Stockton Heath Parish Council Newsletter THE FESTIVAL EDITION SUMMER 2019 Message from the 2019-20 Chair of the Parish Council Welcome to this special Festival Edition of the Stockton Heath Parish Council newsletter. I am delighted to have been elected as Chair of Stockton Heath Parish Council for this civic year 2019/20. The Parish Council work together as a team. We want to make Stockton Heath a wonderful place to live, work and relax. Stockton Heath is a thriving community and we are all so very proud of the Festival and the life it brings to our Village. I hope everyone has a great time at the Festival. Laurence Murphy The Stockton Heath Festival Highlights this weekend: Festival Art Exhibition (Sat /Sun - St. Thomas’) Chris Jobling (Sat 2pm - Festival Marquee) Stockton Heath Festival Fever is Here! Family Movie Night (Sat 7pm-Hill Cliffe Church) Now in its 12th year the ever-popular Mowtown Gold (Sat 7.30 pm - Festival Marquee ) community event will take place from Canal Boat Trips (Sun) Allotment Open Day (Sun) Thursday 4th to Sunday 7th July 2019. Noel Gallaghers High Flying Carpets (Sun 7.30 The Festival programme pm - Festival Marquee ) has something for everyone and many events are free to enjoy. By day and night the Festival activities can be found in theatre, Motown, choirs, with venues in and around Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Stockton Heath, and in open spaces in the Carpets as the Festival finale. local community. Back by popular demand are the Festival competitions The Festival relies on a merry including the Art exhibition band of volunteers to deliver all this fun and if and the dog show (do you you have a few hours to spare you could get think you have a dog with involved. Contact the waggiest tail)? [email protected] for Remember to look out for the scarecrows and more information, or ask one of the volunteers window displays in Stockton Heath; vote for about their experiences today. the one you feel best describes the theme: Festivals! The activities on offer are as diverse www.stocktonheathfestival.co.uk as fun learning for kids, craft workshops, magic and circus tricks, an art exhibition, and The organisers would like to say thank you to sports tasters. The well-attended music events supporters, sponsors and volunteers - you are by night include the Chameleon Wind Quintet, helping the Festival go from strength to Shakespeare’s The Tempest in an open-air strength! P A G E 2 Its all about ... We love where we live - right? So why don’t we show off a bit. Our near neighbours, Grappenhall and Thelwall Parish Council won the Community Pride award in 2016. This is run by an organisation called Cheshire Community Action and it’s a Best Kept Village-style competition. Judges from the organisation visit several times throughout the year looking at presentation of spaces across the parish. They will look at our War Memorial, People make places our planters, Victoria Square, the shop fronts and BACKS! Even There’s lots of things going on if we don’t win first time around, they will give us hints and tips that present amazing on how to make it better. We could come opportunities for Stockton Heath together as a community and make a real to come together next year. difference; excite each other to have wildlife The Parish Council are hoping friendly front gardens, help sort out all those that something catches your little niggly areas that we tend to walk past, imagination and will excite you with a shake of our heads. We can get out in to come and get involved. the fresh air, encourage the children, bring our elderly population together for some activity and company. This one speaking to you? Please get in touch: [email protected] So, the last idea didn’t tick your box. How The BIG Lunch takes place on the first weekend of June about making our roads in Stockton Heath a and 2020 will be its 11th year. It was initiated by The little safer for those who use them. The Parish Eden Project with the aim of bringing people together Council has purchased a Speed Indicator over something to eat, to make local connections and Device which can be moved around the parish build stronger communities. So, to act as a reminder to drivers to check their yes, its about the food, but also so speed. There are two ways to get involved much more. It could help to with this project - you can suggest where we combat lonliness in our ageing site the device (especially if population, build friendships you have concerns about amongst neighbours, help parents speed on particular roads) and to feel connected and not alone. you can volunteer to move the We have a huge open space at the device around and make sure Jubilee field that could be used. In 2020 we could link it its battery is powered up. into the VE DAY 75 anniversary (see page 3). All we Please contact need are a few firestarters - YOU!! It won’t take up too [email protected] much time - just a couple of get togethers before the if you are interested in this date to talk things through and get it going. Go on, you project. know you want to - please get in touch [email protected]. Do come along to our parish council meetings which take place on the SECOND TUESDAY of every month (except for August) at The Sandy Lane Centre, Sandy Lane, Stockton Heath. We start at 7.30 pm and there is always a spot for Public Participation on the agenda. Come with your thoughts, ideas and concerns. What we don’t know ,we don’t know, so help us to connect with our community. P A G E 3 ...all of us Most of us are probably too young to remember the amazing feelings of relief and the rejoicing that swept the country when the end of the Second World War in Europe was declared, but we will all be aware of the street parties and celebrations that took place. A special bank holiday has been declared on Friday 8th May and a full nationwide programme of events is planned for that weekend. There’s a great excuse to be in the pub at 3pm on Friday 8th to take part in the Nation’s Toast to the Heroes of WW2; church bells will ring out for peace at 7pm and street celebrations will be recreated up and down the country. How shall we mark the occasion in Stockton Heath? Could we come together and have the biggest street party ever? Could we line the streets on London Road or pitch up at the Jubilee Field with our tables, chairs and food and have a right good community knees up? Could you lead and inspire a small group to help bring things together? Please get in touch with [email protected] . Litter picking events Our next Parish Council litter pick will be in News October (posters will go up with detals nearer the time). Meanwhile, we away during the On the move held a very well-attended refurbishment Stockton Heath event in March and from this Parish Council Office works in March. a small group of volunteers Timely for the VE is on the move. are meeting regularly to litter Day 75 anniversary. Over the summer, pick across Warrington.If you we will be moving our office from are interested in attending then contact Tony Sandy Lane to Stockton Heath Dixon - [email protected] Meanwhile our Library. We hope you’ll pop in Parish Ranger and weekend litter team continue and see us in our new home. their daily clense of the village. War Memorial - scrubbed up nice. season in the hope that we can Well - who knew that the War The Forge Car Park spot one or two more than we did Memorial was made of the most Such a shame that we cannot last time!! We have scheduled a glorious pink and red toned bring such good news about the talk before, probably at the library sandstone? Forge Car park. The Borough if it has reopened, on Saturday 31 That was what was revealed when Council have had the surveyor August 2019. Then we will go the green algae and sooty and designer reports back and it over the Jubilee Field and on to deposits were steam-cleaned seems that the changes they wish Ackers Pit with monitoring devices to make will cost in the region of to see what might be flying £500,000, putting any works back around. Details will follow nearer until at least Spring 2020. the time - but don’t miss it - our batty friends are amazing. Spooky goings-on Following our Bat Watch event Christmas (too soon!!) last October, we have decided to Light Switch On will be Friday 29 go out looking for these amazing November 2019. creatures a little earlier in the The Local Plan - where to now? The Parish Council has responded to that north-bound traffic generated exhausts, brakes and tyres.The Parish Warrington Borough Council’s by the developments will still use Council has decided to install an air consultation on the proposed our 19th century swing bridges. quality monitoring device in the village submission version of the Local Plan which will measure a wide range of (PSVLP). You can see our response One of our major worries is the pollutants from vehicles, incluing on our website potential for higher levels of air PM2.5, PM 10 and nitrous dioxide.