S I T TI BI

COMITUM

SANCTA COMORS

Registered at the Post Office as a Newspaper Est. 1893

INCORPORATED WITH THE CONGLETON AND MACCLESFIELD MERCURY

THURSDAY, 1st APRIL, 2010.

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INSIDE: OUR COMPREHENSIVE PROPERTY GUIDE FEATURING LOCAL ESTATE AGENTS

Sex education on the agenda

Page 15

'Bored' teens are at risk Readers' Views

Pages 23-25

Page 56

What’s on... What’s gone...

Pages 34-35

Vicar to say farewell

Page 13

‘Blood brothers fell on man like pack of wolves’ crown court told “Blood brothers” attacked a man like “a pack of wolves on their prey” a court heard.

Easter bonnet designers with a head for heights

Brothers Ross Gilmour, (32), of Sandbach Road, Rode Heath; Ryan Gilmour, (36), of Heath Avenue, Rode Heath and Lee Williams (39) of Park Farm View, Stoke-onTrent, were charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm to Brian Young.

The assault happened at the Royal Oak public house, Rode Heath, on 25th July. All three pleaded not guilty.

Mr Young’s injuries included a bite to his left cheek and thumb, a threeinch cut on his head, bruising and swelling to his left eye and another cut on his eye.

At Knutsford Crown Court on Monday, John Oates, prosecuting, said: “It is a fairly straightforward indictment. Ryan Gilmour hit him with a bottle and all three set on him, punching him and kicking him.

“If three people did something together, it is a joint enterprise. As long as you are satisfied that they were taking some part together it doesn’t matter who did what.”

He said there was already some ill feeling between Mr Young and the defendants, after

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Free Parking - Disabled Access Immediately adjacent to showroom a fight in 2008, but did not discuss the details.

Mr Oates described the attack, which occurred between 11.30-11.45pm, saying that Mr Young had attended a charity barbecue at the Sandbach Road pub with his girlfriend, Maria Leckie.

They were in the smoking area, having a private conversation, when they were approached by Ryan Gilmour who interrupted and said: “What did you say about fighting?”

When Mr Young informed him that it was a private conversation, Ryan Gilmours’s brother, Ross, shouted “You f****** Irish t**t.”

• —Turn to back page.

Alternative town centre plans get thumbs-up at town hall exhibition

Congleton town centre will become “more unified” as a result of new plans for its redevelopment, local residents have claimed.

The alternative proposals by the CWC Group, revealed exclusively to the “Chronicle” two weeks ago, went on public display in a town hall exhibition on Saturday and Tuesday.

They include a “super surgery” built on the Princess Street car park and a supermarket on the site of the existing library, police station and former council offices complex.

The first town centre redevelopment plans, now in the ownership of Scarborough Developments, involve the expansion of the Bridestones to include a new food store, hotel and public square.

But people viewing the new plans at the town hall praised what they saw.

Nino Manci of Lawton Road, who is chairman of Congleton Civic Trust, said CWC’s proposals, which are being promoted by the Jameson group, have “a more unifying effect on the town as a whole”.

Parson Street resident Sylvia Bailey agreed, saying that she thought the plans “bring the town together” and “seem to make it more joined up”.

The plans, which were presented at the exhibition by urban designers e*Scape, outline the provision for more public open spaces and green areas in the town, as well as the relocation of the outdoor and indoor markets.

The former would be moved to the current bus station, while the existing YMCA charity shop on High Street would be converted into what will become “a Covent Garden style” indoor market.

Jo Money, of Congleton Community Projects, told the “Chronicle” that she thought the plans were “very holistic”, saying: “I think it’s interesting to see a comprehensive plan and I particularly like the emphasis on the public realm, such as widening the pavements and planting trees. It’s all very exciting. • —Turn to page 27.

How high can a hat go? These pupils from Quinta Primary School showed that the sky was the limit with their Easter bonnets. Pictured from left are Imogen Miller, Jack Williams, Matthew Donathy and Sam Wesley. For more pictures, turn to page 29. (“Chronicle” photo. 1301a/10).

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