Council's bold budget gamble

FRODSHAM Town Council has taken the bold step of increasing its element of the Council Tax by £8.33 on an average Band D property - gambling that Cheshire West and Chester Council will reduce it by the same amount next month.

If CWC decides at its meeting on February 23 NOT to reduce council tax for Frodsham, local people will have to pay the increasing, taking council tax for a Band D home in the town to £1,495.

But the Mayor, Cllr Andrew Dawson said: "Even if this happens, it seems likely that Frodsham people will still have the lowest Council Tax in Cheshire West." The Town Council voted 11-4 in favour of taking the gamble - with councillors Graham Bondi, Pammi Taylor, Frank Pennington and Kyle McGregor opposing the move.

If CWC decides to reduce the tax it requires from Frodsham by £8.33, local people will not have to pay the increase, but the Town Council will still have extra money for its ambitious plans for the future - one of which is the recruitment of a Town Manager whose sole role will be the promotion of Frodsham and boosting the local economy.

But the budget will also include money for other projects, including replacing the town's ageing Christmas lights with new, low energy lights, and providing CCTV in the town centre.

Cllr Bondi said he was not opposed to having a Town Manager but was opposed to increasing the Council Tax when the council had reserves of £150,000

"We have this large pot of money. We should use some of it before we increase the precept."

Cllr Frank Pennington said the council should find out what the people of Frodsham wanted before they made a decision.

But Cllr Lynn Riley urged the council to be bold and take advantage of the unique opportunity which presented itself.

She agreed that the council had, historically, had "shameful" reserves. But if they spent most of them, they could regret it in 12 months' time.

*If CWC decides to reduce Frodsham's Council Tax it will be to take account of "special expenses" such as PCSOs, playgrounds and Christmas lights which Frodsham, unlike most other town and parish councils, pays for itself.     

Plea for help with swing bridge repairs

CHESHIRE West and Chester Council and British Waterways are to seek an urgent meeting with the Government on the future of the ageing Sutton Weaver Swing Bridge, near Frodsham.

British Waterways - owners of the 90-year-old structure - have told the council that while safe at the moment, the bridge will need major re-strengthening work in the foreseeable future.

But while the council is prepared to meet its share of the refurbishment costs, British Waterways is struggling to find the remainder of the estimated £4m needed.

Now the two organisations are to seek "top level" meetings with Defra - which funds British Waterways - and the Department for Transport to ensure the future of the vital bridge which carries the A56 over the River Weaver.

The request comes at a time when retired businessman and former Frodsham councillor Tom Reynolds is spearheading a campaign to get the bridge re-painted by volunteers. He says the appalling appearance of the rusting bridge is damaging Frodsham's image.

Apart from the M56 motorway, Sutton Weaver Bridge - used by an average of 20,000 vehicles daily - is the only road crossing over the river for miles in either direction.

Motorway traffic, normally diverted through Frodsham, when the M56 westbound is blocked, would be forced to travel many miles out of its way, with the only alternative routes via Northwich to the south or the Mersey Tunnels to the north.

Cllr Lynn Riley, the council's executive member, Community and Environment, said: "The bridge plays a vital role in the local transport system - not least as a motorway release valve - and we are deeply concerned about the current situation.

"We are working closely with British Waterways on the issue and hope that a joint approach to Government will provide the help needed to address what could well prove to be a major problem."

She added: "Sadly this is a problem which will not go away."

The council and British Waterways are hoping to involve local MP Graham Evans in talks with the Government.

A spokesman for British Waterways: "The refurbishment of the bridge remains high on British Waterways' agenda and we will continue to work with the council and local community to restore the landmark structure." 

It is understood that if the bridge is renovated it would mean it would have to be closed to road traffic for up to nine months.

Mr Reynolds said: "This bridge can never be repaired as proposed because to close this road to Frodsham will have dire economic results on the area.

"It's future is being decided by bureaucrats that just don't have a clue."

He claims to have received an offer of free paint if his scheme to use volunteers to paint the bridge without closing it is accepted by British Waterways.     

Killers sentenced for Frodsham murder

A MAN and a woman who killed a man in Frodsham over an unpaid debt have been sentenced.

The body of Martin Ithell, aged 49, was found in his car outside Blacon Police Station in Chester in the early hours of Saturday March 12 last year. He had been shot and stabbed at a house in Frodsham.

Scott Davidson, aged 23, of Hawthorne Road, Frodsham, was convicted of murdering Martin in November following a 28-day trial. He has been sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 30 years and will remain on licence for the rest of his life.

The jury failed to reach a verdict on Rachael Horton, aged 20, of Hawthorne Road, Little Sutton. However she subsequently pleaded guilty to manslaughter. She was sentenced to eight years in a Young Offenders Institution.

After the hearing, Detective Inspector Helen Spooner who led the investigation, said: "Davidson claimed he had shot Martin by accident in self defence, however I believe his actions leading up to the murder show that he had planned the attack and had no intention of letting Martin walk out of that house alive.

"Horton has never given a clear explanation of what the extent of her involvement was but she has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, showing she was connected to Martin's death.

"Martin's family and a lot of people in the Chester area have been deeply effected by his death and I hope today's sentence helps them begin to move on from what happened."

The court heard Davidson had borrowed money from Martin in December 2010 and January 2011, part of which was used to buy a Subaru Impreza car. He had no legitimate means to repay the money he had borrowed. Since December 2010 such was the state of his personal finances, the court heard that Davidson was planning to commit armed robberies locally.

At the time of the murder he is believed to have owed Martin £26,000 due to the interest the debt had accrued.

Davidson and Horton were in a relationship and rented the house in Frodsham together. Despite this, Davidson led a double life in that since December 2010 he had been involved with another woman - so deeply involved that in the hours following the murder he met the woman in Sandbach prior to handing himself in to police.

On the day of the murder, a number of items were bought by Davidson to prepare for the planned killing. Paint was purchased in the same colour as the hall and front room, which did not need decorating prior to the attack, as well as plastic sheeting, paper overalls and a jerry can of petrol.

On the night of the murder, Davidson had lured Martin Ithell to his house telling him he had the full amount of £26,000 to pay him, stating he had sold the Subaru car to raise the funds needed to repay Ithell. Davidson had stowed his car away at a kennel near Manley telling the proprietor that the communal parking area of his house was in need of maintenance and his car would be there all weekend.

Due to Martin's concern of how Davidson had been able to raise the money, he requested two associates to travel to Frodsham and be available should he need support at the planned meeting.

The two men parked up near to Davidson's address at around 6.55pm. At 7pm Martin phoned one of them in order to provide an open line so they could listen in and monitor his welfare while he went to the house. They heard Martin arrive at the house and then heard a loud screech and the phone line went dead. It became apparent to the two men that Ithell may be in danger.

This concern was further compounded when they saw Martin's BMW car drive past them, close enough for them to see that Davidson was at the wheel. The two men went to the house, where they found the front door area and steps covered in blood. They immediately contacted police.

When officers attended they found Horton crying, stating she had stabbed a man. As a result of the blood at the scene and the admission from Horton, she was arrested. She later denied stabbing Martin. It wasn't until some hours after the fatal incident that a Cheshire Police Negotiator made contact with Davidson and he eventually agreed to surrender himself at Blacon Police Station. Martin's body was found in the back of his BMW. He had been shot in the chest and stabbed eight times in the neck.     

Crackdown on Blue Badge fraudsters

BLUE badge fraudsters in the Frodsham area will find it harder to dodge the law in future.

A new blue badge for people with disabilities has been introduced as part of a national crackdown on fraud.

All badges issued are now electronically printed on durable PVC which is harder to copy, alter or forge than the cardboard version. People renewing their badges may also be required to provide different information under changes designed to speed up the renewal process.

Cheshire West and Chester Council is implementing the changes as part a Government overhaul of the blue badge scheme to tackle fraud and misuse, and help it run more efficiently.

Cllr Brenda Dowding, the council's executive member for Adult Social Care and Health, said: "The blue badge scheme helps people with disabilities retain their independence, which makes an enormous difference to their quality of life.

"Sadly, fraudulent use of blue badges is widespread, and these changes will tackle this by making it much harder for someone to use a badge that they are not entitled to use.

"I am sure blue badge holders in West Cheshire will welcome these measures, which will ensure those in genuine need continue to receive the help they are entitled to while cutting down on the despicable offence of fraud."

The £2 fee to apply for or renew a blue badge is currently under review. The blue badge scheme is a national programme for people with severe mobility problems who have difficulty using public transport. It allows holders to park for free and without time limit in otherwise restricted on-street parking areas. It also allows them to park on yellow lines for up to three hours, unless a loading ban is in place.