Cheshire Independent Issue 214

MAY/JUNE 2026 2 School in Poynton and the former Cheshire East Council Westfields HQ in Sandbach, selected for SEN conversion. Cheshire East has now decided to concentrate any new investment in SEN provi- sion on theWestfields building in Sandbach to cover all age groups fromPrimary through to Secondary school. This means that St Greggs – which is partly owned by the Catholic diocese and partly owned by Cheshire East Coun- cil – and Vernon school are now surplus to requirements. Bollington Town Council has revealed it has contacted the Catholic diocese and Cheshire East Council to see whether, as the joint owners of the site, they might consider selling the site to a privately funded SEN provider – ideally, a charitable trust. Town councillor JonWeston has produced an outline spec- ification for the conversion of the school and a list of local SEN providers. Fellow councillor Nancy Pemberton has also contacted one local charitable trust that had already expressed an interest in acquiring the site for these purposes. Ruth Burgess, Bollington town clerk, said: “Obviously, Bollington Town Council does not have the financial resources or the necessary expertise to purchase or to run a SEN school. “But we are hoping that by taking this initiative, we might be able to persuade the owners to look again at this option, rather than sell- ing the site for more hous- ing development.” No part of this publicationmay be used or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure that the articles and advertisements that are carried are authentic, however the publisher accepts no responsibility for claims made. © Investors in Publishing Ltd 2026 . This newspaper is publishedmonthly by Investors in Publishing, Publishing House, 3 Bridgebank Industrial Estate,Taylor Street, Horwich, Bolton BL6 7PD. 01204 478812 EDITOR : Ged Henderson ged@hendersonnewsandmedia.com CONTACT: JayneMeadowcroft 01204 478812 / 07703 045189 jayne@independentnewspapers.co.uk ADVERTISING: Robin Atkins 07767 840274 robin@cheshireindependent.co.uk CONTACT US COUNCI LLORS i n Bollington have asked the owners of a former primary school to con- sider selling the site to a Special Educational Needs (SEN) provider. The town council is looking to revive plans to convert St Greggs RC Primary School on Albert Road into a SEN school. It was one of three vacant buildings, including Vernon CONSTRUCTION of the £108million Middlewich Eastern Bypass is offi- cially underway. Spades are finally in the ground to deliver the long- awaited new road – almost a decade after the case for the bypass was first made. Cheshire East council- lors and officers, local MPs, Middlewich ward councillors, town councillors, local busi- nesses and representatives from contractor Balfour Beatty gathered for a historic groundbreaking ceremony. The 1.6-mile bypass will connect Pochin Way in the north of Middlewich to the A533 Booth Lane in the south and include a new bridge over the Sand- bach-Northwich railway line as well as a combined cycle- way and footway. Mark Goldsmith, who chairs Cheshire East Coun- cil’s highways and transport committee, said: “This was a really important occasion and marks the start of con- struction work on what is a long-standing priority for the council – it’s great to see it officially underway. “This scheme will help tackle the congestion that we know can often be a daily frustration for resi- dents and businesses in the town, particularly at the A54/A533 junction, but it will also deliver benefits way beyond that. “It is expected to unlock up to 1,950 new homes and employment land and create up to 6,500 local jobs, as well as improve road safety and air quality and reduce noise in residential areas. “There will also be benefits to public transport reliability and improved access to the M6 and key employment sites in the local area. “I very much look forward to watching this vital infra- structure project take shape.” The scheme is is funded by £48m from the Depart- ment for Transport, around £50m from a combination of Cheshire East Council fund- ing and S106 contributions from developers and a £5.5m Local Transport Grant from government to the new Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority. Work to deliver the new bypass is expected to be com- pleted in summer 2028. At its peak, the project will employ a workforce of 150 including a number of apprenticeship and graduate opportunities. Kay Slade, managing director of Balfour Beatty’s regional civils business, said: “Through early contractor engagement, we have worked closely with the council and key stakeholders to ensure that the scheme delivers real value to Middlewich and its residents. “As works now get under- way, I look forward to see- ing the positive impact this project will have in creating opportunities and lasting benefits for the local community.” CHESHIRE East Council has moved to a cabinet model of decision making after re-electing its leader and deputy leader. Nick Mannion and Michael Gorman unveiled the 10-mem- ber cabinet and their areas of responsibility at the annual meeting of the local authority. It marks the formal replace- ment of the previous commit- tee system of decision making – following a decision taken by full council last September. It says the move will ensure the council has effective gov- ernance processes in place that enable decisions and improvements to be made at pace. It will also stream- line current decision-making arrangements and give more time and emphasis to scrutiny by councillors. Cllrs Mannion and Gorman said in a joint statement: “The move to a leader and cabinet system will help the council focus on delivering effectively for residents by enabling us to be more agile, clear-sighted and ‘joined up’ in our decision SANDBACH’S annual Transpor t Fes t iva l drew the crowds on a sunny weekend. Organisers delivered a free, family-friendly entertain- ment celebrating the town’s proud transport heritage. The festival brought together an impressive show- case of vehicles from across the decades. Thousands of visitors enjoyed everything from historic Foden and ERF trucks to classic cars, mod- ern favourites, motorcycles and even aircraft, creat- ing a vibrant tribute to the engineering and transport THE BEGINNING OF THE ROAD Calls grow for former primary school sale to SEN provider The new cabinet members and their portfolios: ● Nick Mannion – Council leader and public health ● Michael Gorman – Deputy leader and strategic lead for economic development ● Mark Goldsmith – Highways and transport ● David Jefferay – Environment, sustainability and waste management ● Mick Warren – Planning, housing and regeneration ● Rob Vernon – Communities and engagement ● Dawn Clark – Finance, legal and enforcement ● Jill Rhodes – Adult social care ● Laura Crane – Statutory lead for children’s services ● Emma Gilman – Education and special educational needs and disability (Send) The leader and deputy leader will also jointly sit on the newly created Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority. Council returns to cabinet model making. Responsibility for decisions will also be clearer and more transparent for our communities. “A new model of decision making is not a magic bul- let, however. Nobody should underestimate the challenges facing local government – especially in the current tur- bulent economic and financial climate. We face many tough decisions ahead. “No council can aspire to ‘do everything, for everyone all of the time’. We will need to focus our resources on deliv- ering key services effectively and efficiently for residents, and especially for our most vulnerable people. “Our transformation pro- gramme and the change to a cabinet system will help us progress on this jour- ney. We firmly believe that council decision making has been given greater focus, clarity and cohesion by the changes made.” Photo credit: JonathanWhite Festival shines in the sun history that helped shape the town. Live music provided a soundtrack throughout the A vote of confidence! “The announcement is a vote of confidence in our region – creating and sustaining high- ly-skilled jobs, and strengthens our reputation as a national leader in advanced manufac- turing and research. “The newCombined Author- ity’s mission is to unlock growth across the region, and we stand ready to build our strengths to create more opportunity and attract invest- ment for local people, places and businesses.” Announcing the news, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the £300m being spent by AstraZeneca would “future- proof thousands of jobs” at Macclesfield and the compa- ny’s Cambridge campus. AstraZeneca had paused large-scale projects in the UK last year, including scrapping the investment of £450m into a Merseyside vaccine plant. The PrimeMinister said the new investment was made pos- sible thanks to the “pharma- ceutical arrangement we have struck with the United States”. In December union leaders had called on government ministers to create the right environment for investment in the Macclesfield campus. Steve Boden, GMB regional organiser, said: “Macclesfield has been at the heart of UK pharma for over 60 years, and with the right support, it can continue to lead the way. “We need government to step up, create the conditions for growth, and make sure the next big breakthrough is made right here in the NorthWest.” ● Continued frompage one weekend, with the popular Music on the Cobbles stage featuring local performers and tribute acts. Foden’s Band also delighted the crowds, leading the grand exit parade. NEWSINBRIEF CHESHIRE East Council has agreed a new approach to improving standards in the private rented sector, including how it will use government funding and updated powers to better protect tenants. Its updated policy provides details of enhanced powers the council has to tackle poor practice, including action against rogue landlords and illegal evictions.