Congleton Partnership Executive meeting took place recently, download the full meeting minutes HERE.
Highlights include:
Tranche 2 Active Travel Options for Mill Street, West Street and Antrobus Street – This is looking to make this area more pedestrian and cycle-friendly with more dropped kerbs and crossing points. Option One would prevent traffic from using this route as a cut through – recommending no left turn from Mountbatten Way. Vehicles would not be able to access the fire station Roundabout from West Road. Option two allows vehicles to enter Mill Street from Mountbatten Way and have given and take traffic management within West Street to Link in heading
Local Transport Plan Delivery Plans – how the adopted Local Transport Plan 2019-24 will be put into action in each of the towns – the deadline for this has been extended from the 31st January 2021 until the 31st March. You can link into the consultation from the heading.
Air Quality Action Plan Consultation – this is considering Cheshire East Council’s plan for improving air quality – particularly around the areas covered by Air Quality Monitoring Areas due to high level. Congleton has three such areas – although possibly Rood Hill will soon be removed. This consultation closes on the 12th of April. Link from the heading.
Projects
Support for Community initiatives connected with COVID-19 – good support network across a number of community groups that are working together to deliver projects.
A number of staff, councillors and volunteers trained to carry out COVID Rapid Tests and a safe centre developed in the Town Hall where we can help test people who are working with partner organisations to deliver volunteer face to face services and would benefit from a test.
The COVID Community phone line is still active – although the number of calls has reduced.
The Vaccination Centre is going well at the Town Hall. NHS are vaccinating on Thursday and Friday this week. The contract has now been extended until the end of July. Congleton Rotary is managing the volunteer effort and has 90 names on their lists.
We are starting to work on the plans for the 750 year anniversary next year – but Jo will be speaking more about this so won’t steal her thunder!
Bear Necessities
The next edition will be distributed from the 20th April and contributions are needed on the 4th of April please let Jackie Mac know if you have articles that you would like included – Jackie.macarthur@congleton-tc.gov.uk
Congleton Park. 150-year celebration events being planned.
Projects:
Kids Fun things To Do gift bags – Following the success of the Christmas gift bags the group decided to help our children faced with difficult home lives or just economic challenges during such a long lock down period and the worries of increased mental health issues. We decided to target the free school meals list. Approx. 380 in all. CCP, Bromley Farm Youth Club and Ruby’s Fund were involved and the project was supported by the group. £2,000 from local trusts and the Town Council was raised. The bags contained activities to do, some crayons and coloured tapes a Mum’s Day card and gift to make, some Easter treats and some pancake mix. This project has just been completed.
Food and Drink Festival June 13th After much discussion the 2021 Food Festival has been cancelled. Distancing will still be an issue in early June and there is now way we can have invite 25,000 people safely in to our small town centre. The big numbers and community spirit make the Festival and to down-size or change the date would be to upset the integrity of the event. We all feel happier to look to a wonderful come-back on Sunday June 11th 2022, with a medieval twist.
Get Involved index of Congleton voluntary groups and organisations. This has been updated now with an extra 4 pages and 120 groups listed. The Index will contain a new Centre page spread to promote the development of Greening Congleton and all the new groups that have been established. The new design and layout is currently underway and we expect to go to print in a couple of weeks.
Group 2022 – CCP is leading on creating and managing a working group to raise funds, organise and deliver events and activities to celebrate 750 years of the Congleton Charter in 2020. This is an ongoing project. Any contributions of ideas and activities to take place during those months are welcome and anyone can either join the working group or receive information and updates only, via an email group.
Projects are developing and hopefully funding applications will be starting in the next few weeks or so. Heritage Lottery regular funding is now available. Town decoration with A Heraldic flags project is currently being researched as this must be started this year. Please let us know of any ideas or plans you have for 2022 so we can keep information listed centrally to avoid duplications.
Elizabeth Group – S.Munroe.
Statue Project 2/3 the way towards their funding target. Hazel Reeves has been commissioned to design and make the statue. Both secondary schools to be involved, planning permission being sort for siting in the town centre. You Tube presentation available. Blue plaque route nearly completed, hoping to fully launch 2022 on International Women’s day.
For more detail https://elizabethelmy.com/
Next Meeting is on Tuesday 8th June, 5.30pm, via Zoom – details nearer the time.