News in Macclesfield

The League against Cruel Sports is calling on voters in Cheshire East to urge their local councillors to ban fox hunting on public land.

Hunting with dogs was banned 15 years ago, but the League says it has compiled 30 reports of activities relating to suspected illegal fox hunting in Cheshire during the last cub and fox hunting seasons alone.

In her latest column, Cllr Sarah Bennet-Wake shares her thoughts on Remembrance and the importance of kindness during this difficult time.

Remembrance

A surge in Covid-19 infection rates in recent days in Cheshire East has prompted a call for a new test and trace system to be established.

The number of people testing positive for coronavirus in the borough jumped by 188 yesterday. That took the total of Covid cases reported over the last seven days (up to November 12) to 928, a rise of 16 per cent on the previous week.

Cheshire East councillors are set to vote next week on whether to adopt a new committee style of decision making in what would be the biggest shake-up of governance since the authority's establishment.

The move would see the scrapping of the current cabinet system and a move to politically proportionate committees being set up in different council areas of responsibility, such as social care.

A new crowdfunding platform could soon be established by Cheshire East Council, after cabinet members approved plans to procure a system for such work.

Councillors also approved a list of 'general purposes' and rules for which crowdfunding could be used at the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, November 10.

Cheshire East Council has stressed its bin collections will continue through lockdown - even if it gets extended beyond December 2.

Ansa Environmental Services, the council's waste company, has pledged to deliver a full service across the borough, including the fulfilment of its Christmas bin collection schedule.

Police have issued a warning to parents at a Macclesfield primary school after a man approached two girls to offer them money.

The incident occurred this morning outside Whirley Primary School at around 8:25am when the man pulled up alongside the KS2 pupils in his car and attempted to hand them a £20 note while asking: "Do you want some money?"

A Macclesfield gym has been issued a £1,000 fine for a "blatant" breach of the lockdown restrictions.

Police issued the fine yesterday (Monday) after officers received a report that the gym was open despite being classed as a "restricted business".

Cheshire East has pledged to secure the future of local communities by joining the Countryside Climate Network, which the council says will help it deliver on its promise to be carbon neutral by 2025.

The Countryside Climate Network promotes the voice of the countryside in the climate change debate and already has over 20 local authority members.

A "tiny" version of the Treacle Market selling only food and non-alcoholic drink is set to launch on Saturday.

Last month's market was cancelled due to a rise in Coronavirus cases locally, but this version is going ahead in line with current lockdown restrictions, which classes food sales as essential.