News in Macclesfield

Cheshire East Council is sitting on more than £33 million of section 106 contributions from developers, with some money dating back from a planning application 28 years ago.

A freedom of information request by the LDRS has revealed that the authority currently has £33,428,764 in unspent section 106 funds, having collected £39.7 million of such contributions since 2010.

A number of Macclesfield car parks will have free parking on two days in the run-up to Christmas to encourage people to shop locally.

The town council announced that seven car parks will allow shoppers to park for free on Wednesday 16 and Saturday 19 December from 10am.

Cheshire East Council has voted to move to a committee system form of governance, replacing the current leader and cabinet model.

The new arrangements will take effect from May 2021 and will be legally binding for a period of five years.

Cheshire and Merseyside could soon have one clinical commissioning group (CCG) to provide NHS services in the region — despite four Cheshire CCGs merging just eight months ago.

The move could form part of the government's push to 'streamline commissioning arrangements', even though the county welcomed a new body in April 2020.

Cheshire East Council has become a member of The Mersey Forest partnership, who will be supporting the council to increase tree planting.

The council has a target of becoming carbon neutral by 2025, and influencing the wider borough to reduce their emissions. By partnering with The Mersey Forest, the council says it will have access to funding and expertise that can help Cheshire East to deliver on their carbon neutral ambitions.

Police and fire officers in Cheshire have issued a tough message as they launch their Christmas drink/drive campaign.

They are urging the public to stop and think before travelling on the roads after having a drink this Christmas.

Cheshire Police Chief Constable Darren Martland is to retire in the spring of next year.

The force's most senior officer has spent 30 years policing, including senior roles with Merseyside and Cumbria Police.

Cheshire East Council is to support a badger vaccination programme in the borough.

The council has announced it will be partnering with Cheshire Badger Vaccination Programme (CBVP), which will carry out the vaccinations.

Every December on a Sunday before Christmas the cobbled streets of central Macclesfield buzz with festive music, brass bands, sociable chatter, the smell of roast chestnuts, spiced cider and freshly cooked street food for the much awaited Festive Treacle.

It's no ordinary Christmas Market though, and you might well find 'Belsnickel' rather than Father Christmas wandering among the stalls, and visitors from many miles away who visit specially as they love this unique event each year.

AN ATTEMPT to secure more free parking in Cheshire East towns by the Conservative group has been rebuked by the ruling Labour-Independent coalition, after figures show footfall in Macclesfield has taken a nose-dive in the pandemic.

At yesterday's CEC cabinet meeting, December 1, Conservative group leader Cllr Janet Clowes called on borough chiefs to relax some charges in council car parks in key market towns from December 3 until January 2021.