Borough Life Spring 2006: Newsround
- 11 council tenants who denied contractors access to their homes
to carry out essential gas safety inspections and maintenance have
been told they could go to jail if they do not comply with a court
ruling.
Wigan & Leigh Housing manages 23,500 council homes and is required by law to carry out and annual service of the gas appliances in every property. - Major refurbishment works on Wigan Pier’s canal towpath
are nearing completion.
Improvements are being carried out as part of the exciting regeneration of the Wigan Pier area. Historic stone setts near Trencherfield Mill works have been relaid, and new streetlights are in place along the towpath between the new Lion Bridge at Chapel Lane and Seven Stars Bridge at Wallgate. - Howe Bridge Sports Centre has had a £58,000 investment to extend its gym creating a free weights area; fitting an air-conditioning system to keep users cool as they exercise and generally making the facility more easily accessible.
- Hindley Leisure Centre has been fitted with a purpose built ‘Movement
Room’ following a £70,000 investment.
This includes a wooden semi-sprung floor for aerobics classes and circuit training. - Wigan Council has £60,000 of lottery and coalfield regeneration cash to pay for an environmental project that will transform Mosley Common - and it wants local people to decide how the money should be spent.
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Do you need to talk about your council tax payments but can’t
get into Wigan?
Council tax staff want to help with any query you have. They will be at Leigh Town Hall cashiers’ office from 10am to 2pm on Thursday 6 April, 4 May, 1 June and the first Thursdays of each month until March next year. - Council road safety bosses are delighted with the results of recent Borough Life publicity for their school crossing patrols. The Unsung Heroes campaign, launched in Wigan Market Place, which featured cartoon patrols with special powers to control the traffic, saw ten new people recruited.
- A free advice service for anyone who is ill, disabled or caring for someone has been launched by trained volunteers. Paveways is staffed by people who are themselves disabled, and offers impartial, confidential advice. The team has also helped identify £200,000 in unclaimed benefits. Phone Paveways on 01942 519909, Monday to Thursday between 10am and 3pm or email paveways.advice@virgin.net
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Older people say they want to live independently for as
long as possible - and Wigan Council has won nearly £2million
of government cash to help locals do just that.
Wigan is one of only 19 councils nationwide benefiting from a total hand-out of £60million under the Partnership for Older People (POPP) scheme, aimed at supporting older people in active and healthy living. - Two Wigan borough residents have been made bankrupt after the council pledged zero tolerance of persistent council tax dodgers. The council says the action against a small but hardened minority of tax cheats is the last resort after all other attempts to get them to pay have failed.
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Wigan goes to the polls on May 4th in the borough’s first
local elections since 2004. This year will see the return of the
ballot box and traditional polling stations after an experimental
all-postal election two years ago.
However people can still vote by post if they want to, and all the signs are that many more will do so than in previous years. If you’ve not previously asked for a postal vote, the deadline for receipt of applications is 5pm on April 18th.
But if you are planning to vote, then you must be included on the electoral register, and the deadline for new applications is March 13th. If you’re not sure whether your name is currently included you can contact the council’s elections office on 01942 827168. - Any borough resident over 60
or will be able to travel FREE on local buses and trains from
April.
Transport chiefs have agreed to fund free off peak bus, train and tram travel for disabled people and everyone aged 60 and over in Greater Manchester. Off peak travel means any journey after 9.30am from Monday to Friday and all day Saturdays and Sundays.
At the moment, permit holders pay 50p or half the full adult fare, whichever is the cheapest, for bus journeys. It costs 60p to travel on the train or tram after 9.30am or approximately half the full adult fare during the weekday morning rush hour.
These existing concessionary fare arrangements will remain in place before 9.30am. Council tax contributions support buses and trains in Wigan and thousands of local residents are set to benefit from the new scheme. Further information: GMPTE Traveline, 0870 608 2608. -
For fans of great beer it’s an unmissable annual event….and this year’s Wigan beer festival is better than ever before. Moving by necessity from its previous home at Trencherfield Mill to twice-the-size Robin Park indoor sports centre, this year’s event boasts over 50 real ales, plus ciders, fruit wines and a vast range of bottled beers.
Said CAMRA branch chair Ken Worthington: “We were worried the council had called time on the festival because of the development at the Pier. But thanks to them and the leisure trust we’ve got an even better venue.”
The festival is from 23 to 25 March, opening Thursday (5.30pm-11pm) and continuing on Friday (noon till 11pm) and Saturday (11.30am-4pm and 7-11pm. Food and entertainment. More information from Ken or Carol Worthington 01942 728204). -
The borough’s 16 libraries, which are operated by Wigan Leisure & Culture Trust, have seen their official national rating leap from ‘poor’ to ‘good’. The library service now also meets 21 out of 26 public library standards as against 14 out of 26 in 2003/04.
- The official launch of revamped Ashton Library takes place on Saturday 18th March. Anyone wishing to join in the fun is welcome from 11am onwards. The aim has been to keep the existing architectural value of the Carnegie library and to modernise internal facilities and services. Central to the changes is the introduction of the Explore brand to provide a more welcoming place.
- Planning is already underway for the Trust’s Arts For All event at Haigh Hall on 9th July. For more information contact Martin Green on 01942 709305.