Archive for category: News

Starting 1st June 2024, the Highways Department at Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWaC) will no longer directly deliver the Community Speed Management scheme and Traffic/Speed Surveys. This change is driven by escalating pressures and an extremely high volume of public, Member, and MP enquiries, which have become unmanageable for the Area Highways Team.

To address these challenges, staff from the Road Safety team will be integrated into the Area team, allowing CWaC to allocate resources to the most pressing needs and improve customer service. Despite these changes, the statutory function of Road Safety Engineering remains a key priority and will continue to be provided.

Community Speed Management Scheme

The Community Speed Management scheme, which enabled local community members trained by highways officers to record speeding vehicles, will transition to Cheshire Police. From 1st June 2024, Cheshire Police has taken sole responsibility for this scheme, rebranded as ‘Community Speed Watch’. PCSOs will train and liaise with local groups, and enquiries can be directed to .

Traffic/Speed Surveys

Previously, Traffic Surveys were requested by Ward Councillors to address concerns about speeding, traffic volumes, or to determine the need for new pedestrian crossings. These surveys collected essential data on road use, congestion, and speed counts. However, from 1st June 2024, Highways will no longer carry out these surveys. Instead, initial speed gun assessments will be conducted by Area team staff, which may indicate the need for formal surveys. These surveys will be commissioned externally, with costs passed on to Councillors or relevant groups (such as a local parish council).

Surveys required for design purposes, such as prioritising new pedestrian crossing facilities, will also be commissioned externally and funded by the Highways capital budget.

Ongoing Road Safety Responsibilities

Managing road safety and speed throughout the Borough remains a top priority. Although the approach is evolving, CWaC are committed to addressing resident concerns and maintaining the safety of all road users. By reallocating resources, CWaC aims to improve efficiency and concentrate on delivering high-quality customer service.

 

We are pleased to announce the appointment of a new contractor for the maintenance of our cemetery as of May 2024. After a period of seven months without any maintenance, we understand that the cemetery is not in its usual pristine condition, and we appreciate your patience as we work to restore it.

The Council faced challenges in finding a local contractor who not only meets our standards but also has a keen horticultural eye. While larger companies have been considered in the past, their work has not always aligned with the Council’s desired quality outcomes. We believe that our new contractor will provide the strong stewardship needed to maintain the cemetery as a place of rest and respect.

Restoring the cemetery to its former state will take some time, and we ask for your understanding during this period. The Council is committed to ensuring that the cemetery is maintained to the highest standards, and we are confident that our new contractor will help us achieve this goal, including improved maintenance of the pathways to the cemetery, and the garden of rest.

Thank you for your patience and support as we work to improve this community space. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Kingsley Parish Council is required to set an annual budget to deliver services, and its income is financed through a combination of the parish precept, cemetery fees, grants and other income such as Community Infrastructure Levy.

Over the past few years the Council has made efforts to establish a realistic budget. Kingsley Parish Council is now better equipped to respond to issues as they arise and unforeseen circumstances (such as vandalism) without this impacting the delivery of other services. These increments over recent years would have been less significant if there had been more reasonable annual increments applied historically. However, between 2009-2020 the precept increased by an average annual sum of £0.83 per annum. While this produced an overall saving for taxpayers for over a decade, it effectively resulted in real-term budget cuts throughout most of the Council’s recent existence as the precept fell far short of inflation.

Across a similar period the second-tier authority, Cheshire West and Chester Council, has experienced funding reductions of almost £400 million since 2010.

In reaction to these circumstances, Kingsley Parish Council has tried to play a more proactive role and reduce the potential risk of watching a decline of services in the Parish by undertaking additional public realm maintenance to areas such as key public rights of way in the village.

This year’s precept brings us almost to the level necessary to deliver all of our services, make additional investment in the Parish and the community, and continue making a meaningful difference to the people of Kingsley. 

It is important to note that the Council’s costs have increased significantly in recent years, and it is becoming more difficult to maintain lower precept requests, without compromising on service delivery. For example, the costs to maintain the cemetery have more than doubled in the last five years.

The new precept delivers a Band D rate of £82.38, which is a year-on-year increase of £11.30 (15.9%), and equivalent to an additional £0.94 per month. This remains lower than the national average and the precept charged by Frodsham Town Council (£93.71).

To view the full budget and precept report, please click here.

A full analysis of national precepts charged by local authorities for FY2324 (produced by the National Association of Local Councils) can be found here.

Questions about the budget and precept can be raised with the Responsible Financial Officer, Luke Trevaskis, by emailing

Online is still the quickest and easiest way for residents to access the services of Cheshire West and Chester Council, although the authority does recognise that not everyone has internet access or the technology to go online. That’s why they also offer alternative ways in which residents can get help, including calling the contact centre for assistance or to book an appointment, or by visiting one of their Resident Assistance Points in key Council buildings and some libraries. A level of support will also be rolled out to further libraries and the mobile library this year.

Contact centre: call 0300 123 8123 – available Monday to Friday 8am – 7pm

For more information about Resident Assistance Point locations and opening times please use the link below.

Improving access to Council services

The nearest Resident Access Point to Kingsley is Frodsham Library, Princeway, Frodsham WA6 6RX. Opening times Monday-Friday 9am-6pm, and Saturday 9.30am-1pm.