Cheshire Independent Issue 204

AUGUST 2025 2 EDITOR: GedHenderson ged@hendersonnewsandmedia.com ADVERTISING: RobinAtkinsTel. 07767 840274 robin@cheshireindependent.co.uk CLASSIFIED: JayneMeadowcroftTel. 01204 478812 or 07703 045189 jayne@independentnewspapers.co.uk CONTACT US 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 2025. This newspaper is publishedmonthly by Investors in Publishing, Publishing House, 3 Bridgebank Industrial Estate,Taylor Street, Horwich, Bolton BL6 7PD. Tel. 01204 478812 MAKING A BID CRIME continues to fall in Cheshire as it remains the safest place in the North West, according to new figures. And a senior police chief has used the statistics to send a clear message to lawbreak- ers. Deputy Chief Constable Michael Evans declared: “We will do everything possible to make Cheshire a hostile place for criminals.” The data published by the EAST Cheshire NHS Trust has signed an anti-racism statement pledging to uphold zero tolerance towards racism in any form. The trust says the commit- ment reflects its dedication to fostering a safe, respect- ful, and inclusive environ- ment for everyone in its care and workforce. The trust runs Maccles- field District General Hospi- tal, Congleton War Memorial Hospital and Knutsford and District Community Hospital. A spokesperson said: “The statement reinforces ongoing efforts to promote equality and diversity, ensuring that discrimination is not tolerated and that all individuals feel valued and protected within the trust’s services.” The statement says: “Becoming an unapologeti- cally anti-racist organisation, begins first and foremost with an acknowledgement that rac- ism exists within society. “As a health care provider, we have a responsibility to ensure racism cannot influ- ence or impact on an individ- ual’s healthcare journey, or indeed a colleague’s experi- ence of work.” MAJOR improvements have now been completed on the A555 near Man- chester Airport in a bid to reduce the risk of flood- ing and keep the road open during heavy rain. The relief road, which links the A6 near Hazel Grove to the M56 near the airport, was completed in 2018 and has repeatedly flooded dur- ing heavy rainfall. Earlier this year travel agents demanded an inves- tigation into why the road flooded so badly on New Year’s Day that cars were completely submerged. They called for an inquiry. Now Cheshire East Council has upgraded the pumping station that helps manage water levels on the key route connecting Stock- port, Manchester Airport and surrounding areas. It says the upgrade doubles the current pumping capa- bility, which was limiting the station’s ability to cope during storms. The work involved replacing the age- ing control panel, which had clocked up more than 61,000 hours of use. A statement from the local authority said: “While no solution can completely eliminate the risk of flood- ing, this upgrade is a key step in improving the road’s resilience to heavy rain.” And Mark Goldsmith, who chairs the council’s highways and transport committee, added: “We know how wor- rying and disruptive it can Road upgrade bids to reduce flood risk be for drivers when this road floods. This upgrade means the pumping station is now much more reliable and bet- ter equipped to deal with severe weather. “It’s a big step forward in keeping this important road open and safe during the increasingly heavy down- pours we are getting.” The council says is con- tinuing to explore further ways to strengthen flood prevention measures and ensure the road remains “a safe and reliable route for all road users”. ● Continued frompage one It also gained top honours at the RHS NorthWest in Bloom Awards in 2024, earning Best BID and Gold for public realm planting projects like living walls and street planters. The town’s BID is also active in arranging and supporting events and initia- tives to drive footfall into the centre of Altrincham. The council spokesperson said: “A BID for Macclesfield has to suit Macclesfield. It is not about copying what other towns have done, but instead developing what is right for our town.” Hospital trust taking a stand Zero tolerance: Trust staff and management with the statement (Photo credit: ECNHS Trust) CRIMINALS ON THE RUN County is safest place in the North West Proactive: Cheshire Police officers on patrol (Photo credit: Cheshier Police) Office for National Statis- tics (ONS) covers the year to March 2025. It reveals that Cheshire has the lowest crime rate in the North West compared with the other police forces in the region, with 69.8 offences per 1,000 people. This is well below the NorthWest average of 91.9 and the national aver- age of 87.2. Across the 12 months crime fell by one per cent. Chesh- ire Police has seen a notable fall in drugs offences – down two per cent compared to a national average increase of 12 per cent. Vehicle offences, the pos- session of weapons, burglary, criminal damage and arson have all fallen at a greater rate than nationally. Burglary was down 11 per cent in the force area. DCC Evans said: “It is great to see that Cheshire has retained its position as the safest county in the North West, and these latest statis- tics reflect the dedication of our officers and staff in pro- tecting the public. “While we have seen reduc- tions in amajority of the areas of crime which these figures relate to, there have been small increases in a few areas, including a slight increase in sexual offences, shoplifting and stalking. “The increase in sexual offences comes off the back of our Consent Campaign, which is aimed at educating young people about consent, and matches the 11 per cent increase seen across the North West and nationally.” He added: “While shop- lifting is up two per cent it remains below the NorthWest average increase of 11 per cent and well below the national increase of 20 per cent. “I would like to reassure businesses that we are work- ing hard to tackle crimes against businesses and those responsible. “This includes a number of innovative and proactive measures such as Selec- taDNA, specialist facial recognition software to iden- tify suspects and Criminal Behaviour Orders to tackle repeat offenders. “Stalking offences have increased by four per cent, which reflects the work of our dedicated integrated anti-stalking unit, which helps to protect victims of stalking, but also adopts a pioneering approach to man- aging offenders. “We have also invested in training our officers to help them identify these types of offences, and bet- ter understand how to deal with incidents of stalking and harassment. “This helps us to better engage with victims and encourages them to have the confidence to come forward and report what they are being subjected to, knowing that we will take it seriously. “We remain committed to ensuring Cheshire is a safe place for people to live, work and visit, and we will con- tinue to build on these lat- est figures.”