Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
BADGER AVENUE: THE SHOPPING TROLLEY FAIRY HAS BEEN BUSY! ππ€¦ββοΈ
Someone has decided that Badger Avenue is the perfect place to dump a supermarket shopping trolley. Because apparently, taking it back to the shop is just far too much effort!
I'm not quite sure what goes through people's heads sometimes. Do they think the trolley will grow legs and walk itself home? Or that someone else will magically appear to sort out their mess?
Of course, there's the cost to the supermarket, which ultimately feeds through to all of us as customers. And then there's the cost of getting it collected and clearing up after people who seem to think our streets are their personal dumping ground. **That costs money too, and it's ultimately our council tax that helps pay for clearing up after this sort of behaviour.**
Lovely, isn't it? Someone can't be bothered to return a trolley, and the rest of us get to help pick up the bill. π
Anyway, I've reported it to Cheshire East Council to get it collected.
**SPOTTED A DUMPED SHOPPING TROLLEY?**
Please report it using the link below and select *βFly-tippingβ*.
π trace.cheshireeast.gov.uk/
I'd much rather spend my time getting things done for St Barnabas than reporting things like this. But if people insist on treating our streets like a dumping ground, the least we can do is make sure it's reported.
**A little consideration for others really isn't that difficult, is it?** π
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas is with Start Well at The Wishing Well at Leighton Brook Park.
HALF-TERM FUN IS COMING TO LEIGHTON BROOK PARK ππ»
Looking for something to do with the kids this half term?
Start Well is bringing a FREE Halloween session to Leighton Brook Park on Thursday 29th October, from 2pm to 4pm, with other events happening at the hub too! (see the poster)
There'll be plenty of fun for children and young people aged 0 to 16, with FREE activities and a FREE meal provided. Best of all, there's no need to book. Just turn up and join in!
π Leighton Brook Park, Frank Webb Avenue
π
Thursday 29th October
β° 2pm to 4pm
π FREE Halloween activities
π½οΈ FREE meal included
πΆ Ages 0 to 16
It's great to see another free family activity taking place in the park, so if you're around during half term, pop along and enjoy the afternoon! π§‘
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
LET'S BRING THIS ALLEYWAY BACK TO LIFE! πͺπ§Ή
Today was all about rolling up our sleeves and getting stuck in to improve the alleyway between McNeill Avenue and West Street, near Bowen Cooke!
A huge thank you to Taylor, Chris and Laila from Network Rail for joining me and putting in a full day's hard work clearing years of overgrowth, weeds, fly-tipping and litter.
And when I say hard work, I mean it! There was plenty of digging, scraping and cutting back, and despite the rain and getting an absolute soaking, we battled on! π§οΈπ
But the results are already there to see, and one of the best things has been seeing the original blue bricks starting to reappear beneath all that dirt and overgrowth. It really gives you a glimpse of how lovely this little space could look if we carry on with the project.
I'd love to see us build on today's work and gradually transform the alleyway into somewhere the local community can take real pride in.
BUT THIS IS WHERE YOU COME IN! β€οΈ
For projects like this to really work and flourish, it needs local residents to buy into the idea and take ownership of their community. These things can't be done by one person alone. It takes a team of people coming together, giving a little of their time and taking pride in where they live.
So, if you live around McNeill Avenue, West Street or Bowen Cooke and would like to help us take this forward, please get in touch! You don't need any special skills or have to commit to loads of time. Every little bit of help makes a difference.
A big thank you also to Crewe Town Council s Rangers for providing the waste bags and arranging collection, and to everyone who helped make today such a success.
We've made a great start, but there's more we could do here. Let's see what we can achieve together!
LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE! β€οΈ
Read the full update and see the progress here π
www.crewestbarnabas.org.uk/tackling-the-alleyway-between-mcneill-avenue-and-west-street/
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
NEW LIGHTS FOR LOCAL SPORT
Huge thanks to Jack and Charlie from KDE, who have been working this week to install the new LED sports floodlighting at Leighton Brook Park. It was great to meet up with them earlier this week and see the install taking place.
I originally raised the issue of a couple of the original lights not working properly, and also asked for investment in upgrading the facility to LED lighting- which is now complete!
The new lighting should not only require less maintenance, but also use significantly less electricity, helping to save money on running costs. We all know how much electricity costs at the moment!
As we head into the darker nights, it's great to have this facility available for sport in the evenings.
The MUGA is also used for Street Sports every Friday evening at 5pm, providing free sports sessions for young people in our community run byStart Well at The Wishing Well, and supported by Crewe Town Council.
It's great to see another improvement at Leighton Brook Park, helping to keep the facility well used by local young people and the wider community. π
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
π§ MINSHULL NEW ROAD - FINALLY!
Iβm really pleased to confirm that a full resurfacing of Minshull New Road, from Badger Avenue to West Street, is currently planned to start on 10th December. π
Residents will know Iβve been pushing hard on this. Back in March after reporting more than 43 pot holes, I secured interim repairs to tackle the worst sections, this was better than the usual pot hole "tarmac bashing", but I wasnβt prepared to leave it there. I kept the pressure on until the proper resurfacing was secured.
Thereβs been progress elsewhere too. Iβve recently secured work on Goulden Street and Hulme Street, with Hulme Street currently planned for 28th September.
Work has also been carried out on Monks Lane, but Iβm not happy with the standard of it. Iβve asked Highways to review it and consider remedial work.
And I havenβt forgotten West Street. Highways promised repairs during the summer school holidays, but that hasnβt happened. Iβve already asked why and will keep pushing until we get some answers.
See a problem. Raise it. Chase it. Keep the pressure on. Get results. πͺ
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
WHAT ARE THESE DOING HERE THEN?
Seen a guy wandering around snapping pics of stuff that needs sorting? Yeah, that's me!
And one thing that we don't want is trolleys abandoned ourside our homes, or in our green spaces.
Where do they belong? Morrisons! (Usually!)
When do we want them gone? Now!
THE DRILL
1 - Phone out
2 - Photo snapped
3 - REPORT! www.crewestbarnabas.org.uk/report-an-issue/
4 - Select report issue, select flytipping - REPORT!
Easier than uploading a facebook post! Thank you for helping
Let's keep making St Barnabas better β€οΈ
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
LOW WATER PRESSURE IN OUR AREA?
Iβve noticed that the water pressure seems to be quite low, perhaps in other parts of our area too. Iβve also had another report from a resident who has lost their water supply altogether.
Iβve raised this with United Utilities and they are now investigating.
If youβre also experiencing issues or have lost your water supply, please report it to United Utilities on 0345 672 3723.
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
CAUGHT ON CAMERA: HAVE SOME RESPECT!
Not long ago this evening, I witnessed the selfish driver of this grey SEAT Ateca chucking rubbish out of their vehicle near the Premier on Frank Webb Avenue.
Have some bloody respect. We have volunteers who give up their time litter picking, not to clean up after scruffy people like this.
Iβll be passing the evidence and vehicle details on and pushing for a fine to be issued.
It really isn't difficult. Take your rubbish home and put it in the bin. π
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
RAILTON AVENUE - KERB MAKING IT'S MOVE
Not sure exactly what's going on here - but whilst out litter picking on Railton Avenue I noticed this kerb stone on the grass verge trying to make it's escape. Is it off to Wheelman, or to Rolls Avenue? Who knows!!
Whilst it's not the end of the world, it's still trip hazard (imagine falling over that in the dark!) Also grass can't be cut properly (not that it's grown much with the recent heat) and it just looks, well a bit naff. We can do better than that here in St Barnabas.
So, anyway you know the drill.
1 - Phone out
2- Photo snapped
3 -ISSUE REPORTED to highways.
Spot something like this? You can do the same
www.crewestbarnabas.org.uk/report-an-issue/
Cheers my dears!
Cllr James Pratt
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
CREWE ON SEA DAY 2 OF 3!
βοΈ The sun is out for Crewe on Sea at the Lyceum Square this morning, and the weather looks set to be even better for bank holiday Monday tomorrow. π
Find out more below, and be sure to follow Discover Crewe and Crewe Town Council for more updates throughout the weekend π
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
OUR LOCAL NEWS NOW HAS AN APP! π±
Itβs great that we have our own local news outlet here in Crewe, keeping us up to date with whatβs happening in our town, from local news and community stories to events and things going on across Crewe.
Crewe Nub News has now made it even easier to keep up with everything, with a brand new app!
π² The Nub News app is now available on Apple and Android.
Itβs really simple to get started. Download the app, select Crewe, and youβll have all the latest local news, information and events right at your fingertips.
Itβs good to support local journalism and have a dedicated source of news for our town. π
Give it a try! π
π Android: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=news.nub.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dnubnews_social_post
π Apple: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6760301585?pt=128487022&ct=nubnews_social_post&mt=8
Thanks to the Crewe Nub News team!
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
AROUND OUR AREA - FLY-TIPPING
Oh wow. Yes I have my GRUMPY face on here. GRRR!
Was out recently and reported 15 flytipping incidents in one afternoon across our wonderful St Barnabas Ward. YUK.
Who ARE these people ?
Honestly. what ARE they thinking?
These people clearly don't know about the mobile flytipping CCTV camera that I got set up which is working in St Barnabas ward. Want to flytip? Fine. Yeah, that's whats coming! A big one too. KER CHING!!
And for the majority who would like to dispose of waste responsibly... I want to keep that a simple process for my lovely fellow residents. π
A decision made at the start of this year by other councillors lead to a proposal to make the tip on Pymms Lane require a 7 day booking system. I challenged this to stop the need to book during the week. Let's keep it easy for people to get rid of stuff they don't want.
My last trip to the tip earlier this month - 12 minute round trip from home, to the tip, and back.
Quick and easy - no booking in the week. Just TURN UP!
You still have to book at weekends though which means it can be a little busy on Mondays for those catching up who aren't a fan of weekend bookings.
Need to get rid of something - go here
share.google/qa0k1DxvomnFE2mWA
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
STREET SPORTS - CANCELLED THIS WEEK π§οΈ
Sorry guys, no street sports with Start Well at The Wishing Well this week at Leighton Brook Park due to weather. Hopefully back next week! π€
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
BIN DOWN LIGHT OUT
Driving down Frank Webb Avenue tonight I pulled over to pick up the litter bin which someone had decided to tip over. Bless them, what a life they must be living. Whilst stopped I also noticed the street light by the bus stop wasn't working so I've reported this to Highways. Hopefully they get it fixed soon. Day or night if I see something that needs sorting for our community I'll do my best to sort it.
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
CREWE ON SEA IS BACK THIS WEEKEND! πποΈ
I've got my Crewe on Sea postcard stuck on the fridge as a reminder that it's happening THIS weekend! β―β²ποΈβｑΛ
The beach is back in Crewe for the August Bank Holiday, with FREE family fun right in the town centre and Lyceum Square. Yes, a beach with real sand! ποΈ
From Saturday to Monday, 11am-4pm, there'll be loads going on, including live entertainment, face painting, crafts, comedy, giant walkabout characters and beach discos from DJ Catch92.
ποΈ Saturday 29 - Monday 31 August
π Crewe town centre & Lyceum Square
β° 11am - 4pm
ποΈ FREE!
It's always great to see the town centre brought to life, and there really is plenty going on for families over the weekend.
If you're looking for something to do this Bank Holiday, get yourself into town and enjoy Crewe on Sea! πβοΈ
More details and the full programme are in the link in the comments π
Delivered by Crewe Town Council in partnership with Crewe BID Discover Crewe, with support from Mornflake
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
COPS VS KIDS AT LEIGHTON BROOK PARK
Thank you to the local Crewe Police beat team who popped down to Leighton Brook Park to join in the Premier Kicks session hosted last week by Crewe Alexandra in the community, Alex Soccer Centre
It's great to see everyone getting involved, and engagement with our young people. Perhaps I should see if we can bring the police car in to the park again? πππ¨ Pic in comments!
Thanks to everyone involved β
The Premier Kicks sessions are Wednesday nights at 6pm!
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
WESTBOURNE AVENUE POTHOLE REPORTED!
Thankfully we're not in "pothole season" yet where it goes crazy, a bit like whack a mole whilst we wait for Highways to resuface roads that I keep asking for. Link in comments on this one (far too long to post)
ANYWAY, I did notice this one starting to break up on Westbourne Avenue, so as usual, it's 3 steps to heaven (or something or other!!!)
Phone out. Snap a picture. Report to highways.
Spotted one? You can do the same.
www.crewestbarnabas.org.uk/report-an-issue/
Let's keep getting things FIXED in St Barnabas.
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas is at Leighton Brook Park.
β½οΈ STREET SPORTS ARE BACK AT LEIGHTON BROOK PARK!
πTONIGHT AT 5PM!
Looking for something fun and active for the kids to do on Friday evenings? Come along to our FREE Street Sports sessions at Leighton Brook Park!
π Location: Leighton Brook Park, Frank Webb Avenue, Crewe, CW1 3NE
π When: Every Friday, 5.00pm to 6.00pm, until 30 October
π₯ Who can attend? Open to all young people aged up to 16. Children aged 8 and over can attend independently.
β½ What to expect: Enjoy a range of sports, team games and fun activities in the floodlit games area.
π What to bring: Wear comfortable clothing and suitable footwear, and don't forget a bottle of water.
π° Cost: Completely FREE - no booking required, just turn up and join in!
These sessions are delivered by Start Well at The Wishing Well, in partnership with Crewe Town Council.
Please share with friends and family who might be interested!
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
π¨ TODAY - FREE SUMMER HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES AT LEIGHTON BROOK PARK! π
Looking for something to keep the children entertained this afternoon? Why not come along to Leighton Brook Park for a fun-filled afternoon of FREE activities with Start Well at The Wishing Well
π Today (Friday 21st August)
π 2.00pm - 4.00pm
There's something for everyone, including:
β½ Football
π Cricket
π₯ Rounders
πΎ Tennis
π Sports Day activities
π Hide & Seek Tag
π― Dodgeball
π Bug Hunts
π¨ Arts & Crafts
𧩠Sensory Play
π² Games
...and much more!
π₯ Healthy snacks are provided.
π Completely FREE to attend.
π§π¦ Everyone is welcome, with young people aged 8 and over able to attend independently.
The sessions continue every Friday throughout the summer holidays, so if you can't make it today there are still plenty more opportunities to join in.
I hope to see lots of local families there this afternoon!
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
THE BENCH - FIXED!
Thanks so much to the Cheshire East Parks team and to Crewe Town Council Ranger Wayne for their efforts to repair this bench in Leighton Brook Park.
Someone seemed to think it was fine to damage it (perhaps let their dog chew it) which made a right mess of the wood. Argh!
I remember when the park was being refurbished in 2023, and residents were asking for some benches to be installed so they had somewhere to sit and have a break when they were taking a walk. This is something we got done for those residents, so it was sad to see that one had been damaged in this way.
Anyway, happy ending - the teams have worked their magic and got this fixed without having to replace the whole thing. Great job. Thank you!
It's great to see the teams working together to look after things in our community here in St Barnabas.
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
NETWORK RAIL - COMMUNITY PROJECT THANK YOU
Huge thanks to the team from Network Rail, led by Taylor who joined myself and fellow local resident Doreen for a full days work on our community project at Westbourne Avenue/Frank Webb Avenue last week. Thank you so much to everyone from Network Rail who took part - it was a hot day and everyone worked so hard all day despite the heat!
The team really got stuck in, clearing the ground, re-making the pathways, installing the bench, litter picking and giving the area a real tidy up. Although there's still a little more work to do, it looks fantastic! Some photos in the comments π
Thanks also to Kenny and Bridget from Guinness who came to lend a hand too!
If you'd like to be involved in this, or another community project please let me know!
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
KEEPING LEIGHTON BROOK PARK LOOKING ITS BEST
A big thank you to the Parks Team, who have been out and actioned my request to tidy up the brambles around the fencing by the playground and MUGA in Leighton Brook Park, as well as along the brook itself.
It's looking much tidier now that everything has been cut back. Thanks to everyone involved for getting it sorted.
Let's keep up the good work and be proud of where we live. If you spot an issue that needs attention, you know what to do. The reporting link is in the comments! π
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
BEEN OUT THIS MORNING
Repaired a bench.
Reported Morrisons trolley flytipped on Badger Avenue.
Reported flytipping on West St / Mcneill alley way.
Raised bin emptying requests for Frank Webb Avenue and Leighton Brook Park.
Litter picked some of Frank Webb Avenue,and raised a litter picking request for the rest of this area.
Went to Tesco for milk, bread and bananas. π
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
TODAY'S THE DAY! βοΈπ
Just a reminder that the St Barnabas Community BBQ is taking place today at St Barnabas Church on West Street!
π
Today - Saturday 15th August
β° From 12 noon
There'll be a BBQ, raffle, tombola and plenty of fun fete games, so hopefully something for everyone.
I've been looking forward to this one. It's a great opportunity to get people from across St Barnabas together, have a bit of fun, grab something to eat and have a chat.
Everyone is welcome, so please come along if you can! β€οΈ
A big thank you to everyone who has helped put this together, and to YMCA Cheshire, Premier League Kicks and Alex Soccer Centre for their support.
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas is at Leighton Brook Park.
β½οΈ STREET SPORTS ARE BACK AT LEIGHTON BROOK PARK!
πTONIGHT AT 5PM!
Looking for something fun and active for the kids to do on Friday evenings? Come along to our FREE Street Sports sessions at Leighton Brook Park!
π Location: Leighton Brook Park, Frank Webb Avenue, Crewe, CW1 3NE
π When: Every Friday, 5.00pm to 6.00pm, until 30 October
π₯ Who can attend? Open to all young people aged up to 16. Children aged 8 and over can attend independently.
β½ What to expect: Enjoy a range of sports, team games and fun activities in the floodlit games area.
π What to bring: Wear comfortable clothing and suitable footwear, and don't forget a bottle of water.
π° Cost: Completely FREE - no booking required, just turn up and join in!
These sessions are delivered by Start Well at The Wishing Well, in partnership with Crewe Town Council.
Please share with friends and family who might be interested!
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
π¨ TODAY - FREE SUMMER HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES AT LEIGHTON BROOK PARK! π
Looking for something to keep the children entertained this afternoon? Why not come along to Leighton Brook Park for a fun-filled afternoon of FREE activities with Start Well at The Wishing Well
π Today (Friday 14th August)
π 2.00pm - 4.00pm
There's something for everyone, including:
β½ Football
π Cricket
π₯ Rounders
πΎ Tennis
π Sports Day activities
π Hide & Seek Tag
π― Dodgeball
π Bug Hunts
π¨ Arts & Crafts
𧩠Sensory Play
π² Games
...and much more!
π₯ Healthy snacks are provided.
π Completely FREE to attend.
π§π¦ Everyone is welcome, with young people aged 8 and over able to attend independently.
The sessions continue every Friday throughout the summer holidays, so if you can't make it today there are still plenty more opportunities to join in.
I hope to see lots of local families there this afternoon!
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
β¨ ANOTHER BAG ANOTHER DAY! π³
Got a bit more litter picking done (sorry about the sweat patch it was so HOT!!)
Managed to get around parts of Frank Webb Avenue, Rolls Avenue, Minshull New Road, Mayfield Mews and around the woods (or forest as some call it) around Leighton Brook Park. It's amazing how much rubbish is strewn around every day but those who clearly don't give a c**p about our community. Well I do.
I'm not the only one on this mission. Huge thanks to our other regular fellow St Barnabas volunteer litter pickers, espeically Adele, Kelly, Cheryl, Victoria, Darren, Karen (and I know there are more!)
If you want to get involved and help out - maybe make your street look better or even a bit further beyond that - give me a shout and I can help get you some kit.
Like minded, hard working members of Crewe Clean Team are out regulary around the wider area of Crewe too. Follow their page to learn more.
All working together - all making a difference.
β€οΈCrewe St Barnabas
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
MINSHULL NEW ROAD - ROADWORKS! π§
HEADS UP FOR ROADWORKS! π Read below π
I got quite excited when I first saw this, as I thought Highways had finally sprung a nice surprise on us! π
As many of you will know, I've been campaigning for years to get Minshull New Road properly resurfaced.
I've reported hundreds of potholes along this road over that time, as well as making countless calls, emails and chasing Highways to try and get something done.
The last batch of slightly better improvements happened back in March, following some fairly tense conversations with Highways! So when I saw roadworks coming up, I thought perhaps we'd finally got the resurfacing we'd been waiting for.
Sadly, no such luck! π
On further investigation, these works are actually for bus stop improvement works. I've not been given any further detail on exactly what is being done yet.
I believe there are only two bus stops on this stretch, so I can't imagine it will take a whole week, but just a heads up in case you're travelling along Minshull New Road and want to take a different route.
And yes, I've also chased yet again about the West Street resurfacing, which I've also been campaigning for for years.
My last update from Highways was that this would happen during the 'school summer holidays' so I've gone back to them again for an update as I still can't see anything planned.
I've lost count of the number of potholes I've reported,and times I've chased Highways about these two roads. Sometimes you have to keep going. Dog with a bone. Woof! π¦΄π
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
ST BARNABAS CHURCH COMMUNITY BBQ! βοΈπ
I'm really pleased to be able to share details of a St Barnabas Community BBQ taking place at St Barnabas Church on West Street!
π
Saturday 15th August
β° From 12 noon
There'll be plenty going on, including a BBQ, raffle, tombola and fun fete games, with something for everyone to enjoy.
It's a great opportunity to come along, meet other people from our community, have some food and enjoy a bit of fun together.
Everyone is welcome! β€οΈ
A big thank you to everyone involved in putting this together, and to YMCA Cheshire and Premier League Kicks for their support.
π St Barnabas Church, West Street, Crewe
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
GETTING STUFF DONE - ROAD MARKING RE-LINING
I caught up the the highways team recently who were out responding to requests I had made to get 'Give Way' markings and road re-linings repainted around our area.
Many 'give way' markings, like this area on the cross roads over Timbrell Avenue were faded. Residents told me about near misses where vehicles hadn't always stopped.
When I got the give way markings on the Frank Webb Avenue/Badger Avenue junction repainted, the number of accidents suddenly decreased dramatically - so it's clear that maintaining and repainting them is important.
Let's keep going, and keep working to make St Barnabas an even better place to live. β€οΈ
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