2025
January
Friends of Hampton's Well - Application for Registration as Town or Village Green
You may be aware that the Friends of Hampston's Well are now seeking to gain "Village Green Status" for the well in the future and in particular to fend off any future developments in its vicinity. In order to do this, they have asked as many residents as possible to complete and sign a "Witness Testimony Form" (see below). Please print, scan and email to freindsofhampstonswellburton@gmail.com 


 

Friends of Hampton's Well - Fund Raising Event

2024
December
Michael Redmond
It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of our past Chairman Michael Redmond. Michael fought a brave battle with cancer and will be sadly missed by all of his ex. committee members, along with his family and Burton neighbours.
A memorial service has been arranged for Tuesday 14th January 2025, 1.30 pm at St Nicholas' Church. 
August
New Constitution and 2024 AGM date
We need to make some alterations to our constitution, which was last amended in 1996 to bring it up to date with current practice and will be asking members to approve this at our next AGM, which will be on Wednesday 16th October 2024.
The draft which we shall be seeking approval of is displayed here for your information and we shall send it by email to all of our contacts for whom we have email addresses nearer the time. Please do get in touch if you have any comments or to send us your email address if we do not have it already.
April
Speed Enforcement - Neston Road
The following was copied from the Little Neston/Ness  Police Facebook page:

Speed enforcement carried out on Thursday 4th April. Neston Road, Burton. Between  11am and 12pm.
8 activations - They will receive communication from the Central Ticket Office in the next few days.
Thank you for everyone who was adhering to the 30mph speed limit.
Speeding is one of the Fatal 5 offences that cause collisions resulting in serious injuries and deaths on our roads.
As well as delivering vital road safety benefits, lower driving speeds help to improve quality of life, especially in urban areas,as they reduce emissions, fuel consumption and noise. #Fatal5
March
Fund raiser for Brain Research UK
Burton resident Steph Hind is raising money for Brain Research UK, after her husband Alex was diagnosed with a brain tumour. In Steph's words, “I've organised a Family Fundraiser for Saturday 6th April at Gladstone Village Hall. On the day there'll be a charity cricket game, drinks, food, music, and lots of family-friendly entertainment - so ideal for the little ones. 
We're doing the event, to raise money for Brain Research UK, after we found out (when I was pregnant with our second) that my husband, Alex, has a brain tumour. It should be a really great day, and would be lovely to have some locals from the village attending". Tickets can be brought via, https://www.eventcreate.com/e/alex-hind-brain-research-uk and there is also a JustGiving page https://www.justgiving.com/page/alex-hind-brain-research-uk for anyone who might wish to donate." Let's all support this and wish them all our very best by either attending or giving on the Just Giving page - Alex is also entering the London Marathon to raise more money as well - Well done Alex! 
2023
November
Meet the Neighbours...Christmas Warm Up!
A chance to have a nice relaxed evening before the Christmas Party season starts on Friday 1st December, 6pm in the Sports Pavilion. Mulled Wine available, as well as the usual the bar facilities. Children and Dogs welcome. "A relaxed evening of fun for all and better than writing Christmas Cards!" "Dont' forget to bring a neighbour!"

Hampstons Well Update
During our November committee meeting, we had a presentation by Emlyn Jones from the Friends of Hampstons Well on the works that have been  carried out over the summmer. This included draining the pool and clearing many years of silt that had built up. One of the major issues was how to drain the pool, as there are no historical plans for the well. This was solved by a neighbour who lives on Station Road who found the original bung and drain for the pool during the volunteer week-ends the Friends have throughout the year. You can see a video of the pool draining via their Facebook page.
 https://www.facebook.com/groups/1232410467153526/permalink/1874999792894587/ 
The Committee thanked all those involved with the Friends of Hampstons Well for the dedication in maintaining this historic site of behalf of the village. 

Burton Community Choir
You are invited to join a new choir which is being formed to lead the singing at the Christmas Carol Service, St Nicholas Church Burton, on 17 December 2023 at 7pm. This is a choir from the community and for the community, made up of local people who don’t normally go to church (as well as others from the church itself). There will be a number of instrumentalists, Tony Davies will be the Organist and Alison Routledge will lead the Choir. Whilst some will simply come to enjoy a good sing with others, and you don’t have to be able to read music, we do need some who can follow a score so as to be able to sing parts. It is for all to enjoy making music at this amazing Christmas Season There will be rehearsals at St Nicholas Church, Burton on Wednesday evenings at 7.30pm on 29th November, 6th December, 13th December then late on Sunday afternoon 17th December, prior to the Carol Service itself. If you would like to join in please email Tony Davies, on tdavies630@yahoo.co.uk or Alison Routledge on alisonroutledge@sky.com . Please indicate whether you sing Soprano, Alto, Tenor or Bass.
September
Meet the Neighbours  - Three

Following on from the successful second "Meet the Neighbours" last month, a third event has been arranged for Friday 6th October, from 6pm in the Sports Pavilion of Gladstone Village Hall. Children and Dogs very welcome. Don't forget to bring a Neighbour...especially if they are new to our village! 
August
Notice of Annual General Meeting

The 2023 Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 11th October at 7.30pm in the Sports Pavilion at Gladstone Village Hall. Any motions you wish to raise at the meeting must be notified to the secretary, Lara Wild by 27^th September at latest or delivered to St.Nicholas House, The Village, Burton. An agenda for the meeting will be issued in due course.

Community Speed Watch Update - Neston Road

Speed watch sessions have now re-started on Neston Road with PCSO Linda Conway in attendance. On Tuesday 15th August between 10 and 11.15 am, even with traffic volumes being quieter due to the time of day, three motorists where caught doing 48, 45 and 36 mph respectively. These motorists will receive warning letters from Cheshire Police. More sessions are planned especially during the rush hours and the Police have also promised to do more enforcement sessions where motorists will be fined, along with points on their licence, if they exceed the 30 mph limit. 

Pimm's and Hymns

Everyone is welcome to a free community event "Pimm's and Hymns"at St.Nichola's Church on Tuesday 5th September. All your favourite Hymns and enjoy a glass of Pimm's or a soft drink as well. Bring along friends and family to the beautiful surroundings of the church. If you would like to suggest your favourite hymn, contact johncoyne.bps@gmail.com
July
Meet the Neighbours v.2

Following the success of our last joint event with Gladstone Village Hall, another evening has been arranged for Friday 11th August starting at 6pm in the Sports Pavillion. There will also be representatives from both organisations present to answer any questions you may have. Bar opens at 6pm. Dogs and Children most welcome! This is a great chance for neighbours old and new to meet up..."Dont forget to bring a Neighbour with you!"

Burton Manor Car Park

Burton Manor are allowing neighbours and visitors to use the car park opposite the Café at The Manor in the evenings and at weekends.  A barrier is in place which will be down at other times. This carpark is available for public use without charge at week-ends and weekdays from 6:00pm to 07.45am. All vehicles must be removed by 07.45am Monday to Friday.
Please do make use of this car park and encourage your visitors to do so too, as it is valuable resource that will help ease the congestion from on road parking in the village. 

June
Burton Resident Jean Gaddas and Bruno appear live on BBC’s Blue Peter!
Jean Gaddas and her dog Bruno from Wood Lane, appeared live on BBC’s Blue Peter along with five children from Woodslee Primary School, Bromborough on Friday 26^th May.  The show had a feature on “Therapy Pets” which included a starring role from Bruno, along with other animals, their owners and the school children as well.
Bruno joined the Gaddas' family as a rescue dog when he was 10 months old and it was a long journey for him and Jean, as he had not been treated well from an early age by his previous owner. Due to Bruno’s lovely manner, Jean had the idea of training him to be a Therapy Dog and registering him with the charity “Pets as Therapy”. After training and passing his assessment, he is now a firm favourite at Woodslee Primary School every Monday afternoon and even has his own timetable! He is groomed and petted by the children whilst Jean and Bruno do questions and answers which helps them with their confidence. The children read to him, walk him, play ball games, they learn how to keep a dog and Bruno helps children to be not afraid of dogs.  Well done Bruno…and Jean…of course!

May
Summer Newsletter

We hope you are all enjoying the warmer weather and long summer evenings. Here is our summer update on Burton news.

CORONATION PARTY 
We were delighted to contribute financially and with volunteers to the fantastic Coronation party which was a combined effort from many groups in the village, including Gladstone Village Hall, The Church and the BRA. Notably, BRA members Kerry Denye and Lara Wild worked really hard to set up and run events and it was lovely that there were so many people there to enjoy the super weather.

MEET THE NEIGHBOURS EVENT
Our next joint venture with GVH will be at the Sports Pavilion on June 9^th. This will be a relaxed evening for all ages with the bar open and a Tuck Shop too. We can all enjoy meeting our neighbours and hope it will be a chance especially for those who have moved to Burton recently and those who missed out during Covid to catch up. Softball cricket and other games, free snacks and nibbles and lots of fun will start at 6-00pm for the evening.
Please join us and BRING A NEIGHBOUR!

BURTON VILLAGE FARMERS’ MARKET AND FUN DOG SHOW
Don’t forget this fun event on SATURDAY JUNE 3^nd at 10am. It will be held at Gladstone Village Hall and offers dogs and food plus much more. What more could you wish for?

“BURTON YOUTHS” WhatsApp GROUP
One of the feedback points from our survey was that many feel that we should provide more for the younger members of our community. It is lovely to have seen an influx of young families and to see the facilities such as the playground used so frequently but there is little going on for our older children once they’ve outgrown this. With the variety of senior schools they attend they don’t all have local friends and for this reason a few of the older children got together a couple of months ago and have set up a WhatsApp group ‘Burton Youths’. This is an invitation only group so if you would like your child to join, please email our secretary, Lara Wild with their name and phone number if they wish to be added: secretary@burtonresidentsassociation.co.uk. Alternatively, you can message Lara on WhatsApp (Mobile: 07866079081). There are two parents acting as admin to ensure that it’s kept safe and appropriate. 
The group has already come up with some great social event ideas and thoughts as to what they wanted to do at the Coronation Event and at the forthcoming ‘Meet the Neighbours’ evening. At the former event they helped organise many of the activities and ran the “Tuck shop” themselves raising money for GVH and the Sports & Social Club in the process.

TRAFFIC
We recently met with Mike Powell, Principal Engineer, Highways Department of CWAC (Cheshire West and Chester Council) and our councillor Myles Hogg to explain our concerns and frustrations about traffic volume, speed and parking and look for solutions. In particular we asked about a 40mph speed limit on Mudhouse Lane, 20mph through the village and other speed reducing measures including replacement of the now defunct speed sensitive 30mph flashing sign at the entry to the village. We are currently awaiting responses from him and will in due course present you all with a summary of the work that has been going on over this and possible improvements we can make. Unfortunately, none of this happens quickly and we are grateful for your patience as we explore all avenues available to us.

COMMUNITY SPEED WATCH
As we reported in the spring, this has been relaunched but new volunteers are always welcome. Please get in touch if you can help.

WILD FLOWERS
CWAC have started a programme of sowing wildflower seeds in the verges of local roads and common areas. Willaston, for example, has had several patches planted. BRA agreed to fund a trial of these on the area of grass at the junction of Dunstan Lane and Mudhouse Lane. The Council churned up the grass and we sowed the seeds so that people can comment on whether they would wish this to be extended to the verges around the villages. Please do get in touch to give your opinion. The idea is that wildflowers are good for butterflies and bees and biodiversity but we understand that many villagers diligently tend the verges outside their properties, even though technically they belong to the council. Please let us know your views as the seeds (hopefully) grow in to wildflowers.

THE BURTON PLANTER
 

The planter has been planted and looks lovely! Thank you, Peter and Jill Nicholson from Gordale Nursery.

MYLES HOGG
Myles Hogg was re-elected as our councillor in the recent local elections. He has attended our Residents’ Association meetings now for some months and been a staunch supporter of our causes and acts as a very useful liaison with the council. He has also donated to a number of local projects. We would like to congratulate him upon his election and thank him for all that he has done for us already.

PHANTOM LITTER PICKER
The mystery litter picker whom you may have seen patrolling the village has now been identified! He is Scott Lewis from Puddington and if you haven’t seen him, you will have noticed the effects of his hard work. Thank you, Scott and any other secret litter pickers for keeping our village tidy.
 

Scott Lewis wields his litter picker



HAMPSTON’S WELL
BRA donated £200 to assist the Friends of Hampston’s Well with improvements to prevent overflow of foul water in surrounding fields during heavy rainfall. This work remains underway and The Friends have applied for “village green status” to protect this important ancient site for generations to come. BRA have offered support for the application and in due course we may be contacting you to do the same as the application progresses.

BURTON MANOR DEVELOPMENT
This approaches completion, though work has still to start on the largest of the development properties which will be adjacent to the sunken garden. The S73 application (which permits amendments to planning permission already granted) still remains undecided. Anybody wishing to view all of the plans and permissions for the site can do so by searching CWAC planning and viewing the plans using the reference 21/02618/S73.  Burton Manor have confirmed that residents and visitors are welcome to park in the car park behind the café after working hours during the week and through the weekend and the barrier will be left up during these periods. Please do use this facility and encourage visitors to do so also as it eases the congestion in the village.

DID YOU KNOW?
…..what the boundaries of the Burton Conservation area are?
Many thanks to Myles Hogg for answering this question for us:
 

….that Burton was mentioned in the 11^th century Doomsday book where it was listed as Bur Tun, meaning it was close to a fortified site, this being the iron age fort at Burton Point. The remains of this can still be seen in the far corner of the RSPB reserve.

CONTACTS
We are gradually gathering contact details from more people so that we can keep you informed, ask for help and seek your opinions on matters that affect us all.
Please keep us updated with your details if these change at all and please encourage neighbours who have not sent their details to us to do so.
Finally, please do keep us up to date with your news, concerns or achievements so that we can report them in future newsletters.
email: brachairman@btinternet.com
secretary@burtonresidentsassociation.co.uk

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!
The Burton Residents’ Association Committee

April

Village Planter
Our thanks go to Gordale Garden and Home Centre...Jill and Peter Nicolson, for agreeing to look after the village planter going forward. 
 

March
Wild Flower Planting in Verges
 

CWAC (Cheshire West and Chester) Council have commenced a programme of planting wildflowers in road verges to enhance biodiversity and encourage butterflies and bees etc. BRA have been approached to consider this in Burton and we have purchased a small “tester” pack of seed to trial. You will shortly see the Council rake up some grass at the junction of Mudhouse Lane with the main road through the village next to the bench. We will then sow the seeds and hope to see some growth over the next few weeks. During that time the Council will not mow the area of sowing and we can decide whether to extend the project to, for example, the verges further up Dunstan Lane. The verges are owned by the Council but we have pointed out that local residents often maintain them so we offered to seek consultation from them before any decisions are made as to any roll out. Hopefully this test area will give everybody a chance to see how they look? We hope that in due course we might hear back from you as to your opinion on this. To be clear, this is a Council initiative and BRA are acting to inform residents and pass their opinion back to CWAC. Although BRA is funding this small trial, any larger roll out would be funded by the Council.  Let us know your thoughts: brachairman@btinternet.com

Waterloo Tree - Update
We have been informed that the felling of the diseased Waterloo Tree, adjacent to the sunken garden at Burton Manor, will take place on Thursday 30th and Friday 31st of March. Equipment will be delivered to the site the day before.

Burton wakes to snow on Friday 10th March
Thank you to residents Renee Syme, Yousef and Chris Litherland for the following photos taken on the Friday morning:

Spring Newsletter

Latest newsletter sent to all members by email:

Spring is springing so it is time to bring everybody up to date on a few things that have been going on in the village over the last month or so and share some news items that may be of interest. We also want to let you know how we are responding to the suggestions and comments in the recent residents’ survey.

JOINT BRA AND GVH “MEET THE NEIGHBOURS” EVENT
In response to requests for BRA to organise some social events we have teamed up with Gladstone Village Hall to organise a joint event at the Sports Pavilion. This will be held on FRIDAY 9^th JUNE from 6pm and is for everybody in the village to meet up. It will be a very relaxed, informal event with things to do for all ages. The bar will be open and please bring all the family – including dogs! Further details will be sent and published nearer the time.

HAMPSTON’S WELL
As you may have noticed, the well is now splendid thanks to the work of the Friends of Hampston’s Well (FOHW) who have laboured long and hard to bring it back to be the beautiful, tranquil place that it is with a fascinating history and real charm. They still need funds and volunteers to build a retaining structure to prevent overflow water from the fields running in to it during times of high rainfall. To help them along BRA have given a donation of £200 but please visit both the well and their website to see if you can help them further.
https://friends-of-hampstons-well-buton.business.site/ 
 

BRA chairman presents a cheque for £200 to the chairman of the Friends of Hampston’s Well to continue their restoration project.

SPEEDWATCH
PCSO Linda Conway has kindly offered to train neighbours up to restart Community Speed Watch. This is a vital part of trying to manage traffic in our village and seven volunteers have already signed up and started training.
If you would like to join them, contact Linda directly by email:  linda.conway@cheshire.police.uk
…. and watch your speed! It would not be the first time a Burton resident was caught by our own speed traps!
 

PCSO Conway puts new recruits to SpeedWatch through their paces.

TRAFFIC
We are working hard to do what we can to calm traffic but there is no easy solution. Since the survey the following have begun:

• An application to consider a 40mph speed limit for Mudhouse Lane has been made. Councillor Myles Hogg has proposed this to CWAC and there will be a consultation process similar to that on Dunstan Lane to establish if there is agreement by residents that they want one.

• Restriction of parking around the entrance to Puddington Lane from The Village. This junction is dangerous at present and also access to The Village from The Rake. A planning notice is on the lamppost at the bottom of The Rake outlining the proposal.

• Burton Manor have agreed to allow parking in The Manor grounds at evenings and weekends and to arrange signposting to this to encourage visitors, dogwalkers etc. to park off the main road.

ENTRANCE TO THE MANOR
We have discussed neighbours’ concerns over the possible restriction of use of the Manor entrance for turning that we have been contacted about. The developers have assured us that the facility to use the entrance as a turning circle will be maintained when they landscape the entrance. This diagram from the current planning application shows their plans.
 

BURTON PLANTER
This is looking a little sad at the moment but Peter Nicholson from Gordale Nurseries has very generously arranged to plant some bedding plants for the Spring. Many thanks.

NOTICEBOARD
Our long-awaited noticeboard has now arrived and will be situated at the back of Gladstone Village Hall, next to the defibrillator – handy if our news is too exciting! Many thanks to Myles Hogg for funding the purchase and to GVH for allowing us to house it on their premises. Please keep a look out for updates there but also check our website regularly for news. We intend to send a newsletter such as this roughly 4 times a year, but in the meantime other news will appear there first.

DID YOU KNOW?

• That in the 2021 census the population of Burton was listed as being 546. 62 of these were aged 0-14, 289 were age 15-64 and 198 aged 65 or over. In 1831 the population was 313.

• That Burton has 33 listed buildings. All are Grade II except for St.Nicholas Church which is Grade II*. One of those listed is the K6 telephone kiosk in the centre of The Village. It dates from 1935 and was designed by Gilbert Scott. BRA regularly arrange for it to be painted and cleaned.

 

THANK YOU to everybody who has contacted us and please keep sending us any new contact details should they change and persuade your neighbours to do likewise. The more people we can contact, the more power we have to influence things.

Neston Post Office
Together with the Post Office and Sainsbury's, Neston Town Council have secured a partial return of Post Office services, in Neston.  Based from the Upper Community Office building on the top level of Sainsbury's car park, the service will be available on Tuesday afternoons 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm and Friday mornings,  between 9.30 am to 11.30 am.

February
COMMUNITY SPEED WATCH – YOUR VILLAGE NEEDS YOU!
Many neighbours have complained about the speed of traffic through our village in our recent survey and we have spoken with PCSO Linda Conway about this. She is very happy to train up new recruits to the Community Speed Watch Programme and would love to hear from new volunteers to man the camera. If you have any time to help, please do contact her either by email or her police mobile.
Linda.conway@cheshire.police.uk       Mobile: 07824 609048

Hampston's Well

Following the hard work of The Friends of Hampston’s Well, (FOHW) it now looks magnificent. A beautiful quiet haven for rest and thought, it is steeped in history and has been restored to its former glory. We recently met with the FOHW team recently and their Chairperson Emlyn Jones explained the difficulties they still face in maintaining the well. In particular they need to construct a barrier to prevent foul water flooding off the adjacent higher ground during periods of high rainfall and contaminating the beautiful clear water from the spring but it also needs regular maintenance, gardening and tidying, especially as spring approaches. As as consequence, the BRA Committee agreed to give a donation of £200 to help maintain the well.
They are looking for volunteers to don wellies and dig or help generally around the site. Any financial support that anyone can offer would help take the project forward and secure its permanent future. Please visit their website for more details:  https://friends-of-hampstons-well-buton.business.site/
 

 


























Burton Residents Association Planning Policy

We sometimes receive requests from members to intervene over plans submitted by neighbours for changes to their homes, extensions or other planning issues. Our role in this was highlighted by our recent survey and questions asked as to our role. In order to clarify our position on this we are therefore publishing the policy which we follow and this will remain on our website as a permanent resource.

It is fair to say that many people think that we have more authority than we do! As the document clarifies we are able to comment to CWaC planning department on developments and our observations are treated by them as those of a consultee, but if the application falls entirely within the allowed parameters defined by the CWaC policy it is extremely unlikely that we would attempt to object, or indeed by successful if we did so. We are always prepared to be consulted informally over planning issues, whether these be ones that members may be planning themselves or applications that other residents have submitted for approval. We have on occasion brought involved parties together to agree reasonable compromises that have led to a mutually acceptable outcome and we do have the facility to escalate issues of concern in conjunction with our councillor.
If you have any questions about planning issues, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will do our best to answer your enquiry and help where we can.  Please see our Planning Policy Page.
January
Members Survey Update

Please see email update sent out to all members by Chairman Mark Watts. 

Dear Neighbour,

We have had a wonderful response to our neighbourhood survey that we delivered over the Christmas period and we would like to say THANK YOU to  everyone who returned one and share with you all a flavour of the responses.
It was lovely to see that one of the most frequent answers to “What do you like about Burton” was that people appreciate the friendly, neighbourly atmosphere here and the quiet location and countryside. The woods were the most mentioned rural asset. GVH, the social club, the children’s playground, the bus stop book exchange and Hampston’s well were all mentioned. For a large number of people the Church is an important part of living in Burton. Many remarked on the historic nature of the village and the local architecture and how important it is that they are maintained. There was also an appreciation of PCSO Linda Conway – and well deserved!
Not surprisingly the main dislike is traffic volume and speed, together with parking difficulties. This was mentioned in 65% of replies and even residents who have not been here for long mentioned how much things have deteriorated in this regard in recent years.
Other dislikes included the lack of a shop or bus route and no pavements.
Some are unhappy about influx of dog walkers who park selfishly and leave poo bags around.
Top of the list for “improving the quality of life” was dealing with the traffic and parking. Other wishes were for a shop, improved safety walking around the village through better lighting and pavements and an increase in social activities and general interactions between neighbours. Many feel that the youngsters of the village could do with more support and things to do.
The ideas for future development of the village mainly comprised dealing with the traffic and parking and restricting further development in the village, not just in terms of new housing but trying to ensure that modifications to houses are in keeping with the surroundings. There was also a whole range of interesting and helpful suggestions, such as litter picking groups, maintenance of the verges, increase in volunteer groups, more social events and other ways for neighbours to meet up.
The suggestions for how the residents’ association can help were constructive and mainly focused on better communication, organising events for neighbours to meet and liaison with other groups. Again, monitoring of planning applications was high on the list.
The response to whether neighbours would offer help was overwhelming, not only in numbers but also in the wide range of skills hidden away in the homes of Burton. Over 60% of people offered to help in some way or other, which is a fantastic response and which we intend to draw upon.
We’ve had over 60 replies and returns are still feeding in but we need more, particularly to get contact details so that we can let people know what is going on and canvass opinion in the future. Please encourage anybody you know to either fill in their survey or just let us have their contact details so we can keep in touch. All they need do is email: secretary@burtonresidentsassociation.co.uk
We as a committee are now discussing all the helpful comments that you have sent us. Clearly the issues such as traffic and parking were no surprise to us and we have been working on these for some years. However, the number of people who have expressed their concerns through their survey responses gives us further evidence to support our drive for action from the authorities who have to enact these measures. Similarly with other issues, we now have a mandate to address the relevant bodies to try and achieve change.  We will in the fairly near future issue updates on how we are progressing and details of the various issues of most concern with analysis of what has happened so far, how we intend to improve matters and what we as a community can do to help. This will enable us to share our thoughts on planning matters, traffic and other initiatives that are either ongoing or about to start and for you to comment on them.
WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP!

• Please keep sending in your thoughts and ideas
• Please keep encouraging others to send us their contact details
• Look out for our new notice board which will be sited at the back of GVH and is due to arrive at the end of February.
• Visit our website for updates: http://burtonresidentsassociation.co.uk/

THANK YOU AGAIN AND KEEP IN TOUCH


 

"Waterloo" Beech Tree within Burton Manor

We have been informed by Ben Russell of Russell-Taylor, the engineering recruitment company based at Burton Manor, that sadly the “Waterloo Beech Tree” situated near the Sunken Garden will have to be felled due to its poor condition.  The tree has had two Tomogram Surveys, the first in 2019 and the second in December 2022.  As you can see from differences on the images below, the size of decay (in blue) has grown further between the two surveys and as a consequence the tree is dying and therefore not safe.  In the meantime while consents are to be granted by the Council, the area has been made secure so that access can be maintained to the gardens at the rear of the manor.
 

The beech tree was originally planted in 1815 to celebrate the victory of the “Battle of Waterloo”.  Russell-Taylor are arranging to replace the tree with a significant Copper Beech to commemorate the Coronation of King Charles in May. There are plans for a naming ceremony in which Residents and the Friends of Burton Manor will be invited to attend to celebrate the coronation our new King when the new tree has been planted.


Burton Residents Survey
All residents of  Burton should have now received a copy of BRA Survey of Neighbours.   The Association now has a new Chairman along with three new committee members and all of the committee are very keen to hear your views to shape the future of the Association going forward. Please spend some time completing the survey and return it to the one of  the four drop off points throughout Burton or email a copy to the Chairman directly. 

Councillor Myles Hogg attends BRA Committee Meetings
 

Councillor Myles Hogg now attends our monthly committee meetings on a regular basis.  Chairman Mark Watts asked Myles to attend so the committee had a closer link to Cheshire West and Chester council. Already a number of issues have been resolved or are ongoing with Myles contacting the relevent departments for answers. Myles Hogg has been a councillor for over 20 years and also attends the Willaston Residents Association meetings as well.
2022
December

Mudhouse Lane Flooding Issue

The Association has recently raised the issue of flooding on the road in Mudhouse Lane, on the outskirts of the village.  This has been a constant problem throughout this year for those who use this road especially after heavy rain.  CWaC Highways have confirmed, "Reference your enquiry regarding flooding on Mudhouse Lane we have been in contact with the adjacent landowners of the overflowing ditch course, and we have arranged a job with our contractors to jet the drainage system under the carriageway at the location  to resolve the flooding issue".

November
Mobile Library visits Burton 

October
Neston Post Office to re-open part time
There are plans to re-open a post office on a part time basis sometime in November. It will initially operate for two hours each on Tuesday afternoons and Friday mornings. A start date and final location have yet to be announced.

Newspaper Deliveries to Burton
Although the Village News in Little Neston is to re-open next month with a new owner, currently there are no plans to re-start newspaper deliveries as yet. In the meantime, several residents have been using News Team Group Ltd for their daily paper deliveries.  They can be contacted on 01782 959530 or via their email admin@newsteamgroup.co.uk


2022 AGM Committee changes
At the September AGM, Michael Redmond stepped down as the Association Chairman. The meeting thanked him for his hard work and dedication over the years as Chairman and longer, as a committee member and a presentation was made on behalf of the members.  Mark Watts who lives on The Village, rejoins the committe and takes over the role as Chairman. New member Danielle  Campbell  who lives on The Rake, has also agreed to join the commitee. 

Mark Watts pays tribute to Michael Redmond's time as Chairman
At the AGM, Michael Redmond announced his decision to step down from the position of chairman after more than 16 years in the role and having previously served as a committee member for some time prior to that.
Michael’s professional career was as a property solicitor and he has a deep knowledge of planning issues, building and development and neighbourhood disputes, having represented parties on all sides in his professional life. As chairman of BRA he used these skills and his personal charm to establish a network of relationships with a wide range of experts and officials to further the cause of Burton. These included representatives from the council and in particular the planning department, experts in environmental issues, noise pollution, accountancy and specific legal niches to name but a few.
His calm, precise and kindly manner endeared him to most of those with whom he engaged, but he was not afraid to take on those he felt were compromising the best interests of our neighbourhood, however powerful they may be.
Notable victories during his chairmanship included challenging plans to expand the Deeside Industrial Park along the shoreline adjacent to the village and also alongside the neighbouring historic villages of Puddington and Shotwick. A united effort raised almost £45,000 to fight the proposals at a public enquiry. Eventually, after a long drawn-out planning enquiry with several appeals, the plans were refused permission and the land is now Green Belt.
Others were at equally high level but on a day-to-day level he advised and consulted with neighbours, planners and experts to try to achieve a fair and sensible outcome from the many smaller issues of all types that came his way. For example, under his leadership the BRA successfully facilitated the introduction of a 40mph speed limit on Dunstan Lane in response to members’ concerns about dangerous speeding. Michael was described by many as “the perfect gentleman” and was never known to raise his voice whatever the provocation, but woe betide the errant who misplaced the apostrophe in Residents’ Association! This attention to detail pervaded all of work for the organisation.
Michael’s wife Judy has been a staunch supporter of him and the association throughout, both in a practical way such as typing minutes, emails etc and also no doubt in helping him maintain his calm, unflappable demeanour. Not least she allowed committee meetings to be held at their lovely home, unfailingly providing the vital coffee and biscuits that make any team run smoothly!
All of those who benefitted from Michael’s untiring service to BRA will regret his stepping down. Many more who probably do not even realise all the hard work he undertook have good reason to be grateful to him and Judy too.


July
2022 Annual General Meeting
The Association AGM will be held in the GVH Club House on Wednesday 21st September 2022 at 7pm. 
June
Sketches of Burton
Artist John Mawer recently paid a visit to Burton to sketch St. Nichola's Church.  For more details of John's work, visit his Twitter page or if you fancy having a go, contact Wirral Urban Sketchers via their Facebook page.

May
The Village Road to close from Monday 13th to Friday 25th June 
United Utilities have successfully applied to CWaC to close the road, to enable the water connection to the new builds within the Burton Manor grounds. We believe the closure will be just past St Nicolas House by the disused entrance to the Manor. This is planned from Monday 13th to Friday 25th June. 


Hampstons Well Visit

On Saturday 7th May, members of the committee visited Hampstons Well on Station Road to meet up with committee members from The Friends of Hampstons Well. The committee members explained the history behind the well and their plans for the future. The Friends have monthly volunteer days and if you would like to help search Facebook for their Friends of Hampstons Well forum and join.

April

Police Speed Checks on Neston Road

1. The BRA Committee considers that the Burton Manor Restoration Company Ltd (BMRC) has done an excellent job in restoring the Manor building back to its former glory, both inside and out.  The Committee recognises that this work has been made financially viable only through the funding provided by the “enabling development” of the sixteen new houses in the Manor grounds.
2. During the last year members of the Committee have held meetings and other communications with representatives of BMRC and of CWaC (including the relevant Planning Officer and our Borough Councillor, Myles Hogg).  Committee members have quoted, explained, and strongly reinforced, residents’ complaints and critical comments.  The Committee has also made a detailed submission on the CWaC planning portal summarising the above.
3. Numerous complainants have alleged that what has been built is different (materially different in the view of the Committee) from the plans presented at the original consultation with residents.  At a meeting with some Committee members in May 2021, BMRC representatives admitted that amendments had been made which had not been the subject of consultation, including increased heights and other changes on houses H14 and 15.  BMRC apologised for the failure to consult, explaining that Covid had been the main reason.  Discussion also took place about the listed pond adjacent to H14 and 15 and the importance of its reinstatement.  (The Committee is pleased to confirm that the pond has recently been reinstated.)
4. Committee members have received a consistent response from representatives of BMRC and CWaC that no planning laws have been breached and applications (including those with retrospective amendments) have been properly submitted, published and approved.
5. BMRC has agreed to a request from BRA to hold a public meeting in the Manor at 6pm on Wednesday 27th April 2022.  This will be chaired by BRA and all residents are invited to take the opportunity to put their comments, concerns and questions directly to representatives of BMRC.
6. Representatives of BMRC will be on site from 5.30pm on the 27th to show  any interested residents around one or two of the new houses as they near completion.  The reinstated listed pond may also be viewed at that time as it will not be accessible following completion of the sales of H14 and 15.

TV series the Ipcress File starts Sunday 6th March
Partly filmed in Burton last March on The Village, see images below, the ITV series starts this Sunday 6th March at 9pm.  
2021
November
Dunstan Lane Closure
Dunstan Lane will be closed Wednesday 24th November for one day to allow BT Open Reach access for works to be carried out. 
The Village Road Closure
Cheshire West and Chester Council are closing The Village this Wednesday 17th November between 9.30 and 2.30 for drainage work.  
October
Burton Manor Open Evening
Peter & Tom Betts of The Burton Manor Restoration Company Ltd have invited the residents of Burton to an open evening on Friday 19th November 2021 from 4-6pm at the Manor.  It will be an informal event with light refreshments available and representatives of The Burton Manor Restoration Company available to both conduct some of the tours and also discuss the development with residents.  There will also be a display of the houses under construction including CGI images of the completed properties.
September
New Committee Members wanted
Due to several of the Committee having to resign at the forthcoming AGM due to personal reasons, we are now looking for new Burton residents to join us.  If you would like to make a difference and can spare an hour a month to attend our committee meeting, you would be very welcome.  If you are interested, please contact Michael Redmond @ chairman@burtonresidentsassociation.co.uk
August

Association Annual General Meeting

The 2021 Burton Residents Association AGM will be held on Thursday 16th September 2021 at The Pavillion Club House (located at the back of the Village Hall), starting at 8pm. All members are welcome.  The doors, along with Bar will be open from 7.30.

Road Closures - Neston Road and Mudhouse Lane

Neston Road between Station Road and Mill Lane will be closed from Friday 27th August till Monday 30th August (Bank Holiday Monday). A part from residents, no access will be permitted to travel to Ness or to the Village from the Ness direction. Divisions are via the Chester High Road . Residents are requested not to park their car on the road between 07-45 and 18-00.  A letter from the Council has been sent to all residents detailing the works.

May
Western Link Electricity Cable Replacement

Work is due to start in June to replace a one kilometre length of cable around the Puddington area. Those using Mudhouse Lane will have already noticed the field originally used for storage is now being reused again which in turn, has seen large HGV’s delivering to the site. Current plans are to re-install the cable towards the end of June which will in turn see Puddington Lane closed for up to five days. There will be some overnight working in the fields used for laying the cable with temporary lighting set up.  For the full letter from Western Link and their contact details, please see our noticeboard. UPDATE 10/6/21 - Work will begin w/c 21st June with Puddington Lane closed at times during the week, depending on the work being carried out.

March
The Village and Rake taken over to film new ITV series "The Ipcress File"
On Saturday 6th March, The Village and Rake where taken over by HP Films for filming an adaption of “The Ipcress File” for ITV. Based on the original film starring Michael Caine set in 1962, the series staring Tom Hollander, Joe Cole and Lucy Boynton will air later on this year. The Rakes' name was changed to Hill Street for the afternoon and filiming concluded with the blowing up of a classic MG sports car! See images below:





























































January
New AGM webpage and annual subscriptions due

2020
December
Network Rail Work at Burton Point
Network Rail have informed the Association and local residents of work to the Bidston to Wrexham line which will take place over night during December and February 2021.  Additional noise is very likely to be heard from heavy machinery, generators and lighting as a consequence. Please see enclosed letter below:





























November
Car's set on fire in The Village

Police are appealing for witnesses or dash cam footage as two cars were set on fire in Burton on Tuesday 24th November around 6.30pm. One car was opposite Rake House next to the Burton Manor estate wall on The Village road, with the other on the drive way of Rake House. Police are looking for two offenders who were riding a trials motorbike. The rider was in his 20's, with the second estimated to be around 14 years of age. The younger offender was riding the cross bar of the motorbike! Anyone with information or footage that may be relevant to the investigation is asked to call Cheshire Constabulary on 101, quoting IML 858988 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


Pumpkin Thanks 🎃

We’re so grateful to our villagers for this years pumpkin festival. We made £1000 for the Village Hall funds and the Charles Thompson’s Mission send their gratitude to all.

If you haven’t yet donated you still can. www.justgiving.com/charlesthompsons-mission

Once again we saw some incredible creations and were thrilled that so many people joined in, the displays brought pleasure to so many.
Due to Covid we kept our marketing to a minimum, but without other events to attend and as our pumpkins were so spectacular, word of mouth, and posts by visitors on social media including BBC Sport and broadcaster Pete Price, meant our villages became busier than expected. We apologise to anyone who was inconvenienced, and have taken advice from local authorities in order to minimise disruption in future.

GVH Committee
October

MEMBERS – HELP PLEASE!

We would like to improve our communication with BRA members through e-mail. If you are a member already, please send your details of NAME, ADDRESS and EMAIL to:

BRAsecretary@btinternet.com

If you are not already a member and would like to join or if you have not paid your subs for this year (£5 a year) please contact our treasurer.

We are aware that members who normally pay by cash or cheque at the AGM will not have been able to do so as Covid-19 prevented our AGM this year. Those who pay by standing order have done so already:

treasurer@burtonresidentsassociation.co.uk

THANK YOU

Michael Redmond

Chairman, Burton Residents’ Association

chairman@burtonresidentsassociation.co.uk

September


May

Burtons at the Manor Cafe


April

Gladstone Radio


Gladstone Village Hall is launching it's own community radio during the Coronavirus outbreak.  Gladstone Radio for the residents of Burton and Puddington will be live from next Thursday evening on our Facebook page between 8.01 and 9 pm, just after the third one minute nationwide applause for our NHS and Key Workers. Gladstone Radio will be playing requests and shout-outs for your family, friends and neighbours. 

The show will be hosted by Burton resident, Steve Lord, who is also a freelance presenter for Dee Radio (Chester) and Sandgrounder Radio (Southport) and has in the past, compared the Summer Fete and Bonfire Night fund raising events for ourselves.  

Steve commented, "Around the UK, there have been many pop up community radio stations appearing, as communities look at ways of coming together with the current social distancing restrictions in place. As our villages are together at this time on a Thursday evening, I thought it would be good idea to keep the community spirit going a bit longer by playing requests, reading shout-out's and mentioning any community news items at the same time. I'll be broadcasting from my little studio at Pineside, Neston Road, and look forward to your interactions on Facebook live.  If you would like a request/shout-out or have any community news in advance of Thursday evening, please email me at steve.lord2@btinternet.com."   
March

Burton Coronavirus Community Response

A joint initiative between Gladstone Village Hall and St.Nichola's Church has been set up to help those who are self isolating during this difficult time. Please see the enclosed flyer which is being distributed to all the households in Burton.  If you would like to volunteer please email frichards@gladstonevillagehall.org 


  

February

Burton Manor Update

Please see latest at our Burton Manor page


Burton Speed Limits
We understand that, after assessment and review, CWaC Highways Department has decided that the Burton 30mph limit will remain as it is now, except that a new 20mph limit will be proposed around Bishop Wilson school in Puddington Lane. 


Closure of Mudhouse Lane
Mudhouse Lane is currently scheduled to be closed till Friday 14th February due to further issues with the HVDC Western Electricity Link.  For more details on the trouble link, please see article www.cityam.com/ofgem-launches-probe-into-troubled-western-link-cable

January

Friends of Burton Manor Talk - 11th February 2020 

The talk, by Edward Hilditch, is entitled 'Rise and Fall of Bees Seeds'  and will explain the rise and fall of the Bees Seeds company established by A K Bulley in 1906.  The first catalogue offered over four thousand varieties of flower and vegetable seeds at 1d a packet.  The company expanded rapidly and moved from Ness to Sealand where eventually it had an estate of one thousand acres.  The company sold seeds in Woolworths and by the 1960s  were selling 30 million packets of seeds a year. 

Tickets for members cost £6.50 (£8 for non-members) and can be reserved by contacting us at Friends of Burton Manor Gardens - details below.  Payment can be made by cheque (made payable to Friends of Burton Manor Gardens) or by cash, in advance or on the night.  

The event will be held in the Burton Manor Music Room which is on the ground floor and starts at 7.15 pm.


2019

November

A Sponsored Pilgrimage Walk in aid of the Restoration of St Nicolas' Church Bells






Park Adfer Incinerator

Report by Donald Howell on the  Community Liaison Group Meeting held on 23rd October 2019: 
The chairman of the meeting, Wheelabrator (WTI) Parc Adfer Project Director Julian Harrison, welcomed all to this 11^th meeting of the liaison group. He introduced the new plant manager, Phil Preece, and stated that the plant was now in operation and “99% complete”. It was anticipated that full service commencement would be achieved by the end of November. The first waste delivery had been received on 27/8/19 and first “waste fire” had been on 3/9/19. WTI was proud to report that over one million construction hours had been completed without one reportable incident under Health and Safety legislation. This was a considerable achievement, particularly given the complexity of the project. The full complement of plant management and operatives will be 37. All but two have been recruited and the plant should be fully staffed by January. Almost all have been recruited from the local area.

The average number of HGVs delivering waste during September was fewer than 30 per day against a planned “worst case” of 67 per day. I asked whether this starting figure was likely to increase in time. Phil Preece replied that, while some fluctuations were to be expected, WTI thought the average would settle down in the mid-30s. It was most unlikely to exceed 40 per day. The electrical output from the plant to the national grid will be 15-18 MW (enough to power more than 30,000 homes).

Phil Preece gave a short presentation on emission monitoring which included the subject of particulates. I pointed out that, during 2018 meetings of the group, BRA representatives had passed on concerns they had received about PM 2.5 micro-particulates. At the July 2018 meeting, WTI had expressed confidence that their technology would allow it to keep well within the pollution limits set in the permit issued by the environmental authority Natural Resources Wales. The WTI Project Director had said in conclusion that WTI would be prepared to put in additional monitoring equipment aimed specifically at detecting PM 2.5 particulates “if required by the environmental authority”, but he had pointed out that, because they were so small, these particulates were extremely difficult to detect and monitor. I asked Phil Preece if relevant monitoring techniques had improved over the last year. He thought not, but said that WTI were now regularly sending emission samples to specialist external agencies which were equipped to identify and measure PM 2.5, and smaller, particulates.

I said that I had read from a minute of a Flintshire County Council Cabinet meeting on 14/5/19 that from January 2020 operators of Energy from Waste facilities will be required to report specifically on emissions of PM 2.5 as well as total particulate matter. In addition to continuous monitoring of total particulate matter, specific extractive tests are required to be carried out and reported to include PM2.5 on a 6 monthly basis in the first year of operation, and annually after that. Mr Preece confirmed that these were mandatory requirements. The minute stated furthermore that the North Wales Residual Waste Joint Committee had recommended that WTI be instructed to carry out these tests more frequently than the permit requirement, specifically quarterly in the first year of operation with future requirements to be reviewed after the first year. Colin Everett, Chief Executive of Flintshire County Council, explained to the liaison committee that the council meeting on 14/5/19 and its conclusions were the result of several years of consideration given to this matter.

Matthew Kelk of Natural Resources Wales expressed his satisfaction with the monitoring procedures and the results being obtained. Phil Preece said that, in his 10 years’ experience, Parc Adfer’s emission profile was the best he had seen He added that all monitoring results will be available on the internet for public scrutiny – WTI “had nothing to hide”. Given the obvious interest expressed by liaison committee members, Mr Preece said he would put Emissions as a “Focus Topic” on the agenda for the next meeting.

I was convinced by the end of this meeting that the matter of potential pollution by PM 2.5 and smaller particulates is being dealt with thoroughly and professionally by WTI and the relevant authorities. The monitoring appears to be very strict and should give assurances to surrounding communities.

The next community liaison group meeting will be on 22^nd January 2020. Phil Preece will take over the chairmanship from Julian Harrison.

September
Councillor Myles Hogg - Ward Surgeries
All held at Gladstone Village Hall on the following dates:
Saturday 21st September - 10am to 12pm in the Social Club.
Saturday 19th October - 10am to 12pm in the Hall.
Saturday 23rd November - 10am to 12pm in the Hall.
Saturday 21st December - 10am to 12pm in the Hall.

Please feel free to pop in and meet Councillor Hogg on the above dates. For an individual appointment at any other times, please call 327-4096 or email: myles.hogg@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk.


Notice of Burton Resident Association AGM

The Annual General Meeting will take place on Thursday 17th October 2019 at 8pm in the Gladstone Village Hall.  


Burton Manor Update

Please see the latest update at our Burton Manor page.



Beware of Scam Calls!

The following has been sent to us by email from Cheshire Police:

A Burton resident has also reported a similar story but in this case, their internet security had been hacked and they were going to close it down, unless they gave the caller access to their laptop/computer so they could fix it! Again, when challenged they got abusive and ended the call.

August

STOP PRESS - Place your order by this Wednesday 4th September or you will not be able to attend the event!




July

A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Burton Manor 

Off The Ground Theatre company will perform "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in the Sunken Garden at the Manor, starting at 7.30pm, this Friday 26th July.  For more details and tickets, please see http://www.offtheground.co.uk 


Wheelabrator Parc Adfer Notice of Steam Venting

The Parc Adfer energy recovery facility (ERF) will carry out a steam venting exercise during the commissioning of the waste-to-energy facility in Deeside. The exercise may from time to time result in elevated noise levels and visible steam at day time for no more than 10 minutes at a time, no more than three times a day, starting this week for a period of 4 to 12 weeks.


Art Exhibition at Gordale Garden Centre

The Exhibition of Wildlife Art ( EWA ) is once again being held at the Gordale Garden Centre Burton Wirral for 3 amazing days of spectacular Artwork. Artists will be demonstrating how their work epitomizes the beauty of the natural world in its many Art forms.
This is a not to be missed show, having over 600 original works of Art on display from some of the best Wildlife Artists in the UK and abroad.
Entrance is free to browse during the long weekend of the 26th, 27th, and 28th of July. 
All works can be viewed on the gallery page http://www.ewa-uk.com
One of the artists featured will be David Wilson from Puddington.

Dove Cottage Garden Opening - 2pm to 5pm

This Thursday 4th July, the delightful gardens at Dove Cottage, next to Dovecote Nurseries, Station Road will be open to the public. You are invited to enjoy the garden, vegetable plot and its surroundings. There will be tea/coffee and cakes plus, there will be an opportunity to buy Beth Crossley's famous home-made jams! All in aid of Christian Aid. Admission is just £5 and includes tea/coffee and cake.

Neston Grand Designs







May

Village Fete/Festival is back for 2019 - Saturday 8th June

The annual Summer Fete you know and love is back, but this year bigger and better than ever and with a distinctly vintage feel, which also sees the return of the Dog Show. Later in the evening we will celebrate with BBQ’s, bands, food and drinks – a chance for us all to get together with family and friends and have some good old fashioned summer fun.

The Fete is on from 11.00 to 4.00 and the music festival on from 6.00 to 10PM 

Burton Manor

Please see our web page for the latest images and progress report.


April

Burton Manor Latest:

Please see our new web page which includes an update with images from the Burton Restoration Company on the latest progress.

Parc Adfer (Deeside Incinerator) Latest

Members of the committee will be attending the latest Communtity Liaison Meeting which includes a site tour on Wednesday 24th April.
Please see a presentation from January's meeting of the progress to date. http://wtiparcadfer.co.uk/site/assets/files/1116/parc_adfer_community_liaison_group_january2019_-_final.pdf


February

Burton Manor Latest:
Access to Burton Manor gardens is temporarily closed due to essential arboricultual works. The Walled Garden remains open. The Burton Manor Restoration Company Ltd apologise for the inconvenience and have said that the pathway will be re-opened as soon as possible.


2018

December

Burton Manor

Work on the restoration of the Manor is due to start in the New Year and below is a notice which the Restoration Company has issued to all suppliers:


November

Burton Manor ----  Good News!

Burton Manor Restoration Company are due to complete their purchase of the Manor in late December but, in anticipation of this, have been given access to carry out preparatory work such as the erection of the scaffolding needed to enable the roof of the building to be secured against the elements. We hope to have more news shortly, so watch this space!"

September

Waste Incinerator Update (Parc Adfer)

Please see our  Waste Incinerator Page  for an update on a meeting that took place in August.

B4RN (Broadband) Update

Please see email update:

Hello Everyone,

The B4RN Cheshire project is progressing and now the holiday season is over we have been able to get a number of the local champions together for a training session and create more of a structure to the local areas so we can ensure the community is aware of the project and that most importantly we can obtain wayleaves.

On this subject – we still need a number of key landowners to work with us as well as local community members to come forward and help us understand the actual route we can take vs the B4RN preliminary computer modelling, it is vital that we achieve this in the coming weeks and we ask for your assistance in any way you can either by getting in touch to understand where you are in relation to the route, or if you already know then to help us with anyone near to you that we have not gained a wayleave from.

Wayleaves are key to the success of this project.

We are looking to accelerate the project over the coming weeks with some first key digs and we look forward to updating you again very soon.

Remember – this is a community project for the community, by the community – we need your help so please don’t be shy and let us know anything you can to help us move forward quickly.

Best regards

The B4RN Cheshire Team

Burton Manor Revised Planning Application Latest

Revised planning approval has been granted by the Cheshire West and Chester Planning Committee when they met on Tuesday 4th September.  Our Chairman addressed the meeting and spoke in favour of the revised plans. 




The following article has been published on the About My Area Neston website. 

After many years of uncertainty and concern over the future of Burton Manor, Burton Residents can now look forward to witnessing its restoration and development following the decision by Cheshire West & Chester Planning Committee on Tuesday 4th September, to approve the plans proposed by Peter Betts of Burton Manor Restoration Company to restore the Grade II Listed Manor and gardens, along with an enabling development of 16 new family houses in the grounds.
Following the closure of the training facility at Burton Manor in 2007, the owners Liverpool City Council took the decision to put it to the market for sale in 2014. There followed 2 abortive attempts to purchase and develop, including the most recent as a wedding venue. During this period the maintenance of the Manor was neglected resulting in extensive dry rot and deterioration to the building.
The approved development will see the Manor restored and converted to office accommodation to be occupied by the Russel Taylor Group. The future of the listed Walled Gardens and Atelier units are assured by their transfer to the Friends of Burton Manor Gardens. In addition, the village will once again have the use of a Village Shop and Café. The listed Mawson gardens and Ancient Monument of the Ice House will continue to be accessible by the public and 16 family houses will be constructed for sale within the grounds.
The development will be undertaken by Peter Betts of The Burton Manor Restoration Company with the support of the leading conservation architects Donald Insall Associates and Ryder Landscape Consultants. Speaking after the decision by Cheshire West, Peter commented “ We are delighted that our plans for the Manor and grounds have at last been approved. We can now start on the urgent works of restoring the Manor and grounds, followed by the exciting residential development. I would like to acknowledge the high level of professional support from the team that led us through, what was at times a daunting planning process. I would also like to thank the residents of Burton, in particular their association chair Michael Redmond, the many Friends of Burton Manor Gardens and the local councillors for their patience, trust and support during the 3 years that it has taken to bring our plans to this stage.”
  

June

B4RN Cheshire (Broadband)

B4RN Cheshire are holding a public meeting at Gordale (in the Cafe') on Monday 9th July at 7.30pm.  B4RN Cheshire will update the meeting on the current communtity project to bring 1000mps speed internet to those parts of Burton currently not served by high speed Broadband.  All those who have currently volunteered have been asked to attend and B4RN are looking for more potential investors, volunteers and those willing to give permission for cables to cross their land as well.  For more details go to www.B4RN-Cheshire.org.uk 



THE ASSOCIATION'S 2018 AGM

Please note that this year's AGM has been postponed to THURSDAY 21st JUNE (8pm at the  Gladstone Village Hall) to enable a representative of Burton Manor Restoration Company to address the meeting on its plans for the Manor and its grounds."


URGENT -------- VOTE NOW!

HAMPSTON’S WELL, STATION ROAD, BURTON

Cheshire West and Chester Council is bidding for funding from Calor Rural Community Fund to restore the historic Hampston’s Well to its former glory. The Council has succeeded in getting through to the voting stage and now needs you to vote before the 29^th June.

So please vote by visiting: https://www.calor.co.uk/communityfund/project/list/ and casting all 10 of your allotted votes in favour of the Hampston’s Well project.

If successful, this community project aims to:

+ Restore the Well’s green space by clearing the over-grown vegetation

+Re-plant the site with appropriate native species

+Install a “bee hotel”

+Establish a group of community volunteers to assist with maintenance

PLEASE VOTE !

May

Burton Manor - The Association's Planning Letter

Planning Application Numbers 18/01382/FUL and 18/01383/LBC

Thank you for consulting the Association on the above Applications.

Further information is required before we can give full consideration to the Applications, but we make the following observations at this stage:

1. Any consent should be conditional upon the Manor itself being restored and refurbished in advance of any enabling development.

2. Access of the community to various parts of the Manor grounds must be clarified before any consent is granted.  This would include the perimeter walk to Mawson's Rocker and the Ice House and beyond. Reasonable boundaries should be set to respect the privacy of any houses whilst enabling walkers to continue their walk from the Ice House to the exit.

3. Likewise, the provision of public car parking needs to be clarified -- for example , the spaces provided for office staff being made available to visitors at the weekend when the offices are not in use.

4. The possibility of some of the larger ground floor  rooms in the Manor being made available for communal use (eg concerts) outside office hours should be considered.

We look forward to hearing further from you when full information is available.

Yours faithfully,

Michael Redmond

Chairman

April

BURTON MANOR

The full Planning Application for the development  of the Manor and its grounds has now been submitted to Cheshire West & Chester Council.  The developers will be holding a "drop-in" meeting for anyone interested at the Gladstone Village Hall on Tuesday 8th May between 4pm and 6.30pm.  Plans, drawings and artists' impressions of the completed development will be available for anyone to view.


January

B4RN - Cheshire - 1000mb broadband for those not currently connected to the fibre optic network
Drop in sessions are  being held in Gladstone Village Hall on Saturday 27th January from 3pm for residents to have the opportunity to learn more about bringing 1000mb broadband to Burton. Initial route maps will be on show as well.  See http://www.b4rn-cheshire.org.uk

2017

December

Brio and Macmillan joined forces last year to help form a base of volunteers in local areas across
Cheshire West and Chester. With two aims – one to find and train volunteers, and the other to then
match this to the support needed within the community from those effected by cancer.
Brio are all about health and wellbeing and we know it’s much easier when you mix it with friendships
so that why we also have Exercise Buddies on hand! If you’d like to be more active but don’t know
where to start, our exercise buddies can accompany you to your chosen activity and support you for up
to 12 weeks. If you’d like to pop along for a chat about support or volunteering opportunities, we have weekly drop
in sessions every Monday, 11.30am - 12.30pm at Neston
Library – where you can chat, have a cup of tea and meet the team. If you’d like to get in touch sooner
you can contact the Brio & Macmillan Support team on 01244 886887 and ask for Hayley or Robyn.



September

Deeside Waste Incinerator Latest

Our website page has now been updated with the latest news on the facility.

August

GVH Play Area Renovation

Following the initiative of a Burton resident, John Nuttal, the GVH Committee have applied for a Community Award under the Active Living category from the One Family Foundation and have been successful in getting through the first round.  They have applied for £25,000 to cover the purchase and installation of a new multi-play unit to replace the condemned unit and for a turn-table and cantilevered swing both of which would be suitable for children of all abilities. They need your support NOW to vote for the project on the One Family Foundation web site.

Follow this link to REGISTER and then VOTE:

https://foundation.onefamily.com/projects/play-area-renovation-gladstone-village-hall/

Once you have registered you will be sent an email from The Foundation and then you will be able to vote.

Votes are based on valid email addresses, so if you have more than one email address please vote on each of them.

June

Deeside Waste Incinerator Latest

Please see our page for the latest update on the project.

Burton Manor Latest

Further to the information given in our May Newsletter, we can now confirm that contracts for the sale of the Manor to Burton Manor Restoration Company Limited have been exchanged subject to planning permission. The Company is owned by a local property developer, Mr. Peter Betts, with whom the Association and The Friends of Burton Manor Gardens have already had dicussions on the future of the Manor. Mr Betts has confirmed that he has now instructed his architects to prepare the necessary plans and that when these are available, he will consult with both organisations before applying for planning permission. Further news will be posted on our website when available.

May

AGM and Annual "Burton News"

A reminder that our AGM will be held on Thursday 18th May in the Gladstone Village Hall, starting at 8pm.  The 2017 edition of Burton News has been posted to all households in the Village.  If you haven't received a copy and would like one, please email chairman@burtonresidentsassociation.co.uk 

Communtity Speed Watch Update

A further TruCam (new portable speed camera) speed enforcement session was carried out by PCSO Conway within the Neston Road 30mph limit on 23rd April with three vehicles recorded at speeds of 37 to 45mph. Police will be contacting the registered keepers with a view to taking appropriate action against the drivers.  This is second session which has been successful and now that PCSO Conway is authorised to carry out the enforcements, further regular sessions are planned.  

March

Neighbourhood Watch Scheme

On Thursday 27th April, starting at 7.30pm in The Gladstone Village Hall, PCSO Linda Conway will be presenting a talk and will answer any questions on what the scheme involves and as well as general ideas for protecting your homes/possessions.  All are welcome.  

Deeside Waste Incinerator
Our website page has now been updated with the latest news on the facility.

Community Speed Watch
On Sunday 19th February, Police carried out an enforcement session using the Trucam device. Three motorists were caught breaking the speed limit on Neston Road with speeds of between 36 mph and 39 mph. Drivers are to be offered either a speed awareness course or a fixed penalty accordingly.  

Due to limited Police resources and the weather, only five Community Speed Watch sessions have been carried out since December last year.  The highest speeds recorded are on Neston Road, 49 mph and on Mudhouse Lane, 44 mph.  

Burglaries
Cheshire Police have advised all residents to be vigilant after there has been two burglaries in Burton Village at Beech Cottage and The Smithy during w/c 27/2/17.  If you spot anything suspicious, please contact the Police by calling 101.

January

Gladstone Village Hall Children’s Play Area
Volunteers are needed for Sunday 22^nd January to help improve and make safe the groundwork around the play equipment.  Grants have been obtained but without the work being carried out by the working party, the play area will have to be closed due to health and safety issues.  If you can attend with a wheelbarrow/fork and spade between 10am and 12 noon, please let our Chairman know by emailing chairman@burtonresidentsassociation.co.uk and he in turn will pass your details onto the GVH Committee directly.

2016

November

Cheshire West and Chester “Parishioning Survey”
Burton and Willaston residents are invited to take part the consultation process, in which an area stretching across to Ellesmere Port is being reviewed by CWaC. The Association has previously been through the process of considering setting up a Parish Council a number of years ago and decided to not recommend becoming a Parish Council due to the limited powers it give residents for the additional cost to the individual household council taxes.  Willaston Residents Association have also previously rejected becoming a Parish Council as well.  On the basis, Burton Residents Association recommends to stay with the current arrangement of being represented by two councillors which is better value for residents and we believe more cost effective for CWaC as well.   
 
If you live in Burton and would like to find out more about the process and take part in an online questionnaire, please visit http://inside.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/get_involved/consultations/review_of_community_governance_arrangements__unparished_area_of_ellesmere_port
The closing date is 14^th December 2016.

Hampston’s Well
Hampston’s Well on Station Road was the only source of fresh water for Villagers to use before running water was installed around the village.  After the well, along with the surrounding area, were restored a number of years ago, it has recently fallen into a poor state of repair.  CWaC has been able to secure some additional funding to restore the well and the area around it. They are looking for volunteers within the Village who would be willing to help with tidying up after the CWaC have finished doing the heavy work on site Wednesday 18^th and 19^th January 2017. Afterwards, it is hoped that a working party could be set up from the volunteers to maintain the site going forward.  If you or you know of anyone willing to help in January, please email Michael Redmond chairman@burtonresidentsassociation.co.uk  who will in turn forward your details onto CWaC. ----UPDATE---Due to illness, this has now been postponed and will be rearranged for February.  If you are interested in helping out, please email our Chairman directly. ---- FURTHER UPDATE - The rearranged date is Wednesday 15th February between 9am and 1pm.


September

Land Registry Notice of an Application to register Mineral Rights

A number of residents have received the above Notice relating to mines and minerals under their land.

The Applicants claim that when the Burton Manor estate (which included much of the village and surrounding land) was sold in lots by auction in 1924, the mineral rights under the land were reserved to the vendor by a stipulation in the auction particulars. The Applicants further claim that by inheritance they are the current owners of these rights. The details of their claim are contained in a Statutory Declaration and the documents exhibited to it. These can be viewed on line via the link given in the Notice and the Land Registry will send you a full set of the documents if requested.

Some members of the Association have obtained the documents and requested an extension of the Reply Deadline given in the Notice to give them time to obtain legal advice. The Association cannot itself give legal advice but would be grateful to hear what advice members may be given.

It would appear that the reservation of mineral rights made in the auction particulars was not carried through to some (possibly all) of the conveyances of the lots following the auction and does not therefore appear in the property titles. Hence, purchasers down the years have bought in ignorance of the reservation.

The Association can be contacted by emailing: secretary@burtonresidentsassociation.co.uk

Victoria Cross awarded to village World War One hero

Major William La Touche Congreve VC DSO MC

William Congreve was born at Burton Hall (now Burton Manor) in 1891.  Sadly, after acts of conspicuous bravery, he was  killed in action at the Somme on the 20th July 1916 aged 25.

To commemorate the award of his Victoria Cross, a stone is being laid outside the Gladstone Village Hall where there will be an unveiling ceremony at 3.30pm on Wednesday 20th July. 

Members of the Congreve family are expected to attend and the ceremony will be led by Colonel A.R. Trelawny of The Rifles Regiment.

The ceremony is open to all and will be followed by refreshments in the Hall.

May

Village Defibrillator

All residents of Burton now have access to a Defibrillator Kit which can be used in emergencies.  The kit is fool proof to use and speaks step by step instructions. It's located in a yellow/green cabinet on the outside wall at the rear of the Hall by the kitchen door.

Nick Blair of the NW Ambulance Service is offering to give a talk and demo on Tuesday 24th May at 8pm in the Village Hall.  All our welcome.

April

The 2016 Association AGM will be held at Gladstone Village Hall on Tuesday 17th May, starting at 8pm.

Please see the latest correspondence between BRA and Cheshire West and Chester Council on the proposed roll out of 20 mph speed limits.

February

Cheshire Constabulary has invested in 16 state-of-the-art speed enforcement devices which are some of the most advanced compact all-in-one digital video cameras. 

Click attached link to About my Area.  http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Cheshire/Neston/CH64/News/Local-News/296975-New-Speed-Camera-Deployed-in-Neston-Area 

2015

November

Burton Manor Latest

After further discussions with Liverpool City Council, we have been told the following verbally, " Mr Camping has not formally withdrawn his offer for the property but given the planning situation, there are issues associated with the delivery of the scheme within the original timescale." In the meantime, we know that Strutt and Parker have been asked to talk to other interested parties to see whether they would like to make a fresh offer for the property.

October

Calling all car drivers aged 17 to 25!

The Wirral Group of the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and the Cheshire Police & Crime Commissioner’s Crime Prevention Fund are jointly funding ten scholarships for young car drivers between 17 and 25 years old who reside in Cheshire.  The scholarships, worth £139 each, will cover the IAM’s “Skill for Life” course and the IAM Advanced Driving Test.  All costs will be covered including training material, the advanced test fee, one year’s IAM membership and local group fee.  The Wirral Group will provide a qualified volunteer observer who will support and guide you through as many observed drives as you need to prepare for the Advanced Driving Test.  Most drivers require between 6 and 9 observed drives, each of about 60 to 90 minutes, to reach the standard required to pass the Test.  An IAM qualified examiner, who is the holder of a Police Advanced Driving Certificate, will conduct the Test which lasts about 90 minutes.  Wirral Group observers consistently achieve a first-time test pass rate of over 95% for candidates they have guided through the “Skill for Life” course.

Research has shown that drivers who pass the Advanced Driving Test are 70% less likely to be involved in a collision.  Because of this safety improvement the IAM’s brokers may be able to obtain a reduction in insurance premiums for those who pass – a most important incentive, particularly for drivers in the 17 to 25 years age bracket many of whom suffer heavily loaded premiums.

If you are a car driver with a full driving licence (bearing not more than 6 penalty points) aged between 17 and 25 residing in Cheshire, you are invited to apply for one of the ten scholarships which will be awarded on a “first come, first served” basis to applicants who state a commitment to improving their driving through the “Skill for Life” course and to taking the IAM Advanced Driving Test on reaching the required standard.  Successful applicants will be required to pay the £139 course fee “up front”; this will be refunded in full after the applicant passes the Test.  Applications may be made by ‘phoning Liz Scarff on 0151-652 2059, or emailing chairman@wirraliam.co.uk

This driver education scheme was initiated by the Project Rural Matters Association which aims to support initiatives for community safety or well-being and which cooperates closely with Cheshire Constabulary.

Burton Manor - Wedding Venue Planning Application Latest

As of 6th October, the application to convert the Manor into a Wedding Venue has been WITHDRAWN.  We believe that the application could be resubmitted again early next year and we continue to monitor further.


September
 

Comunity Speed Watch figures updated

Please see below the latest figures of drivers caught breaking the speed limit during various sessions over the Summer:

JUNE 2015

21/06/15 – SESSION FROM 12:00 UNTIL 14:00

Mudhouse Lane………………36 m.p.h. outbound

Dunstan Lane………………….37 m.p.h. inbound

Neston Road…………………..40 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” ……………………38 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” ……………………38 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” ……………………36 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” …………………….40 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” …………………….36 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” …………………….40 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” …………………….40 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” …………………….38 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” ……………………..38 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” ……………………..40 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” ……………………..37 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” ………………………39 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” ………………………43 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” ……………………….44 m.p.h. inbound

JULY 2015

16/07/15 – SESSION FROM 16:00 UNTIL 17:20

Neston Road…………………….36 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” …………………….39 m.p.h. inbound

Mudhouse Lane………………..37 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” …………………46 m.p.h. inbound

17/07/15 – session from 16:00 until 18:00

Mudhouse Lane………………..45 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” ………………….37 m.p.h. inbound

Dunstan Lane……………………45 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” …………………….48 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” …………………….43 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” ……………………..38 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” ……………………..44 m.p.h. inbound

Neston Road ……………………39 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” ……………………….40 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” ……………………….43 m.p.h. inbound

24/07/15 – session from 13:00 until 15:00

Mudhouse Lane………………..37 m.p.h. outbound

“” “” ………………38 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” …………………..38 m.p.h. outbound

Dunstan Lane ……………………40 m.p.h. inbound

Neston Road …………………..43 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” …………………….36 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” ……………………..38 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” ……………………..36 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” ………………………37 m.p.h. outbound

“” “” ………………………..37 m.p.h. outbound

“” “” ……………………….36 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” ………………………..39 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” …………………………45 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” ………………………..37 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” ………………………..42 m.p.h. outbound

“” “”………………………….43 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” ………………………..36 m.p.h. inbound

“” “” …………………………36 m.p.h. outbound

No sessions carried out in August due to annual leave and PCSO being deployed to anti-social behaviour operational duties.

August

July

April

Road Works

Mudhouse Lane, through The Village to Station Road will be closed for road works for three days from Tuesday 28th April.

Deeside Incinerator Latest

Flintshire County Council Planning Committee refuses planning permission to build the Deeside Incinerator!  Please see our Incinerator page for more details.

Burton Manor Sale Latest

The Association has been informed by Liverpool City Council that the Manor is to be sold, subject to contract, to a Mr Bob Camping from Hampshire. Mr Camping plans to convert the Manor House into a Wedding/Conference venue similar to an existing venue he currently runs in Hampshire.  Mr Camping has already met with the Friends of Burton Manor and is happy to allow them to use the walled garden and to see the continuation of the local businesses in the Atelier workshops and the Café/Shop.  The Association hope to meet up with Mr. Camping to discuss his plans further in due course.    

HVDC "Western Link" Event

A public information event hosted by the National Grid and Scottish Power on the high power line project from Scotland to Deeside is being held on Thursday 30th April in the Gladstone Village Hall between 1pm and 7pm.

March

Speed Limit Assessment - The Village, Burton

This Speed Limit Assessment was carried out by the Cheshire West and Chester Council 
Road Safety Engineer and two Council Highway Engineers following a meeting convened last year 
by Councillor Kay Loch to consider traffic issues in Burton. Others present at the meeting were two members of the BRA committee and two other residents who live on The Village.












































































Police, Council and Residents Unite Against Speeders Through Burton

A meeting between Police, Council and the Association took place at the end of last month.  Please see article from our local news website About My Area - Neston.
http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Cheshire/Neston/CH64/News/Local-News/284741-Police-Council-and-Residents-Unite-Against-Speeders-Through-Burton


February

Annual General Meeting of the Association

The 2015 AGM has been arranged for Tuesday 12th May 2015, starting at 8pm in the Gladstone Village Hall.

Gladstone Village Hall Committee Appeal - Update 

Following on from the January meeting, we are pleased to report that some new volunteers have joined the committee, so the annual June Fete will now go ahead.

January

Gladstone Village Hall Committee Appeal

Due to exisiting members standing down at the next AGM, the Committee are appealing
for more Burton Residents to volunteer to join and help run the Gladstone Village Hall. Currently the annual Summer Fete and Firework Display are unlikely to take place this 
year, unless new volunteers can be found to help spread the responsibility of organising both events. 

A meeting to discuss the way forward has been organised for Monday 26th January at 7.30pm in the Sports Club Pavillion.  

If you are not able to attend the meeting but are 
able to help out, please contact their Secretary Janet Greig on her email 
janet.greig@yahoo.co.uk.  


2014

November

Car collides into Raynor House on Neston Road

On Wednesday 5^th November around 11am, a dark blue VW Passat traveling at speed towards the village, crashed into 30 metres of fencing belonging to Raynor House, destroying the oil tank, underground pipes, the rear of the garage and part of the garden.  The car then managed to drive off but did leave a rear light behind, hence Police identifying it as VW Passat.  The crash was also witnessed by a contractor working on the roof of Dunedin which is opposite Raynor House.  Police have carried out a local search for the dark blue VW Passat which will have considerable damage but as yet, have been unable to identify or find the registration number of the car. Raynor House owner, Joanne Beedles, is offering a £500 reward for anyone who can identify the car to the police.  Neston Police can be contacted by calling 101. 

Fortunately there were no pedestrians on this narrow section of pavement at the time but the Association is all too aware from the Community Speed Watch figures, that drivers regularly do break the speed limit as they drive up and down the hill on this narrow section of Neston Road.    

Deeside Incinerator Update

Please see our  Waste Incinerator page for latest news including a copy of our objection letter to Flintshire County Council and a copy of Connah's Quay Town Council's Observations.

Fibre Optic Broadband comes to Burton

As part of “Connecting Cheshire”, the partnership boosting superfast fibre broadband throughout Cheshire, Burton and Puddington now have superfast broadband.  On Thursday 6^th November, the official switch on was attended by Burton and Little Neston Councillor, Kay Loch, Chairman Michael Redmond and Committee member Donald Howell.  

Currently more than 140 communications providers offer fibre broadband services over BT’s Network. Burton Residents are encouraged to shop around for the best package for their broadband and phone services.

September

A New Secretary for the Association

After several years of being the Association Secretary, Jane Brookes has decided to stand down from the role but we are pleased that she will continue to be on the Committee "Back Benches" going forward.  Our thanks go to Jane for all her hard work in the role.
  
The Association is pleased to announce that Renee Syme has agreed to take over and was co-opted onto the committee during the September meeting.  Many of you in the Village will know Renee and we are sure you will join us in wishing her well in her new role.

Deeside Incinerator Latest

Please see our special website page for the latest update.

Solar Park Update

Despite a direct appeal by our Chairman Michael Redmond to the Flintshire County Council Planning Committee meeting in late July, the commitee after a lengthy debate, voted by a narrow 9 votes to 7 in favour of the Solar Park going ahead. This was on the pre-condition that Compton Group (Swansea) who own the farm land, supply electricity at a reduced rate to the nearby UPM Paper Mill which we believe is a very flimsy justification for the planning to be granted! Before the planning meeting, the Association had applied to the Welsh Assembley for the application to be called in.  As of the end of August, the Flintshire planning register states that the application is still "Under Consideration" which we hope is due to the Welsh Assembley calling in the application?   

August

The Village Road Closure 

The Village from Cherryholme to Rake Corner will be closed for footway patching and re-surfacing works for two days from Thursday 21st August. There will be a diversion route in progress and access to properties and for emergency vehicles will be maintained. 

June
 

Burton Manor Update

Earlier this year, Burton Manor Gardens Limited (“BMG”) applied to Cheshire West and Chester Council for the Manor to be listed as an “asset of community value” under the Localism Act 2011.  In May, the Council determined that the Manor had “community value” as defined by the Act and listed it accordingly.

The Association understands that as a result  :-

1. BMG now has a “community right to bid” under the terms of the Act and

2. A six month moratorium has been imposed on the proposed sale of the Manor by the owner, Liverpool City Council. This is to give BMG time to put its bid together for consideration along with any other bids which the City Council may receive.

Watch this space !

May

Incinerator Public Consultation by Wheelabrator Industries

Please see our webpage Waste Incinerator on the latest developments which include a public consultation here in Burton Thursday 12th June.


AGM Guest Speaker Announced

Giles Orton, the Chief Inspector of Cheshire Constabulary will be the guest speaker at this year's AGM.  

Burton Manor Update

Burton Manor is finally up for sale! Liverpool City Council have put the property on the market for £1.8 million. Click to see full details: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-45933212.html

Neston Policing

Sargent Greenhaigh has taken over the responsibility of Neston Police Office. Click to see article from About My Area - Neston website: http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Cheshire/Neston/CH64/News/Local-News/271896-Introducing-New-Beat-Sergeant-at-Neston-Police-Daniel-Greenhalgh

April

Association AGM

The annual AGM will be held in the Village Hall on Tuesday 13th May starting at 8 pm.  Tea and coffee will be served afterwards and all our welcome.

March

Mudhouse Lane Road Closure

Mudhouse Lane be closed in full from 9 to 4pm on Wednesday 5th March to enable Tree Cutting Works.  Access to residents properties will be maintained during the closure.  All vehicles will be diverted via Dunstan Lane.
  
February

Transport Planning Meeting

CWAC are holding a Transport Planning Meeting for the CH64 area on Friday 14th 10am in Neston Town Hall.  All residents are invited to attend especially those who are keen for the bus services to resume through Burton. 

2013


Mudhouse Lane Road Closure

Due to Tree works, Mudhouse Lane will be closed on Thursday 5th December for one day.  Access to properties and emergency vehicles will be maintained.

Burton Manor Latest

As of early November, Liverpool City Council have still not put the Manor up for sale due to resolving outstanding legal issues. It now looks as though the issues will not be resolved to some time early next year.  The Council have agreed to inform the Association and the Friends of Burton Manor when the issues have been resolved.

Solar Panel Park - Puddington and Deeside Industrial Park

Members of the Association have attended an open day on a planned Solar Panel Park which is to be located on the Green Belt Land just behind the boating lake, running adjacent to Puddington.  This is the same area of land the Association was successful in stopping building development over ten years ago.  There is also a smaller development planned running next to the planned Deeside Panel Park but over on the English side.  The Association will be objecting to both developments being approved.   

Cheshire Police Alert Scheme

Cheshire Police are encouraging residents to sign up to a new community messaging service were they will provide users personalised information about their local community via email, text message or as a voice message.  Please go to their website http://cheshirepolicealert.co.uk for more information.


October

CWAC - CH64 Transport Meeting

Cheshire West and Chester Council are holding an open meeting to discuss transport options in the CH64 area.  The meeting is on Friday 8th November, starting at 10am in Neston Town Hall. For more information contact Elaine Grant on 01244-973334.

Proposed Wind Turbines - Ness

The Association has formally opposed a planning application for Wind Turbines to be erected in Ness on the grounds that it would set a precedent  for similar applications to be approved in Burton. This is the second time the Association has formally opposed an application for Wind Turbines in Ness.  More details are to follow.  

Neston Road Closure in Ness.

Neston Road will be closed near the junction of Smithy Close and the junction of Mill Lane for five days from Tuesday 22nd October while carriageway line marking is carried out. 

Neston Flicks!

Neston Flicks launches on Saturday 26th October at Neston Civic Hall with a ghostly classic film called "The Others" starring Nicole Kidman.  Please click on the link below for more details:

"Your new local Cinema needs you!" Volunteers are needed.  If you would like to help out, please click on the link for contact details located at the bottom of the article:

http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Cheshire/Neston/CH64/News/Whats-On/259940-26-Oct-2013-Neston-Flicks-Presents-The-Others


September

Cheaper Electricity?

Cheshire West and Chester Council is urging residents to join together and buy gas and electricity collectively in a bid to save money on energy bills.

The Council has joined forces with 11 councils across the UK to create a Collective Energy Scheme, where residents are able to combine their purchasing power and bulk-buy their energy as a group, enabling them to negotiate with providers for cheaper energy bills.

Known as collective switching, the scheme will make it easier for people to switch energy provider and participants can expect to see big savings of between £60 and £200 a year.

The collective switching scheme will work by means of a reverse auction where energy suppliers will be invited to bid the lowest price to supply energy to all those signed up for the scheme.

Offers will then be sent out to participating residents who can then decide whether they want to switch to the new deal. There is no obligation to accept the offer. Registration is open till 15th October 2013.

For more details and to register click on the link below:  http://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/news_and_views/save_money_on_energy_bills.aspx

May

Community Speed Watch Update

CSW recently recorded two cars travelling at about twice the legal speed limit within the Burton 30mph area. The first was being driven on the 19th April by a young male inbound to the village at Mudhouse Lane at 57 mph. 
The second was being driven on the 9^th May by a female inbound in Neston Road at 60 mph. PCSO Linda Conway has visited both drivers in their homes and given them words of advice in addition to handing them the usual police warning letter. The potentially serious dangers of driving in this manner were emphasised; and both drivers were told that stopping from these speeds would take approximately three times the distance they would take to stop from the permitted legal limit of 30 mph. Had they been monitored by a police officer on enforcement duty they were advised that they would almost certainly have faced a summons (rather than an offer of a fixed penalty and three points on their licences). 

It is PCSO Conway’s practice personally to visit the worst speeding offenders measured by CSW volunteers. These recent examples are likely to trigger some increased police enforcement activity in the Burton 30 mph area.

High Voltage Distribution Cable 

A public meeting has been arranged, at short notice, by Westernlink to discuss the route of the cable installation which will affect parts of Burton and Pudington. The meeting will be held on Wednesday 8th May starting at 6.30 pm in the Gladstone Village Hall.  There will be a further update on the installation at the Association AGM. 


March

Michael Lyon

It is with deepest regret the Association announces the passing of Michael Lyon. Michael was a former Chairman of the Association during the 1990's.  His Remembrance Service is on Friday 5th April 2.30pm at St. Nichola's Church, Burton.

2013 Burton Residents Association AGM

A date for your diary, this year's AGM will be on Thursday 23rd May at The Gladstone Village Hall, starting at 8pm.

 
Neston Connect Bus Trial

The Neston Connect Bus trial has not been extended and therefore the service has now stopped.  Due to the low numbers of passengers, the service was not viable going foward without financial support.  

February

Ron Colclough

It is with deepest regret the Association announces the passing of Ron Colclough. Ron was a former Secretary of the Association during the 1990's. His funeral took place on Friday 1st March at St. Nicholas' Church, Burton.

News for Music Lovers

On Saturday 9th March, our local Wirral Symphony Orchestra will be performing at Ellesmere Civic Hall from 7.30 pm onwards with the following programme:

Tchaikovsky---Swan Lake Suite and Finale
Ravel---Mother Goose Suite
Rimsky---Korsakov---Scheherazade

Tickets cost £12 (£10 for over 60s, £5 under 16s and students)
Call the Civic Hall Box Office --- 0151 356 6890

2012

December

Neston Connect Bus Service Update

The Neston Connect bus service trial period is now under review. The number of residents using the service from Burton have been very limited, so therefore it is likely the service will be withdrawn, unless more use it.

November
 

Full Time Policing back at Neston

At the November Police Beat Meeting, it was announced that Cheshire Police are planning to bring back a full time police presence to replace several years of skeleton staff manning the Neston police office. New area Inspector, Brian Green, is planning to have seven officers based in Neston, along with three Special Constables, working on a 24 hour, 7 day week shift pattern. The Unit will have its own dedicated response vehicle which will bring down the target times from 15 minutes to an average 5 minutes.  The Association has also been promised more targeted speed enforcement for Burton as well.

New 40 mph speed limit and 30mph zone extension on Neston Road - Update

CWaC have confirmed the work will now start on Monday 12th November and will last for up to ten days while new road markings and signs are installed.  Neston Road from Ness to Burton's Mill Lane Junction will be closed to all traffic, except for access to residents properties and emergency vehicles. 

October
 

Burton Manor - Apple Weekend October 20th and 21st 

Supported by Gordale Nurseries, Art & Craft Workshops open, Wirral Bee Keepers with demonstration hive, advice on fruit growing, many local organisations and food producers and the Neston Company of Archers giving Demonstration and Instruction. Local home made cakes on sale from Can Do Cupcakes.

Public Meeting on Burton Traffic Issues 

The above meeting will be held under the auspices of Cheshire West and Chester Council and will be led by Councillors Kay Loch and Louise Gittins.
Representatives of the Police and the Council Highways Department will be in attendance to listen to the concerns of residents and answer their questions.
This meeting has been organised at the request of the Association and all residents with concerns about traffic in Burton, be it speed, volume, visibility or otherwise, are urged to attend.

The Meeting will be on Wednesday 14th November at the Gladstone Village Hall, starting at 7.30 pm. 

St. Nicholas Proposed Church Extension - Update

A meeting took place between the Association Committee and the Venerable Doctor Michael Gilbertson (Archdeacon of Chester) and the Reverend Mrs Cathy Helm (Vicar of St Nicholas’ Church) on 18^th June 2012 to discuss the proposed Church Extension.  Please see Church Extension page for the minutes of the meeting.  Any further updates on the proposal will be posted on this page.  

Wheelie Bins and Boxes Stolen 

Two residents in Puddington Lane have reported their Wheelie Bins and Recycling Boxes were stolen on Tuesday 2nd October around 4.30pm. The theft was made by a male driving a blue Ford Transit van.  Residents are advised to indelibly mark their bins and boxes with a house name or another identifying mark.  If you have already experienced a similar theft yourselves or witnessed one, please contact the Police on 101 and CWaC on 0300 123 8 123.

New 40 mph speed limit and 30mph zone extension on Neston Road - Latest and other road improvements

Due to the weather, along with CWaC changing their contractor, we have been informed by Highways that work won't start until later on this month/early November.  At a recent meeting with the Highways Department, arranged by the Association, their Senior Engineer Andy Raynor apologised on behalf of the Council for the delay in implementing the new scheme.  Mr Raynor explained, the poor Summer had set back their planned county wide programme of repairs and line re-painting and also, they have decided to their change contractor as well.  He has asked the new contractors to prioritise the work, so it is completed by the end of October, again depending on the weather!  
Other improvements -- After lobbying by the Association, there are now firm plans in place to improve the blind junction of The Village and Puddington Lane by placing minor cross hatching which is designed to protect both sides of the enterance and hopefully improve visability.  
Other plans for The Village include the painting of "Slow" signs on the road, just before the narrow section by Manor Villas.  The pavements opposite Manor Villas are also to be refurbished as well.


September
 

Deeside Incinerator – Update

Last month, NWRWTP (North Wales Residual Waste Treatment Project) announced the council owned former steelworks site on Deeside Industrial Park had been chosen, after the owners of Anglesey Aluminum pulled out of talks on a site near Holyhead.   NWRWTP chose the Deeside brownfield site due to it being away from residential homes and it being linked to the Bidston-Wrexham railway line.   Unfortunately for Burton and Puddington Residents, the proposed location is to the left of Shotton Paper Mill, next to the railway!  As stated previously, the Association opposes the proposal.   For more information on the proposed Deeside Incinerator including an aerial image of the location and press reports … please click on this link.

New 40 mph speed limit and 30 mph zone extension - Neston Road - Update

Due to the poor summer, the contractors working on behalf of the Highways Department are currently behind schedule. Work has now been re-scheduled to start this month. 

June

"Use it or lose it!"

The new Neston Connect bus service is now operational and will run for a trial period of six months.  All residents are reminded that if it is not used in sufficent numbers, it is unlikely that further funding will be available after the trial period......please use it or lose it!


May

New 40mph speed limit - Update

After further discussions with the Highways Department, the consultation process has now been completed with no objections from residents and all the legal changes required have been also been processed.  Unfortunately, the conversion work required cannot start until August at the earliest, as this type of work is usually carried out during school holidays to minimise disruption.

St. Nicholas Proposed Church Extension - Update
 

Over the past twelve months 250 residents of Burton, Puddington and beyond ( including a clear majority of the members of the Association and many local members of the congregation) have registered their opposition to the PCC’s proposal to build a hall extending from the north west corner of the church to the wood behind. They have done this by letter and email to the Association and by signing lists in support of an open letter to the Vicar from twelve members of the congregation. 14 letters have been received in support of the proposal.

 The Association has not detected any hostility to the church and its wish to secure its future by improving its facilities, but clearly there is strong opposition to the present proposal. The main objections identified by the Association are as follows:-

1. Damage to the architecture and appearance of the present building
   • Damage to the unique setting of the church.
     • Disturbance of graves.
       • Disturbance to The Rake.
         • The cost

 The Association has also received a number of constructive alternative suggestions to improve the church’s facilities, the most popular of which are:-

1. Make better use of the Vestry than currently planned, possibly by extending it northwards towards the wood or eastwards (which could widen it by about 10 feet). Floor levels to be changed for ease of access and a small kitchen facility to be installed. Adaptation of the Vestry has been advocated by many people.
   • Make more use of the church itself, possibly by removing another row or perhaps two rows of pews and replacing them with comfortable, collapsible chairs as has already been done in many churches.
     • Install a W.C. in the Vestry and/or adapt/extend the present W.C. at the base of the Tower with access from beneath the west window of the Massey Chapel or, if feasible, from the Tower.
       • The erection of a timber/prefabricated hall on the level ground in the wood behind the church with a short path leading to it and with possible vehicular access from The Village road. The woodland setting could be made attractive and appealing to the young whilst remaining screened from the church by the mature trees on the edge of the wood.

 The Association understands that even if two or three of the above suggestions were to be adopted, they would be less costly than the proposed hall.

All of the matters mentioned above have been covered in correspondence with the PCC over the past twelve months. The Association has also informed the PCC that whilst it has so far adopted a neutral stance in this matter, it would have no alternative but to resist the present proposal on behalf of the substantial majority of its members who are opposed to it, should the PCC decide to press on with its current plan despite strong local opposition.

 Further information will be published on this website as it becomes available.

New 272 Bus Replacement Service
A new service to replace the 272 starts Monday 18th June. Called "Neston Connect", the new mini bus service will operate Monday, Wednesday and Friday and customers can hail the service anywhere on route.  If successful, the service could be extended to Tuesday and Thursday as well.  Neston Connect will run for a trail period until 31st December.  Please see our website page with the planned route and timetable.

April

The Annual General Meeting of the Association takes place on Wednesday 9th May 2012, starting at 8pm in Gladstone Village Hall. All members and local residents, who are not members, are welcome to attend.  Tea, coffee and biscuits will be served after the meeting.



March

New 40mph speed limit  - Update

CWAC have advertised in the local press with the public consultation process is to be completed by the end of the month.  We have also been informed they now plan to extend the existing 30mph zone further in the direction of Ness, with the new 40 mph zone starting just outside Greenacres Stables. From there it will continue North to the Ness border.  This is good news for the households on the right hand side who are not currently in the 30 mph zone.

Burton Nurseries Closure
The adminstrators KPMG have announced the closure of the site on Friday 23rd March due to no buyer being found to take over the running of the business.  The Association is concerned about the future of the site and hope it doesn't become another eyesore similar to the way the closed Petrol Station has become!


A540 Chester Highroad Road Works March/April

CWAC are currently preparing a scheme to resurface the section of the A540 from Hinderton Road through to Liverpool Road. The extent of the works are from outside the Shell petrol station to a point just north of the Liverpool Road traffic signals.

The works are to be completed in two separate phases. Phase 1 – Hinderton Arms crossroads and Phase 2 Hinderton Road to Liverpool Road. The traffic management (TM) associated with this scheme is somewhat complex and will, unfortunately, cause significant disruption as it will be necessary to close the A540 to accommodate the resurfacing works:
Phase 1
Night time working (18:00 through to 7:00) Thursday 26^th, Friday 27^th and possibly Sat 28^th March 2012 OR a full weekend closure from 18:00 Fri 20^th April through to 22:00 Sunday 22^nd April 2012.
During these works the whole crossroads will be closed – A540 in both directions. Hinderton Road and Quarry Road. 
The proposed diversion routes are as follows:
A540 Northbound (to Heswall) -
B5133 Hanns Hall Road, B5151 Birkenhead Road / Willaston Road, B5136 Thornton Common Road / Neston Road / Liverpool Road through to Fiveways junction.
A540 Southbound (to Chester) - 
B5136 Liverpool Road / Neston Road / Thornton Common Road, B5151 Willaston Road / Birkenhead Road, B5133 Neston Road, B5151 Hadlow Road though to Dunstan Lane signals. 

Phase 2
Full road closure from 15:00 Sunday 1 April to 22:00 Thursday 5 April 2012
During these works the road will be completely closed to all through traffic.The proposed diversion routes are as follows: 
A540 Northbound -
B5134 Hinderton Road / Chester Road, High Street, B5136 High Street / Liverpool Road.
A540 Southbound -
B5136 Liverpool Road, Ladies Walk, Raby Road, B5136 High Street, B5134 High Street / Chester Road / Hinderton Road.

February

Closure of Mudhouse Lane - Monday 23rd April 

Please note the following temporary road closure on Mudhouse Lane from the junction of Chester High Road for a distance of 100 metres,  to enable BT Openreach on behalf of A-Plant Lux Traffic to carry out overhead cabling works. The works are due to commence on Monday 23 April 2012 and are expected to last for one day.

Deeside Waste Incinerator - Update

After further investigation, the Association is against this proposal and would encourage all members to sign a local petition, where available (see website link below).  A letter will be sent to the appropiate authorities to outline our opposition to the planned location on Deeside Industrial Estate. 

New 40mph speed limit between Ness and Burton

CWAC have now confirmed due to a lack of funding, installation will now take place in the next financial year (April onwards). In the meantime, a public consultation period will take place over February and March, so the scheme can be introduced as early as possible in the new financial year.


January

New - Deeside Waste Incinerator

We have been informed there are plans to build a Waste Incinerator on Deeside Industrial Estate.  Please see link 
http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Cheshire/Neston/CH64/News/Local-News/213683-Neston-Residents-Urged-to-Fight-Proposed-Deeside-Incinerator
The Association will be monitoring this closely and there will be a further update next month.

New 40mph speed limit between Ness and Burton

 We have chased CWAC and are awaiting a update, as installation was promised before Christmas (see October 2011 section).

Burton Manor Latest

We have been informed by the Friends of Burton Manor,  the University of Chester have not been able to reach an agreement with Liverpool City Council.  The Friends are now discussing several alternative options and there will be a further update next month.

2011 - 

December

Ness Gardens

Are holding various courses from January onwards.  The Organic Gardening course starts on Friday 6th January and places are still available. There is also a full Adult Education Programme which includes 2012's list of courses, workshops and talks. See http://www.nessgardens.org.uk  for more details. 
 

272 Bus public meeting

Amended - 10/1/12 
We have been informed by Councillor Gittins, the meeting arranged for this Monday is not a public meeting but a working Group instead.  The Group consists of local residents, Councillors (CWAC and Neston Town Council), officers and the bus companies.  A Resident will Chair the meeting.

Cheshire West and Chester Council have now arranged a 
public meeting at Ness Gardens on Monday 16th January at 10am to seek views from those who use the 272 service.  All 
our welcome to attend.

Changes to local bus services

Helms Coaches will be introducing a new timetable for their 272 (Ellesmere Port – Neston - Arrowe Park) service from 27^th December. The revised service will no longer serve Burton, Ness or West Vale, residents from those areas can access Arrowe Park Hospital by taking Avon Buses service 24 to Heswall Bus Station, and changing on to frequent services 71 and 72 to travel up to the Hospital. Please go to www.traveline.info or call 0871-2002233 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            0871-2002233      end_of_the_skype_highlighting for the revised timetable.

Burton Manor latest 

Negotiations are still ongoing between the University of Chester and Liverpool City Council.  The Friends of Burton Manor are also exploring alternative ideas to secure the Manor, Atelier and Workshops.  

Saturday 3rd December - Christmas Fair at Gladstone Village Hall starting at 2pm.  Come and see Father Christmas! 

November

The Gladstone Village Hall Committee are looking for volunteers from Burton or Puddington to either stand for the Committee or to help out at the fundraising events throughout the year. If you would like to volunteer,  please contact The Gladstone Village Hall Committee directly.
 
Saturday 5th November - Bonfire and Fireworks Display at Gladstone Village Hall. Open to members of the public from 6.30pm.  --- Stop Press - Attendance figures up on 2010 and a record profit made for the night! 

October

Burton Manor Latest

We believe that Chester University and Liverpool City Council are discussing the potential sale of the Manor to Chester University.
 
New Speed Limit between Ness and Burton

During the summer, the Association was successful in 
lobbying Cheshire West and Chester Highways Department for the introduction of a new 40 mph speed limit on Neston Road.  The new limit would start from the end of the 30 mph zone in Ness to the start of the existing 30 mph zone in Burton.  
The Association believes the lower limit will help to reduce the speed of motorists entering and leaving Burton, as this part of our Village has the worst record for motorists breaking the law.  As of early October 2011, we believe Highways plan to introduce the new limit by Christmas.  

RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands

The new RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands, located on the Old Fisheries site is now open. All Villagers are welcome to take a relaxing walk to experience the sights and sounds of the nature trails which meander through the newly planted reed beds and the Burton pools which have lily pads and colourful wild flowers all around.   
Over the last three years the RSPB has been transforming the land, along with new visitor facilities which include a reception building where RSPB staff will welcome visitors and point out the wildlife that can be seen in the newly created pools and wetlands. The Wetlands were officially opened in September by Iolo Williams, TV wildlife presenter of BBC’s Springwatch. 

May
An elderly woman has died following a road accident in Burton

An 89-year-old woman has sadly died in hospital following a road traffic collision in Burton almost three weeks ago.

Police were called to The Village in Burton just after 4pm on Friday 6th May 2011, where four cars - a Hyundai, a Chevrolet, a Landrover, and a Mini had been involved in a collision. Two men were taken to Arrowe Park Hospital where they were treated for non-life threatening injuries and subsequently released following treatment.

The 89-year-old lady, a passenger in the Hyundai, was taken to the Countess of Chester Hospital, where she sadly died yesterday as a result of her injuries.

Article courtesy of www.aboutmyarea.co.uk

April

The Annual General Meeting of the Association took place at Gladstone Village Hall on Wednesday 13th April. 

Proposed Church Extension - please see correspondence between the Association and St. Nicholas' Church on the proposed Church Extension.

January

1.  Burton Manor College - Liverpool City Council have announced the closure of Burton Manor due to cuts in their 2011/12 budget from 31/3/11.  It is hoped that Chester College may be able to buy the Manor from Liverpool City Council.


Summer 2010 - 

1.  During a Community Speed Watch (CSW) session in the evening of 24th June, a motorist was measured approaching the 30mph sign from Ness at 70mph in the 60mph zone and reducing his speed to 47mph as he passed PCSO Linda Conway and committee member Steve Lord operating a laser speed "gun" well within the 30 mph zone, just by Mill Lane.  Steve commented: "This is the worst recorded speed we have encountered for several years during CSW and as a resident on this stretch of road I consider it is just madness, especially as there are families with young children living so close to the road! On the 17th September this same motorist was recorded by CSW volunteers in Neston Road travelling towards Ness at 40mph in the 30mph zone.  In addition to receiving the usual Cheshire Police warning letters, this driver was visited by Neston police officers who spoke to him of the dangers of such excessive speeds."

If you see any consistent drivers speeding excessively through the Village and are able to note their Registration Number, please contact PCSO Linda Conway directly to report it further at Linda.Conway@cheshire.pnn.police.uk

2.   Haddon Wood has been sold to Woodlands UK Ltd.  Woodlands sell parcels of land off to private buyers (two areas have been sold as of January 2011).