BIG PICTURE
MY family live in Bollington and my two children attend Tytherington School. My eldest son is an insulin dependent type 1 diabetic and an asthmatic.
One of the symptoms he has when he goes hypoglycaemic (low blood sugar) is he becomes very confused and can stumble and act silly.
If he is not rapidly treated he can enter a diabetic coma and immediate medical assistance is required.
Should he have a serious hyperglycaemic or hypoglycaemic event whilst walking to or from school along the Middlewood Way I have significant concerns that the emergency services will take an unacceptable and dangerously long period of time to get to him.
There have been a number of medical emergencies on the Middlewood Way over the past few years (broken ankle, dislocated knee) which have resulted in emergency services being required but delays of more than 45 minutes have occurred because of the very difficult access.
I strongly believe that the safety of our children will be at significant risk should this route continue to be considered a safe walking route to Tytherington School.
I have seen the risk assessment for this route that was submitted to East Cheshire Council in October 2015 (Walking Route to School number CE319, Assessment, Bollington to Tytherington School October 2015).
This assessment is woefully inadequate.
At no point does it consider emergency access to the Middlewood Way nor does it assess the safety of children from stranger danger.
There are stretches of the Middlewood Way bound by 30 foot banks either side of the walkway, and a footpath not overlooked by houses, walkways, or buildings between BC Transport and Clarke Lane bridge and Clarke Lane and the Silk Road bridge (both distances of over 500m).
There is absolutely no opportunity for a child who feels their personal safety is threatened to raise an alarm while on these sections.
The Government’s own guidance (Home to school travel and transport guidance, 2014) states that Local Authorities “should consider data relating to personal safety and security”.
This information is completely missing in the assessment submitted by officers to East Cheshire Council and therefore how can council members have made an informed decision?
I implore the council to reconsider this route. Once all of the evidence and data is available this route will not be considered safe nor an available route for the children of Bollington to walk to Tytherington School. It is not a case of whether a serious medical incident will happen but when. Dr Chris Murdock Bollington
FANTASTIC FESTIVAL
I WOULD like to congratulate the whole Barnaby team on a fantastic opening weekend of the Barnaby Festival.
Every volunteer I encountered was a delight and their passion and enthusiasm for Barnaby, and Macclesfield, has been wonderful.
I have been a Town Councillor for just over one year now and I have never felt prouder to represent Macclesfield. Barnaby Festival, you really know how to bring a whole community together and you have, once again, firmly put Macclesfield on the ‘creative’ map.
Barnaby has been, and I’m sure will continue to be, one of Macclesfield’s finest community events and I couldn’t be more grateful for all the hard work and devotion that their team has put into ALL of the events that make up Barnaby. My wife and I [were] particularly excited to see the finale of ‘The Astronomer’s Story’ on Saturday evening! Coun Adam Schofield Macclesfield West