with additional needs

21

• Housing Issues - Empty homes - Support to stay in own home

• Former BAE Systems Woodford Site - Influencing the future of the site

• Highways Sub-Group - Minor Works improvement programme (see below)

• LAP Network - LAP publicity

Highways Poynton Town Council retains a strong representation at LAP Highways meetings and three minor works projects in the village are currently being assessed for funding. These are the provision of dedicated cycle lanes from Fountain Place along London Road North to the Hazel Grove boundary; a feasibility study into potential changes to the junction of Woodford Road and Chester Road; and enhancing the light posts and road markings at the busy Dickens Lane zebra crossing close to the junction with Clumber Road. These projects are to be discussed at the next LAP Highways meeting in May. Home Services Scheme The Town Council has recently been awarded £2,000 from the LAP to publicise its innovative Home Services Scheme, which it runs in partnership with Peaks and Plains Housing Trust, whereby reputable local traders offer a wide range of services at agreed hourly rates. This Scheme is open to all Poynton residents, and will be promoted and run by the Town Council’s Adult Health and Wellbeing Coordinator, when appointed. General A primary aim of the LAP is to share information. Throughout 2012/13 there have been numerous presentations, mainly from Cheshire East Council, on issues that are relevant to the communities covered by the LAP. These include Local Plan consultation, Superfast Broadband, welfare reform and empty homes, along with regular briefings by members on Town/Parish Council issues.

22

Parish Plan Group

Town Council representative: Cllr Mr M J Beanland The Parish Plan team comprises : Susan Warrington (Chair), Malcolm Adams, Dave Dyball (Secretary) Poynton Baptist Church, Mike Beanland (Treasurer), Erica Adkins, Town Council Youth Coordinator, Cath Roper, Community Development Officer, Poynton High School, Diane Smith Cheshire East Town Centres Manager and local residents Mandy Chipchase and Jean Egerton. The Christmas Fest The Parish Plan group is a voluntary body supported by Poynton Town Council. Meetings are held monthly, but more frequently in the last quarter of the year in preparation for our Christmas Fest. Poynton held its sixth Christmas Fest in December 2012 and it again proved to be a highly popular community event in the village calendar and enjoys massive support from residents and friends who mark the start of the Christmas season by attending - despite the weather! Shopkeepers on Park Lane remain open and have also joined in the festive spirit by entering into the shop window competition, which was won by Audacious this year. The Fest was held on Tuesday evening 4th December and despite the rain crowds were treated to street musicians and performers keen to return to such a friendly and community-driven event and gave credit for the great conviviality to be found in Poynton. Also in attendance were stilt-walkers, a children’s roundabout (thanks to NeedyKids for their kind support), carol singing led by a variety of local community choirs and once again a superb firework display held with support from United Utilities. Local radio station Imagine FM was situated on Park Lane for the evening. Support for the event continues, with increased support from the major stores on Park Lane. Poynton High School were again the bedrock with several performance activities on Park Lane. We were again grateful for the Tarantella for their support of the concerts on their forecourt, and for allowing us to use their first floor balcony for the official opening. The Village Revitalisation Scheme work on Park Lane is now essentially complete and added greatly to the community use aspect of the Fest. We hope to capitalise on the revitalisation for future events. The Parish Plan Team will continue to plan for the Fest and welcome any residents who feel they can help with the organisation of this popular and well-supported event. The team also acknowledge with thanks the support of the Town Council and Cheshire East Council. Diane Smith, Cheshire East Town Centres Manager, works tirelessly to provide equipment, administration assistance, street closure notices, and planning for the event. Her efforts greatly contribute to the event’s success. The popularity of our Fest has increased over

23

the years, and we are always supportive of local charities who wish to advertise themselves and run a stall at the event. It is felt that volunteers are needed, not only for Fest focus, but for all local community areas of interest, and in particular from businesses who enjoy the financial benefits of the event. A budget of £3,750 was approved by Poynton Town Council for the Fest, which cost a total of £3,517 to stage. This is a community event we can all be proud to support. Come along to the next event on the first Tuesday in December 2013 and meet your friends to start the Christmas season in style. Jubilee Event on Park Lane The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebration of 2012 was planned for the first weekend in June and to take place on Park Lane, but adverse weather conditions meant that the main community event, a street lunch party, was moved to the Civic Hall where tables were laid out and decorated by people ready to celebrate the Queen’s 60 years on the throne. There were thirteen scarecrows created by groups within the village, and many made their entrance into the Civic Hall for judging. A tremendous afternoon was enjoyed by all who attended, and there were special guests from Erd and Reghin, who also celebrated in style. Throughout the village there were several musical events arranged by Cantata, who organised a wide variety of local residents to perform some amazing musical performances that gave a distinctive and local character to the festivities. The multiple events were supported by Poynton Town Council and Cheshire East Council. There were also ticket sales on the door that raised £5,503 and the total cost of the celebration was £6,950. The weekend was a composite of fantastic events that were brilliantly organised and well-attended. A heartfelt ‘thank you’ is extended to all who participated in making the event so memorable. Parish Plan Questionnaire The Parish Plan Team completed a review of the questionnaire which received a healthy response from the forms issued from the Information Centre at the Civic Hall and various points in the village. The main areas of interest were Green Belt, roads (particularly the Waitrose junction), parking, housing, transport, leisure, shops/shopping. All these key issues are under active and constant review by the Town Council. Embrace the Games This community sporting event, to mark the Olympic year, was held on Saturday 16th June between noon and 4pm. Again the weather was very much against us, with driving rain, but the event was held at the Leisure Centre and much activity was seen on the day. The occasion was helping to re-launch the Legacy Fund which will support future sporting causes in the village. There is a planned Family

24

Fun Day – ‘The Legacy Lives On’ on Saturday 29th June 2013 - please see local press and the PUN for details. Higher Poynton Summerfest An enthusiastic team of local volunteers is putting together a revitalised event following the withdrawal of Ranger Service support for what was previously known as the Middlewood Way Open Day. The weather put a real dampener on the 2012 Summerfest, which had to be cancelled at short notice, but the team is undaunted, and is planning an abundance of exciting activity for all ages on Sunday 14th July 2013. See the local press and the PUN for details. Bring the family for some local fun and excitement. Drug Proof Your Kids (DPKY) This continues to be a successful course that was initiated through the Parish Plan Group and supported by a grant from Poynton Town Council, which provided the essential finance for the initial training of the course leaders. The DPYK course is implemented by ‘Churches Together in Poynton’ and is run over 6 weeks (one 2 hour session per week), usually twice a year for the benefit of the whole community. DPYK is a course for parents/guardians of mainly teenagers, providing them with parenting skills as well as drug awareness. It looks at ways of communicating better, setting boundaries, creating networks, showing where to get support and help when things go wrong, and providing some great strategies for successful and positive parenting. The course has been run since September 2006, with 16 separate courses completed, and 200 adults engaged to date. The course has been run at the High School, which provides a room and facilities, and has previously provided financial support. Parish Plan member Dave Dyball is part of the core team that organises the course, acting as treasurer/secretary, managing all the finances, registration and record keeping. Poynton in Bloom (PIB) Increased numbers have come forward to be involved in PIB to help decorate the village’s planters, beds and baskets. The Town Council have given funding where Cheshire East have withdrawn their support and Green Earth kindly provided help with the floral displays for the Jubilee celebrations. There were many hanging baskets placed throughout the village to enhance and provide living colour to Poynton’s street scene. Conclusion The Parish Plan’s membership needs to expand to fully embrace community aspirations and vision, and the present team would welcome the opportunity to

25

communicate on a regular basis with Poynton Town Council. This would help align the Parish Plan’s aims and objectives with those of the Town Council’s. Meanwhile the Parish Plan team always welcomes new volunteers, so please do get in touch via the Civic Hall if you are interested. The team continues to be enthusiastic about Poynton’s future as are, without doubt, all its residents.

Poynton In Bloom

Town Council representatives: Councillors Mrs S Horsman and Ms R Horsman Acting Chairman of Poynton in Bloom is Alan Walker. The Poynton in Bloom group are going from strength to strength with new people joining and offering their services in planting, maintaining and watering the baskets, tubs and planters. They are a very active group looking after many places in Poynton, making the village a colourful place to live, and pleasing to the eye. The Revitalisation Scheme within Poynton being finished, the group started planting the tubs, boxes, and brick raised beds in and around the village. Bulb planting was still going ahead in places where it was needed, with the help of the High School and the Community Links programme, ably supervised by the village PCSOs. Cheshire East Council stopped funding hanging baskets and Christmas trees last year, and these were paid for by the Town Council. Given that it was Jubilee year the patriotic planting theme throughout the village was red, white and blue, making the village look very colourful. The brick planters on Queensway need brightening up and the tubs at the old cinema will be weeded and repainted by Poynton in Bloom. The group has also kindly agreed to plant and maintain a series of new planters outside the School Lane shops, which have been generously sponsored by the Poynton Horticultural and Agricultural Association. Three new planters will also be located between Burton Drive and the Post Office. The rose beds on London Road South are the responsibility of Cheshire East Council, and these have recently been trimmed and composted. The rail truck on the corner of Chester and Clifford Roads continues to be admired, and makes the westerly entrance to Poynton very attractive at that junction, as do the hay baskets on the almshouses railings along London Road South. Poynton Junior Gardeners were thanked for looking after the Long Row, and this will still be maintained by them.

26

The Garden Safari was a great success last summer, and the money raised went to the East Cheshire Hospice. Another Garden Safari is also planned for this year. Plans for 2013 are already being made to make Poynton look stunning, and with the help of the Town Council and other organisations, Poynton in Bloom hopes to raise enough funds to put these plans into action.

Twinning Association of Poynton (TAP)

Town Council representative: Cllr Gabor Bartos 2013 is TAP’s tenth year of existence. When I first approached Poynton Parish Council in September 2000 with an idea of twinning with Erd in Hungary there was little or no interest shown. It took me three years of hard work to lobby Councillors, convince schools and the media that twinning would be beneficial for everybody in Poynton. And here it is, the first ten years of the history of TAP, and proof to the critics and doubters that twinning in the last ten years has brought benefits to the wider community of Poynton. Last May members of TAP, Poynton Mayor Cllr Bryan Lewis, and seventeen members of the Air Training Corps (ATC) represented Poynton at Erd’s annual May Day Celebrations. Our ATC cadets laid a wreath at the cenotaph and put on a very impressive march and drill to the people of Erd as well as to delegates of its other twinned town. Mayor Andras T. Meszaros was so impressed with the ATC’s professional display that he intends to establish such a group in Erd. During the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June, TAP welcomed two guests from our twin town, Erd, and two from our friendship town, Reghin (Romania) to celebrate this historical event with us. They were very impressed by the general atmosphere in Poynton. Also TAP entered the Jubilee “scarecrow” competition with Count Dracula (an appropriate historical character for both towns). TAP accepted on invitation from the Reghin local authority to their annual summer festival. My wife Jennifer and I travelled to this event at our own expense in my capacity as Deputy Mayor of Poynton Town Council and Deputy Chairman of TAP. During that time we learnt much about their culture.

27

This particular year is very important in the TAP calendar as our tenth anniversary as a twinning association. TAP members are working hard to plan a series of impressive events in mid-June in recognition of this proud achievement. Part of the celebration will include special guests the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Erd and their delegation, and His Excellency Janos Csak, UK Ambassador to Hungary. The Forras Dance Folk Ensemble (from Guildford) will entertain us, and they will also perform at Rotary’s Party in the Park on Saturday 15th June. Special Hungarian cuisine will be served all that day at the Ciao restaurant on Park Lane – all are welcome, but book early! An exciting element of our future programme involves working in partnership with Poynton Rotary Club to send students from Poynton High School to Erd, where students from Erd’s other twin towns will be participating in an international educational competition. We wish them every success.

_____________________________________________

___________________________