THURSDAY, 10th MARCH, 2011.

Cat thieves on prowl

Teams take the strain Readers'ViewsPages21-25 Page 13

Page 4

What’s on... What’s gone...

Pages 18&20

Stock girls to get explanation about losing restaurant

Win as UGO!

Page 14

By Chris Young Two Congleton businesswomen on the verge of losing the restaurant they run to a Merseyside company, have described the support they have received from the town as “overwhelming.” And it has emerged that Cheshire East Council, criticised for awarding the contract for running Stock at the Pavilion to the Echelon Group, is to meet Louise Probert and Lisa Whitehurst, currently managing the restaurant, to explain its controversial decision.

Stock was their first business venture, but last Friday the authority informed the pair their lease would end next month to make way for the Echelon Group which owns numerous restaurants in Liverpool.

Miss Probert and Miss Whitehurst were running the business on a temporary contract, but expected it to be extended for another five years when the council put it out to tender. Instead, Echelon was chosen as the council’s preferred company despite gaining just two percentage points more than Stock in an evaluation process.

The decision not to award i t to a local company led to an unprecedented number of letters being written by furious members of the pub

20A, MILL STREET, CONGLETON.

Telephone: (01260) 270769 Charmline®

l ic angry to explain the decision. Council representatives are meeting with the pair tomorrow (Friday). Congleton MP Fiona Bruce has also pledged support for Stock.

Miss Probert said that in just a few days more than 500 Congletonians have signed a Save Our Stock petition. She added: “We have met so many people about it and there isn’t anyone who hasn’t said they support us. We have had a meeting with the MP and it went really well.

“We feel there isn’t a great deal more we can do — the council need a legal reason to change their mind, even if the MP supports us.”

She added: “We would like to thank everybody for their support, but we need to keep it going. If we let the campaign slip away it will be doing the council a favour. We need to keep the momentum going.

“The support so far has been overwhelming. We never dreamed that so many people would care about this issue. The amount of people who have got behind us has been amazing. Even if the council’s decision isn’t overturned, I feel that we will carry the support to our next venture.”

Of tomorrow’s meeting she said: “I think there will be six or seven people from the council attending. It is purely to discuss our tender and what the weaknesses of it are.” • —Turn to back page.

Congleton Mayor David Brown was gasping for a Fairtrade brew at Congleton Town Hall on Saturday as the town celebrated Fairtrade Fortnight. There were numerous stalls selling ethically sourced food and drink in an attempt to encourage people to switch to Fairtrade products. For more details and pictures turn to page 28. (“Chronicle” photo. 1025a/11).

Cabbies dodge forced fare rise

Congleton taxi drivers are celebrating news that changes to the way they operate — predicted by some as having “catastrophic” consequences — will not go ahead for now.

On Monday, Cheshire East Council’s Licensing Committee discussed a shake-up up of the borough’s hackney carriage service.

The goal was to harmonise services between the Congleton, Crewe and Macclesfield areas. Options included raising fares in Congleton and ending a cap on the number of cabs allowed. There is currently a limit of 42 in the Congleton zone.

prices.

Dave Wilcocks, speaking on behalf of Congleton’s cabbies at the meeting, said: “In the current climate business has gone downhill and mostly these businesses are one man bands. The fact is, trade has diminished in the past few years. For Congleton, a big increase in fares would be catastrophic. • —Turn to back page.

A consultation with taxi drivers revealed an overwhelming opposition to changes from Congleton cabbies, and at the meeting one told councillors that the shake-up would further damage their fragile trade.

Taxi fares are higher in Crewe and Macclesfield than in Congleton. A two-mile journey in Congleton costs £4.40 while the same journey in Crewe costs £5.60.

Drivers have asked for a small rise in fares to match risin fuel

See next week’s “Chronicle” for a chance to win a family ticket to

Gulliver’s World, Warrington, this Easter.

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