Hello fellow residents! I’m James Pratt, your local councillor for Crewe St Barnabas. I live right here in the heart of our St Barnabas community, in the West End of Crewe.
I’m proud to represent our area on both Cheshire East Council and Crewe Town Council, working to make sure your voice is heard and local priorities are delivered across Crewe & Nantwich.
From Minshull New Road, to Underwood Lane, West Street to Wheelman Road, Badger Avenue, Frank Webb, Rolls Avenue, Chassagne Square, Kettell to McNeill Avenue and all roads and communities in between – we are all Crewe St Barnabas.
I’m your local councillor – and a fellow resident of our community. I’m working hard to tackle the everyday issues that matter, including potholes, litter, fly-tipping, parking problems, street lighting and anti-social behaviour.
If there’s something you’d like me to look into, please get in touch – or you can report issues online.
Read my latest news updates or check my recent facebook posts to find out what I’m up to!
Please follow and share my Facebook and Instagram and TikTok accounts, or sign up for my Email Newsletter so I can keep you up to date on local issues.
You can also take a look at my video looking back at some of our achievements in 2024!
 |
I wrote to every household in the area and delivered residents surveys to to find what issues you’d like to see tackled in our community. You can still complete this survey online if you have not already. |
If you would like to contact me about any local issue please do get in touch.
Thank you for your support!
Here’s what I’ve been up to recently…
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
WORKING TOGETHER TO KEEP ST BARNABAS SAFE THIS SUMMER
Thankfully, anti-social behaviour across our area has remained at very low levels in recent times, following a huge amount of work with partner organisations and Cheshire Police. Sadly though, in recent weeks we’ve seen a rise in anti-social behaviour and low-level criminal damage in parts of our community.
This has included damage to a newly installed bench and litter bin, donated as part of a community project I’ve been working on alongside Guinness Housing, with fantastic support from local volunteers and children from Underwood West Primary School.
There has also been damage to private property, including fencing, as well as incidents involving damage to trees and other nuisance behaviour.
Some people may see these as minor issues or simply blame the school holidays, but these incidents do have a real impact. It’s disheartening for volunteers who give up their time to improve the area, and upsetting for residents whose homes and property are being damaged.
I want to reassure residents that, whilst I do not have direct enforcement powers as a councillor, I have raised these concerns with the Police Inspector for Crewe, our local Beat Sergeant, and PC Beresford to request additional patrols and support in the area. I have also asked the police and CCTV team to help identify and deal with those responsible.
In addition, I had already secured visits from youth support workers from Cheshire East Council and OnSide, the organisation behind Crewe’s new Dome Youth Zone, and I have asked for further local engagement and support.
Alongside this, I continue to work with other local organisations to provide positive activities for young people locally. This includes Wishing Well activity sessions on Leighton Brook Park during the school holidays, as well as Crewe Alexandra’s Premier Kicks football sessions every Wednesday evening from 6pm.
These activities are designed to provide safe spaces, positive opportunities, and constructive outlets for young people.
I’ve also successfully campaigned for and secured funding for new football goalposts at Leighton Brook Park, which should be installed soon.
I also want to make clear that local CCTV, particularly around Leighton Brook Park, will be used where possible to help identify those responsible for criminal damage and anti-social behaviour. Actions have consequences, and where offenders are identified, I will be pushing for appropriate action to be taken.
There is absolutely no excuse for the behaviour we’ve recently seen, and it is not something I will tolerate.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Please continue to report incidents by calling 101 or reporting online. Whilst reports of anti-social behaviour may not always result in an immediate response, every report helps build a clearer picture of the issues affecting our area. If incidents are not reported, resources are often directed elsewhere.
Following recent changes to neighbourhood policing arrangements under the Labour Police and Crime Commissioner, local policing teams are continuing to operate under increasing pressure, including reductions in PCSO numbers across Cheshire and the loss of our local PCSO Jen Jolley. That makes it more important than ever that concerns in our area are properly logged and prioritised.
If you witness anti-social behaviour, please report it. You can call 101, report online, or use the anonymous Residents’ Voice survey if you would prefer not to give your details. The survey link is in the comments below.
Of course, if someone is at risk or property is being damaged at the time, always call 999.
Finally, if you have children, please take a moment to check where they are and what they’re doing. Knowing where they are, who they’re with, and what their plans are helps keep both them and our community safe.
Let’s continue working together to keep St Barnabas a safe, welcoming and positive community this summer.
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
🎉 HALF TERM FUN TODAY WITH WISHING WELL IN OUR PARK 🎉
Looking for something fun to do today? Come along to Wishing Well’s half term session this afternoon!
⏰ 1pm to 3pm
📍 Leighton Brook Park, Frank Webb Avenue, CW1 3NE
There’ll be plenty for young people to enjoy including:
⚽ Sports
🎨 Colouring and play activities
🌿 Nature-based fun
🍽 Every child will receive a FREE meal, plus snacks and refreshments.
👧 Open to ages 0 to 16
Children over 8 can attend independently if they are able to manage their own needs. Families are very welcome too.
✅ No booking needed - just come along and join in!
Thanks to Start Well at The Wishing Well
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
EARLY PICK DONE!
Out this morning for a quick litter pick around Frank Webb Avenue and Leighton Brook Park before the day heats up (and my laptop does too!)
Don't forget Wishing Well are our the park this afternoon between 1pm and 3pm, bring the kids down for free activities this afternoon. It's FREE!
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
🎉 HALF TERM FUN WITH WISHING WELL IN OUR PARK 🎉
Come and have fun with Start Well at The Wishing Well this half term!
🗓 Friday 29th May
⏰ 1pm to 3pm
📍 Leighton Brook Park, Frank Webb Avenue, CW1 3NE
There’s lots for young people to enjoy including:
⚽ Sports
🎨 Play and colouring
🌿 Nature-based activities
Every child will receive a FREE meal, along with snacks and refreshments during the session.
👧 Open to ages 0 to 16
Children over 8 can attend independently if they are able to manage their own needs. Families are very welcome too.
✅ No booking needed - just come along and join in!
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
CRAZY RACES IS GO!
The sun is shining, the karts are careering down the track and the crowd are going wild!
Crewe Krazy Races with Crewe Town Council
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING! ☀️ LEIGHTON BROOK PARK LOOKING GREAT AHEAD OF KRAZY RACES TODAY!
I’ve been out this morning doing a quick whizz round Leighton Brook Park litter picking and thankfully there wasn’t much to do at all. The park is still looking fantastic after Leighton Academy's litter pick on Friday. A huge thank you to everyone involved! 👏
Now it’s time to get ready for the FREE Krazy Races at Brooklands! 🚗💨
Everything kicks off at 10.45am and runs through until 5pm, so there’s plenty to look forward to throughout the day.
📍 Brooklands Park, Badger Avenue between Ford Lane and Broad Street.
Be sure to follow the Krazy Races Facebook page for updates and photos as the day goes on.
It’s going to be HOT today ☀️ so please come prepared:
💧 Bring plenty of water
🧴 Wear sunscreen
⛱️ Find some shade where you can
Have a brilliant Sunday everyone!
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
📢📢📢 CREWE KRAZY RACES TOMORROW! 🏎️💜
Reminder - it’s tomorrow!
Crewe Krazy Races Soapbox Derby returns THIS Sunday, 24th May, in partnership with Crewe Town Council! 10.45AM - 5PM. It's FREE!
📍 Brooklands, Badger Avenue (between Broad St and Ford Lane)
Here’s a video from last year’s event so you can see what to expect 👀
FREE TO ATTEND! Expect:
🏁 20 race teams
🚗 Italian car display
✈️ Special flyover before 1PM
🍔 Street food & stalls
🎭 Family entertainment
📺 Giant screen showing all the action
One of Crewe’s biggest family events is back for a day full of racing, laughs, crashes, creativity and plenty of Krazy fun! 💜🤍💜
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
LEIGHTON BROOK PARK LITTER PICK WITH LEIGHTON ACADEMY
I had a fantastic afternoon in the sunshine today, joined by the brilliant Year 5 pupils from Leighton Academy for a litter pick in our wonderful Leighton Brook Park.
It was great to speak with the students about how they feel about our area and to engage with them on sustainability, dealing with waste, and how we can all work together to look after our community spaces, such as our park.
They were incredibly keen to get involved, collecting around 15 bags of litter from the areas surrounding the playground and woodland.
This is the fifth year I’ve been lucky enough to work alongside Leighton Academy on the litter pick, and every year we’ve noticed the amount of rubbish collected decreasing as our community continues to be cleaner and more welcoming for everyone. It’s wonderful to see how working together can make such a positive difference to where we live.
A huge thank you to Mrs Smith, all the teachers and support staff who made today possible, and of course the fantastic Year 5 pupils. Thanks to Crewe Town Council for supporting by providing equipment.
Have a wonderful half term!
View more photos here:
www.crewestbarnabas.org.uk/leighton-academy-year-5-help-keep-leighton-brook-park-clean/