Borough Life Autum 2006: Shorts
Free chips for dogs
Wigan Council is offering free microchipping for dogs. With a tiny microchip, programmed with the owners name and address and painlessly inserted in the scruff of his neck, Rover might never be roaming for long. To arrange for your dog to be chipped, just contact the animal wardens on 01942 703401 or email ph@wigan.gov.uk, Please note: this service is only available till Autumn 2007.
Save energy, save money
Keeping your house warm needn’t cost the earth when winter arrives.
Thanks to a partnership between Wigan Council, energy supplier Scottish Power and Rainford-based A&M Insulations Ltd, you can get cavity wall insulation fitted from £125 for the typical semi and from just £99 if you’re over 60.
The offer comes as part of Neighbourhood Energy Saving Scheme (NESS) and thousands of homes in Wigan have already taken advantage.
Alan Atherton of A&M Insulations Ltd, who are carrying out the work, said: “If your home does not have any type of insulation then you qualify for the discount and by saving money on heating bills you will find it pays for itself very quickly.”
There is currently a four week waiting list and the job takes about four hours to complete.
- To arrange for discounted cavity wall insulation, contact the Energy Advice Centre 0800 512012.
Flash visitor
A rare dragonfly has been spotted at Pennington Flash. The red-veined darter is a frequent visitor to the the south and east of the UK from Europe, but uncommon in the north west. It’s another addition to Pennington's fantastic range of rare species.
Oh, we do like to be beside the canal side
Some of the borough’s most scenic locations are now set to look even better thanks to support from local businesses.
Pubs along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal have signed up to a care scheme run by Wigan Council, British Waterways and community group Action Douglas and Yarrow.
The Navigation Inn at Gathurst was the first to pilot a course as part of the scheme but now it has been joined by other hostelries along the route.
The Crawford Arms, Crooke Hall Inn, The Commercial Inn and the Dover Lock are now on board with staff agreeing to clear rubbish from the canal towpath area around their properties.
Thanks to a grant from the Lottery’s Awards for All scheme, the pubs will receive special signs and litter-picking equipment. The council is providing flowers for the adopted stretches to make the towpaths a more attractive place for people to visit.
The scheme is now open to community groups and schools as well as canalside businesses – contact Wigan Council People and Places Manager Nick Burdekin on 01942 404390 to take part.
Radio Bar-Bar
A night out in Leigh will be safer thanks to the introduction of a ‘real time’ radio link between pubs and clubs and the town’s police force.
Greater Manchester Police, Wigan Council and Leigh Pub & Club Watch are using a new radio system which will give licensees immediate contact with officers via the police station.
Chair Helen Street says: “This is all about making Leigh a safer place for people to enjoy a good night out.
“Our members will share information about what’s happening around town as it happens and alert one another to potential problems.”
The system will also be linked to Wigan Council’s central watch station, where CCTV images are monitored round-the-clock and any incidents and information relayed directly to the police and recorded for evidence.
Helen adds: “The radio link system will ensure, wherever possible, the best evidence is caught on camera.”
- The system is a partnership project between Wigan Council, Leigh Pub & Club Watch, Apex Radio Systems Ltd, Leigh Township Community Safety Group and Greater Manchester Police.
Council backs Fair Trade bid
Wigan Council is backing the borough’s bid for Fairtrade status.
As well as committing itself to using only Fairtrade tea and coffee at meetings and serving Fairtrade in its town hall cafés, the council has passed an important resolution in support of the borough-wide bid.
Caroline Shevelan of the Lowton-based Fairtrade campaign group says: “This resolution is a real milestone in the campaign. With the council’s backing, we can have a greater impact across the whole borough.”
Products that carry the Fairtrade mark provide a fair, stable income for the farmers in the developing world. Readers wanting more information about the campaign locally should telephone 07712 784025 or visit www.wiganfairtrade.org.uk
The one and only
Only one off-licence out of 27 targeted by Wigan Council’s consumer watchdogs in a clampdown on under-age drinking sold alcohol to their under-age test purchaser.
The outlets were called on between May and July, and many were visited on the back of customer complaints.
Residents with concerns about underage sales in their area can contact Consumer Direct on 08454 40 50 60.
Trees tonic
24 new tree preservation orders have been agreed by the council, taking the total number now in force to more than 400 boroughwide.
Visits engage young people
The mayor Cllr Eunice Smethurst shows pupils from Hindley High School the council chamber at Wigan town hall.
School visits to meet the mayor are a regular part of the council’s efforts to engage with young people, providing a chance to explain to tomorrow’s voters what the council does.
She says: “I think it’s so important for people like me to meet our youngsters and tell them a little about the importance of local democracy.”