Local News 4

Alsager Neighbourhood Plan

The final approved version of the Alsager Neighbourhood Plan is now available on the Town Council website  here.

Alsager Foodbank

Alsager Foodbank has had a lot of additional requests to help those in serious financial need during the pandemic and this is likely to increase over the coming year.  So, if you can, do please try to remember to make a donation when you do your own shopping – tinned meats are always in short supply.  Donations can be made at collection points in Asda and Sainsbury's, or at Alsager Community Support Centre (which is the foodbank) on Tuesday or Thursday morning.

The Roaches – interesting facts

Not strictly news, but following the immense fire at The Roaches in 2018 Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service has revealed the following:

• The fire took a month to be fully extinguished
• It burnt an area of around 60 hectares, or about 10,000 sq meters
• About 10 cm of peat was lost (and peat takes 10 years to form 1 cm)
• The loss of peat has affected the way the water flows
• It decimated the population of plants such as sphagnum moss
• Thousands of new plugs of sphagnum moss have been planted to replace them
• The fire dried the peat out causing it to become hydrophobic, not absorbing water and a completely different habitat
• Much work has been done to put down stone and build dams to hold water back
• "We need to rewet that peat so that the plants can grow again and support the animals, the fauna that needs to be there for the invertebrates and the birdlife that needs that vegetation."

Please take care out and about this summer to make sure you do not inadvertently start any fires.

Holly Reynolds online event

Kath Reader has booked Holly Reynolds for a virtual event on Friday 31st July from 11 am.  
Holly will present a 50s /60s set of familiar songs which you can sing along to. She has performed for our Talk Time in the past and was a great success.  If you are interested please email Kath at kath.reader@btconnect.com and she will send you the link to join the session.

News from Alsager Community Support Centre

We have been offered a zimmer frame on wheels, an electric wheelchair (minus battery) and a mobility scooter (minus battery).  If you know of anyone who would like these free of charge please get in touch.  Note that this equipment would need to be checked over before use, as we cannot be responsible for its condition.  Contact liz@alsagercommunitysupport.org.uk 
 
We are continuing to have stalls outside the Support Centre on Monday and Friday mornings from 10.00 – 12.00.  We still have some gift bags & contents to give to anyone who is still isolating, (feel free to take them a 2nd bag if you wish), free face masks, face covering exemption cards, children's book bundles & jigsaw swap.  Our school uniform re-use scheme is also available – you can order at the stall or by email to uniform@alsagercommunitysupportorg.uk.  

Alsager Civic

Alsager Civic is opening for enquiries on 27 July.  Office hours will return to 9.30 – 15.00, Monday to Thursday.

Lost bangle

Stacey Ganner is using Facebook to try to find the owner of a lost golden bangle inscribed with the name R I Gibbins.  If you think you know who might be the owner please contact news@alsageru3a.org.uk.

Pharmacies in Alsager

I have picked this up from Facebook but it seems to be accurate.

To all those people who use our pharmacies for prescriptions, just wondering if you are aware of the "HUB"? Our GP will send the prescription to the pharmacist, who then, despite having the drugs on site, are obliged to forward the order to the HUB – adding 2-3 days to turnaround time. The HUB is in Mere and automated, meaning that our wonderful pharmacy staff with all their training are being made obsolete. Their hours are being cut and jobs threatened. Most patients, like myself, are unaware of this system and would like the pharmacies to dispense our drugs on site. Our town centres are becoming ghost towns due to online practices. The good news is that we can stop a vital part of NHS service being put out to tender. Next time you or your carer picks up your prescription, ask to be removed from the HUB – the staff will be most grateful.

I understand that it is Well pharmacies that use the Hub system, but Alsager Pharmacy does not and people commenting on Facebook praise the speed and service at Alsager Pharmacy highly.  So if you use Well, it might be worth considering asking to be removed from the HUB.

Berkeley Avenue exercise classes

Since the start of lockdown residents of Berkeley Avenue have been doing exercises in the street every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  This was started by U3A's own Elaine Gardner, though since she has broken her ankle the sessions are being led by Eileen O'Toole (Wednesday), Tom Beamon (Monday) and Sue Rowland (Friday).  This is the second time that this class has made the Alsager Chronicle where it is highlighted this week, with pictures.

TV licence fee

You will be aware that if you are over 75 you will shortly have to pay for your TV licence unless you or your partner living at the same address receive pension credit.  The scheme is being introduced from 1 August 2020 and will apply when your current licence expires.

If you believe you are exempt you do not need to do anything to stay licensed until you receive a letter from the licensing authorities – they will be writing to all licence holders over 75.  See  here  for further information.  You will not be phoned so do not fall for any scams.

Abandoned properties

Also picked up in the Alsager Chronicle, an unidentified applicant submitted a freedom of information request to Cheshire East Council requesting a list of all abandoned properties in Cheshire East.  These are listed in the paper.  Apparently there are 41 in Alsager, but this doesn't seem likely.  15 of these are apartments at The Oaks on Cedar Avenue, and 4 at Brook Villas on Talke Road.  Nevertheless, if properties really are abandoned perhaps this information is the starting point to bringing them back into use to benefit the town.

Covid-19 deaths in Alsager

Up to the end of May there have been 10 recorded deaths from Covid-19 in Alsager, 5 in Alsager East and 5 in Alsager West (ONS do not seem to realise we have Alsager Central).

Up to 23 July there have been 2,226 cases in Cheshire East, which is 584.6 per 100,000 population (English average is 456.9 per 100,000).

Sarah Anderson
24 July 2020