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SALUTE UNSUNG STORE HEROES
HAVING visited Sainsbury’s in Macclesfield on a number of occasions over the lockdown, can I publicly express my gratitude to all the employees.
As we all shop, they create a friendly and welcoming atmosphere with clear regard to the rules.
Trolleys (if needed) are disinfected and wiped down by staff stood outside, in all weather conditions.
Baskets are all cleaned too, ready for use.
On entering the store, a happy smile and hello as you collect a sanitised ‘self-scan’ handset.
If you don’t want a handset you STILL get a friendly cheerful hello.
These front-line workers, masked up but bravely dealing with thousands of customers daily are playing their important role.
They all remain cheerful, professional and in reality, help to keep us all fed.
Shout out and applause to our unsung heroes of the pandemic – retail workers!
Phil Mason,
Penzance Close, Macclesfield
ONLY A FEW WILL BENEFIT
I AM writing out of concern over the recently approved Cheshire East Council budget which is effectively a three-year plan, starting with a 4.99 per cent increase in the coming year’s council tax (plus further increases planned).
The actual increase only equates to around £1 per week for the average household and so is hardly onerous but the devil here is very much in the detail.
No one can deny these are difficult and challenging times, with increasing government expenditure requirements coupled with falling taxation revenues.
We all need to do our bit which includes making sacrifices whilst trying to ensure the vulnerable remain protected.
With this in mind, Cheshire East are reducing the budget for Early Help Services, which provides essential help for vulnerable families across the county.
This is not the only service which is being subjected to cuts but on the face of it, it might seem that such measures are regrettable but necessary in order to meet increased needs from a smaller pit.
If this is the case, how on earth can Cheshire East find a whopping £2.1m for a new youth centre in Crewe, providing greatly increased benefit to only a small and very localised element of the borough (ie the youth of Crewe)?
The new budget appears to be able to find huge sums for useful but not essential projects benefitting the few whilst imposing drastic cuts on essential services for the many.
Is this why the Labour Party, which leads Cheshire East Council, seem to have dropped their famous slogan ‘for the many, not the few’? John Waterhouse, via email
RETURN MUST BE PHASED
I AM completely aghast at the announced intention of the Government to send all school children back to school on March 8.
Like many of my colleagues, Professional Associations, school leaders and teachers it is my view that this is both unwise and hazardous.
My view and that of my many colleagues is that there should be a phased return to school and that conditions for teachers and learners must be safe, which includes the wearing of masks social distancing and a ratio of at least 1:15. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister has now pasted himself into the corner of no u-turns unless driven by the data.
The policy adopted by all four governments in the UK will affect all children of school age which amounts to some 20 per cent of the population - a sizeable figure.
In England alone some 9m children will be going back to school at once.
There is now irrefutable scientific evidence that children are as likely to contact the virus as adults and just as likely as adults to pass it on to each other and their immediate families.
Many children will present as asymptomatic, making it even more difficult to manage without effective and regular testing.
Children will find it hard to social distance.
The average age of these children’s parents is conservatively between 20 and 40 years of age.
They will be almost the only group in the country who will not have received the roll out of the vaccine.
The result will be a spike in all schools and a spike among the age range 20-45 undoing all the sacrifices of lockdown.
This is without allowing for the development of variant versions of the virus which will transmit speedily in the uncontrolled atmosphere of full classrooms.
Frank Vigon,
Windmill Street, Macclesfield
GOT BUDGET ABOUT RIGHT
NO tax rise is ever welcomed but most of us accept that providing the best possible local services does not come on the cheap.
Tough choices have to be made and I think the Labour-Independent Coalition for Cheshire East with their 4.99 per cent budget has got it about right.
Councillor Janet Clowes knows full well that the coalition, like every council (Tory or Labour) in the country, is struggling to meet growing need after a decade of underfunding by Tory led governments.
Jos Saunders knows that the proposed savings on children’s services is to phase out extremely expensive out of county placements with smaller more local provision for those with special needs.
Isn’t that better for most local children and their families and better value for council tax payers?
Finally it is a bit rich for Coun Clowes to complain of cuts for vulnerable residents because many of us have not forgotten that it was she and her Tory friends when they were running Cheshire East who axed practically every respite care home in the area with devastating long-term consequences for older people and their carers, as well as putting more and more pressure on the local health service.
I think we need take no lessons about fairness and caring from the local Conservative Party.
David Wood,
Brynton Road, Macclesfield
THE roadmap out of lockdown has been set out to help navigate a way back to more normal times.
Schools are set to return next week from March 8, and from then nominated named visitors can visit loved ones in a care home.
Before Easter, on March 29, the rule of six will return, enabling outdoor meetings to be permitted, as will a range of outdoor sports.
From April 12, nonessential retail will reopen along with indoor leisure facilities, including gyms.
All these steps have been made possible by the successful rollout of the vaccine programme.
Having visited the vaccination centres in Macclesfield and Poynton, and Andrews Pharmacy over recent weeks, it’s impressive to see the positive progress that has been made.
We are all very grateful for the dedicated work of local doctors, nurses, medical support teams and volunteers in taking forward the rollout.
It is also vital that we deliver economic recovery plans to back local businesses and create more jobs over the months ahead.
The roadmap sets out how outdoor hospitality will re-open from April 12, with indoor hospitality following from May 17.
At the budget on March 3, the Chancellor will set out his latest plans on economic support packages.
Locally, I am continuing to work with Macclesfield Hospitality Action and other stakeholders in our communities to support local pubs, restaurants and cafes as we move forward with the roadmap.
Building on the achievements of the CheshireWorks4U digital jobs fairs, I am now actively supporting the NorthWestWorks4U event planned for early April to help better connect job seekers with available employment opportunities in our area.
Let’s go on playing our part in keeping public health rules to help ensure that we can return to a greater sense of normality in the months ahead.