Westminster Park Residents Association

Bringing our community alive

December 8, 2018
by Jennifer Crew
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Magical evening at Westminster Park Christmas Lights switch on

Over 200 local residents joined in the fun as the children of Belgrave Primary School arrived to sing carols, and Santa appeared just in time to help with the countdown to the Switch on.

Belgrave School choir sang at the Lights Switch on

The Sheriff of Chester, Councillor Stuart Parker, praised the children of Belgrave Primary School for their excellent singing at the Christmas Lights Switch on at Westminster Park shops on Thursday 6 December.

The event was organised by Westminster Park Residents’ Association (WPRA) and was generously supported by Councillors Razia Daniels and Neil Sullivan, who enabled the purchase of new lights this year from their Members’ Budgets.

Plenty of refreshments were provided free for residents to enjoy.  WPRA supplied mulled wine and juice, Bebbington’s butchers cooked hotdogs, the fishmonger provided prawns and the Co-op generously contributed a selection of mince pies and cakes.

Santa rounded off the evening by listening to the children’s Christmas wishes and giving them an early present of sweets and satsumas.

The Sheriff of Chester, Cllr Stuart Parker, Cllrs Razia Daniels and Neil Sullivan join the WPRA committee at the Christmas lights switch on.

Santa arrived just in time to help with the countdown.

Our PCSOs joined in the festive spirit – thank you!

The Sheriff of Chester Cllr Stuart Parker congratulated the choir on their singing.

December 4, 2018
by Jennifer Crew
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Come and join us for our Christmas Lights Switch on at Westminster Park Shops, 4.45pm, Thursday 6 December

We do hope that you will be able to join us for our festive evening at 4.45pm, Thursday 6 December, when the Sheriff of Chester, Stuart Parker, will switch on our Christmas Lights at Westminster Park shops.
The children at Belgrave Primary School have been practising their carol singing, the Christmas tree is up and ready, the mince pies and mulled wine are being prepared and Santa’s Grotto will be decorated ready for his arrival…. It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!
Come along at 4.45pm to welcome the Sheriff and help us count down to the lights being switched on at 5pm. We will then be entertained by singing from the Belgrave choir and a visit from Santa. There will be hot dogs, fresh prawns, mince pies and mulled wine for the adults to sample and Santa will be handing out sweets and satsumas to the children.
The event has been organised by Westminster Park Residents’ Association and is generously supported by Councillors Razia Daniels and Neil Sullivan, together with our local shops: Bebbington’s Butchers, Bebbington & Williams Fishmongers, Francis Thomas Greengrocers and the Coop.
We look forward to seeing you.
Westminster Park Residents’ Association

November 26, 2018
by Dave Craggs
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WPRA Garden Club – Summary of activity 2018 and plans for 2019.

2018.

The Garden Club has had another successful year. Our Spring meeting on “Edible Landscaping “and our Autumn meeting on “Making the most of your garden space” were each attended by between 20 and 30 residents including a core of regular stalwarts.

Unfortunately we have had to raise our charge to members from £3 to £4 per meeting to meet the increased costs of attracting good speakers.

We are keen to attract new supporters to our meetings. We cater for all types of gardener from the novice to the aspiring Monty Dons.

Any ideas to assist in doing so would be appreciated.

Three trips were organised during the year – Bodnant Gardens, Bodrhyddan Hall and the Shrewsbury Flower Show.

The numbers who commit to our trips is highly variable and as such we have adopted a self drive, car share policy.

In the summer the Garden Club Committee members ran a plants stall at the Belgrave School summer fayre. This was well supported and proceeds have been forwarded to the WPRA treasurer.

Committee members also thoroughly enjoyed judging the Belgrave pupils plant competition.

At the end of October Club members planted a further 600 crocus corms in front of the WP shops and yet more daffodils. This year we focused on two sites, the first on Vincent Drive and the second on Rowcliffe Avenue. Both these plantings were at local residents request.

Whilst we have lots of ideas for further plantings we are also keen to receive site suggestions from WP residents.

2019

We are currently finalising our program for the Gardening Clubs 10th year. We are planning the following activities:

Our Spring talk is set for Wednesday 24th April. We hope to have a talk from Stephen Gore, the head gardener from Stretton Old Hall near Malpas. We are then proposing to follow this talk up with a visit to the gardens later in the year.

Our Autumn talk is provisionally set for Wednesday 9th October and we hope will be by Carol Madden  who will talk on “Beautiful Bulbs”.

In addition to the trip to Stretton Old Hall Gardens we are also planing two further outings:

13th June : Laskett Gardens near Ross on Wye. These fascinating gardens have been created by Sir Roy Strong and his late wife Julia Trevelyan Oman and are now managed by Perennial , the Gardeners Royal Benevolent Society. Whilst it is possible to do this as a day trip some may wish to make it an overnight trip to maximise time in these delightful gardens.

22nd September; Powis Castle: The gardens are well worth a trip in the Autumn. The gardens and Castle are National Trust and as such are free to Trust members.

Belgrave School are planning to repeat of their garden competition for the pupils in 2019 and we have offered to judge entries. We also plan to run a Club stall at a summer fayre if possible.

Garden Club Committee : Mandy Butler, Mary Pole, Mike Pollard, Christine Robinson

November 15, 2018
by Dave Craggs
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‘Tis the season… and Westminster Park will soon be switching on their Christmas Lights

Belgrave School choir singing at last year's Christmas Lights Switch-on at Westminster Park.

Belgrave School choir singing at last year’s Christmas Lights Switch-on at Westminster Park.

With Christmas fast approaching, the residents of Westminster Park are gearing up for an evening of festive fun on Thursday 6th December 2018 when their Christmas Lights will be switched on by the Sheriff of Chester.

This festive treat will include singing by the Belgrave Primary School choir, seasonal refreshments supplied by Westminster Park Residents’ Association and the local shops, music and a visit from you know who!

Starting at 4.45pm with the arrival of the Sheriff of Chester, Councillor Stuart Parker, this local event is a family friendly celebration of the start of the festive season.  At 5pm the Sheriff will count down to the Christmas lights switch-on and then Belgrave Primary School choir will entertain the crowd with a selection of Christmas songs.  To complete the exciting evening, Santa will be putting in an appearance to reward the youngsters with satsumas and sweets.

During the evening, refreshments will be served with the generous assistance of Westminster Park shops: hotdogs from S.J. Bebbington Butchers, mince pies from the Co-op, prawns from Bebbington & Williams Fishmongers and mulled wine courtesy of Westminster Park Residents’ Association.

This local event would not be able to take place without the amazing support of local councillors Neil Sullivan and Razia Daniels.  This year they have not only most generously provided help from their Members’ Budget to purchase a Christmas tree, but have also enabled the local community to buy some new lights for the permanent trees by the Westminster Park shops car park.

November 2, 2018
by Jennifer Crew
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Revised Wrexham Road plan in WP pharmacy window

Take a look at revised Wrexham Road plans

The new layout for the estate to be built by Redrow and Taylor Wimpey on the Wrexham Road is on display in the window of Westminster Park pharmacy on Castlecroft Road. 

The developers’ latest plans request full planning permission to build 786 houses on Wrexham Road (nearly the same number as Westminster Park).  This is the first phase of a 1300 house development.

It seems likely that the plans will be considered by Cheshire West and Chester Council’s planning committee at their January 2019 meeting.

You have the opportunity to let the Council know your views now.  You may be concerned about the impact on traffic and surface drainage, the design and composition of housing (no bungalows for an ageing population), the land allocations for the school and open space and the provision of an ecological mitigation area which is bisected by Lache Lane.  

Make your views known. 

Copies of all plans can be viewed online or at Lache Library and you can comment on them in a variety of ways: by writing, emailing or commenting via the CWaC website.

Accessing the CWAC website to submit your comments is not very straightforward.  However, one of our members has provided step by step instructions which will help you navigate the CWaC website more easily.  The instructions can be found on our website – www.wp-ra.org.uk.  A paper copy is also available; please call 01244 677373 or email: sandymagilton@googlemail.com if you would like to receive one.

If you prefer to email your comments, send to: planning@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk or by post, write to:  Development Management, 4 Civic Way, Ellesmere Port CH65 0BE

It is most important that you copy your comments across all applications if you wish your views to be taken into account.

The application numbers are:

17/02444/FUL           Construction of an ecological mitigation area for the translocation of Great Crested Newts,  Lache Lane

17/02453/OUT          Part A – (full permission) for phased development of 483 dwellings and associated infrastructure (including playing fields/open space); Part B – (outline permission – all matters reserved apart from access) for a local centre plus an outdoor play area) and a primary school with associated playing fields.  Redrow

17/05200/FUL           Full planning permission for the demolition of the existing buildings and the phased delivery of 786 dwellings and the provision of associated infrastructure (including roads, footpaths, cycleways, landscaping, playing fields, children’s play areas and other open spaces). Taylor Wimpey and Redrow

17/05201/OUT          Outline application for a phased development of up to 1,400 dwellings; a local centre (comprising supermarket, shops, cafe/restaurant and public house; a nursery/creche); a primary school with associated playing fields; associated infrastructure.  Taylor Wimpey