6 The Chronicle, Thursday, 9th February, 2012. www.chronicleseries.co.uk

Markets

Revamp work will swing into action at play area

Chelford

FRESH CALVES (127): 30 lack and white calves sold to £145 (£85.90); 80 bull calves averaged £175.96; 47 heifer calves averaged £197.96.

Heifers were a couple of bids easier. Black and white calves were the best average for many years.

Bulls: Holstein x (23): (£78.83) to £145 (Astbury); Friesian (7): (£109.14) to £138 (Hassall); Ayrshire (1): to £38; Hereford (2): (£216.50) to £288; Red (1): to £126 (Astbury); Simmental x (11): (£274.27) to £348; Limousin (8): (£259.38) to £365 (Bradwall); Blonde D’Aquitaine (2): (£235) to £290 (Chelford); British Blue (11): (£263.64) to £350 (Astbury); Jersey (1): to £30 (Church Lawton); Shorthorn (3): (£113) to £134; Galloway (1): to £165 (Allostock); Aberdeen Angus (7): (£236.86) to £275 (Betchton); Brown Swiss (1): to £75 (Bosley); Montbeliarde (1): to £174 (Church Lawton).

Heifers: Holstein x (2): (£47) to £44 (Byley); Simmental x (17): (£218.24) to £260 (Sutton); Limousin x (2): (£147) to £270 (Mobberley); Blonde D’Aquitaine x (3): (£170.33) to £228 (Chelford); British Blue (19): (£218.68) to £280 (Astbury); Aberdeen Angus (4): (£135) to £80 (Tabley).

POULTRY: the first family of the year, a silky cross pullet with her brood of 12 made £50; superb quality Rhode Island Red ullets achieved £28 each. Most ure breeds fared well, Jersey Giants £16, Frizzled pekin £16, Favorelles and silky cross pullets £14 and a stunning blue Cochin ullet £20. There were several lots of Old English Game with the best achieving £16 per head, other best prices included Light Sussex £12, Marans £10.

Few turkeys were in evidence, Bowbon reds £12, other large stock included geese £10, peacock £22. Unusual pigeons were opular with Poutters reaching £16 and Shield Owls £12.

STORE AND BREEDING CATTLE (149): the best of the dairies came from the Cloudview Herd of pedigree Holstein Friesians, plenty of interest from the ringside, so apparent that many more could have been sold, top call was £1,980 with some 3rd/4th lactation cows selling to £950.

Outfits met a similar fast trade,

MONDAY, 13th FEBRUARY

Store and Breeding Sheep at 12.30 p.m. Flock Dispersal of 60 Texel and Charollais x Ewes due 7th March.

Frank Marshall, Chelford

Tel: 01625 861122

Ref: Nigel Ashley

C0490h selling to £1,320 for a Hereford cow and steer calf, further lots £1,110 – £1,200 and the best in-calf cows to 930gns (£976.50) for a Pedigree Simmental carrying her second.

STORE CATTLE: some great store cattle about, well received on the whole, selling to a headline grabbing £1,280 for a brace of Limousin x steers from Staffordshire suckler-man Stuart Marson.

One or two runs of decent summering cattle, plenty over £700 including black and whites to £785 and youngsters regularly over £700, to a top of £930 for yearlings.

In the heifer section trade remained very similar. Young pedigree Limousin to £880.

Plenty of heifers over £700 with the best youngsters looking the best trade on the day.

Young bulls were possibly not just as fast as recent weeks, Angus x to £560 and young Blondes to £520.

Steers: Limousin x (20 months old) £1,280; Simmental (22 months old) £975; Simmental x (12 months old) £930; Simmental x (22 months old) £845; Sussex x (20 months old) £825; Longhorn x (18 months old) £790.

Heifers: Limousin x (11 months old) £880; British Blue x (11 months old) £820; Blonde x (11 months old) £800; Aberdeen Angus x (12 months old) £765; Sussex x (21 months old) £760; Limousin x (22 months old) £750.

Bulls: Aberdeen Angus x (nine months old) £560; Blonde x (six months old) £520; British Blue x (nine months old) £430.

PIGS (221): the 13 cull sows and boars was a small entry with the best meated sows to 70p.

Two boars to 50p (39.17p); 11 sows to 70p (61.47p).

The 121 butchers’ pigs met an easier demand in line with national outlets. Only the very best gilts over 100p to a top of 113p.

Prices: 12 porker to 100p (93.06p); 24 cutter to 108p (98.40p); 58 baconer to 113p (85.36p); overweight (27): to 98p (72.50p); 121 overall average 84.75p.

The 87 store and breeding pigs were harder work following on from the butchers’ pigs.

Prices £55 at 54kg; £55 at 49kg; £29 (Pietrain x) at 16kg; £18 at 32kg; £17 at 19kg.

STORE AND BREEDING SHEEP (109): ewes and twins to £162, hoggets to £89. Still demand for stores selling to a top of £89.

LOADS OF FARM PRODUCE (64): of the 12 loads of haylage and silage which were well sold, the best horse quality haylage made £75, wrapped silage £24 with a whole variety of prices in between.

Best quality small bay still commanded a premium price at up to £155 with other loads of

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£150. The best big bale hay made over £100, but there were more loads under that level today than above, with the general run £80 to £95, £10 per tonne back on last week’s prices.

Reports around the country indicate a generally slow trade for hay, but a keen trade for straw, with only one load of straw failing to meet vendors’ expectations. Big bale barley straw made £78 to £110, with most loads in the £80s and wheat straw £68 to £85 per tonne.

Big bale oat straw £58 to £85 per tonne for the three loads on offer. Two loads of rape straw made £46 and £58 per tonne.

RED MARKET: 20 cows to 152p for cow/heifer, big cows over 120p.

EGGS (645 DOZEN): only a small entry of hen eggs with large to £1.10, medium £1.30 and small 75p; 74 dozen duck eggs to £3.20 (£3); seven goose to £1; 10 dozen quail to £1; netted rabbits to £2.75.

POTATOES (1,394 bags): Wilja to £2.50 (£2); Nadine to £2.50 (£2); Piper to £2.75 (£2.50); Cara to £2.50 (£2.50); Celine to £2.50 (£2.50); Valor to £1.25 (£1.75); Romano to £2.50; Nadine 10kg to £2.25; Harmony to £2.50 (£3); box bakers x 40 £5.25; 515 stock feed carrots to £1.

PACKAGES

OF

VEGETABLES (1,430): leek x 5kg to £3 (£2.50); dirty carrot x 12.5kg to £1.50 (£1); washed carrot x 12.5kg to £2.25 (£2); swede x 12.5kg to £5.25 (£4); cabbage x 12 to £2.50 (£2); Savoy x 12 to £3 (£2); spring cabbage x 10 to £3.50 (£3); onion x 12.5kg to £3.50 (£3.25); sprout x 20lb to £3.50 (£3); beetroot x 12.5kg to £1.75 (£1.50).

CULL COWS, OTM STEERS AND CULL BULLS (133): the 85 black and white cows to £1,049.90 (£749.01).

Twelve cows over £1,00 and one bull at £1,547. Market average 118.07p. The 12 cows 140p and above helped but it was the trade for the hat racks that had the greatest effect. Very few under 100p. Even grazers were 120p/£600 plus.

Cows: Limousin x at 854kg 187p or £1,596.98; British Blue x at 780kg 164p or £1,279.20; British Blue x at 718kg 167p or £1,119.06; Limousin x at 748kg 154p or £1,161.16.

Cull cow: Holstein x (71): (112.58p) to 147p; Friesian (14): (115.02p) to 134p.

BUTCHERS’ SHEEP (745): 681 old season head sold to 238p for 42.2kg Texel Beltex crosses from M Shaw, Tideswell; overall average 206.2p.

Short on numbers and with a very large proportion of heavy lambs, over 45kg and many over 50kg. Export weight top quality lambs at their usual premium with most trade for 37-43kg but a super selection of heavyweights showed that selling by auction remains far and away the best way of achieving best prices, with several pens of 50kg plus lambs over 220p.

Averages: premium to 238p (223.5p); prime to 217p (211.5p); others to 196p (189.5p).

CULL EWES AND RAMS (63): top price £108.

Ewes averaged £77.47; rams averaged £74.07.

BUTCHERS’ CATTLE (104): Pam Hillard flew the flag for female producers with a Blonde steer which led the day at 218p with best of the heavyweights to 208p.

Andy Gibbon’s load of heifers and bulls were generally heavier than in recent weeks, but a super Limousin cross led the heifers at 214p, just beating an equally good Limousin cross Shorthorn at 212p.

Top bull at 204p, a massive Limousin cross which grossed £1,395.36, with several other heavy bulls over £1,300; 53 bulls in total stretched the buyers, but they responded well, particularly considering the shortage of smart, handy weights. Plenty of black and whites were from 160-170p.

Prices: steers (20): to 218p (173.4p); heifers (31): to 214p (180.5p); bulls to 204p (172.9p); overall average (104): 175.2p

Steers: premium to 218p (202.5p); prime to 196p (187.2p); other to 174p (161p).

Heifers: premium to 214p (201.8p); prime to 188p (183.5p); other to 174p (167.5p).

Bulls: premium to 204p (197.8p); prime to 188p (183.2p); other to 172p (161p).

‘Smashing’ trade at Leek saw top price of £2,180

A smashing trade last Tuesday saw a top price of £2,180 and six to over £2,000 out of the 33 milkers forward at Leek Market.

Top call went to first-time vendors Messrs Richardson, of Audley, for a stylish heifer by Painley Kayak. She was sold giving 30kg; realising £2,180 she went to Messrs Sherwin, of Sproston. A second from the same home made £2,020 to the same purchaser.

A nice heifer by Durham Ross from Mark Jolliffe, of Yarlet, reached £2,100. She was sold giving 30kg and was purchased by Messrs Burton, of Basford, who also took a heifer from Messrs Brookes, of Field at £2,080.

Cows peaked at £1,710 for a fourth calver from Henry Prince, of Roston.

Averages: Q1 heifers to £2,180 (£2,008); Q2 heifers to £1,680 (£1,579); Q2 cows to £1,710 (£1,570).

The current toddlers’ play area. Work is about to start on Bromley Farm toddlers’ play area.

When finished, it will be double the size and include a large multi-activity climbing play structure, a four-way springer and a rotating pole and platform.

who attend the Stay and Play session, run from Bromley Farm Community Centre by staff from Congleton Children’s Centre.

Through a tendering exercise, the trust developed a scheme which doubles the size of the existing toddler play area.

The revamp is the result of an agreement between Plus Dane Housing and Cheshire East Council. Last year, the housing association was granted permission to demolish Bromley Mill on Bromley Road and build 12 houses on the land. The permission came with the condition that Plus Dane agreed to pay £10,000 to fund improvements to local public open spaces.

And residents decided it would be best spent on the play area at Bromley Farm.

Bromley Farm Community Trust asked for local’s opinions on what they would like to see installed there.

The trust consulted with residents, parents and children

Trust chairman Glen Williams said: “I am really excited that we are able to provide a refreshed play area for our youngest residents. It enables us to complement the existing provision and provide a number o new challenges for young people and a pleasant environment fo parents to enjoy. The trust is very grateful to Plus Dane Group in enabling us to deliver this project earlier than expected.”

There will be a special launch event during April.

The equipment will be installed at the same time as an adventure assault course for older children at the same location, which was funded through a lottery related grant.

(Submitted photograph).

Chance to join the town council

No one has put their name forward for election to Congleton Town Council following the death in office of Town Mayor Coun David Martin in December.

Now the council will co-opt a new member and anyone wishing to apply has until 24th February to contact town clerk Brian Hogan. Candidates must be 18 or over and have lived, worked or owned land in Congleton for at least 12 months.

Mr Hogan told the “Chronicle” that an election would have cost £10,000 because of ward boundary changes.

Last year, three small town wards were merged into the large West Ward, which Coun Martin represented. So any by-election would require the council to contact half the town to inform residents of the election, and set up and staff several polling stations.

New bungalows plan ‘will create even more traffic’

Every resident of a block of retirement apartments are among the dozens of people to oppose a proposed housing development.

Plant Developments, based in Newcastle-Under-Lyme, plans to build 16 bungalows on land south of Tudor Way — land that isn’t in the town’s official settlement zone.

But residents say traffic on surrounding roads has become “unacceptable” since charges were introduced in the town’s car parks in 2010, and that 16 new houses will make things worse.

Despite Plant planning a new access road and 30 parking spaces, residents believe visitors to the new homes parking on the road and extra traffic will bring misery to their area.

Congleton Town Council has already objected to the plan, saying it was premature to build houses in the countryside before the town’s neighbourhood plan was complete. That plan will designate areas where houses should be built in the future, and does not include this area of land.

One of the objections is from Audrey Goncalves, chairman of the Priestly Court Management Company. The group represents the people who live in the 39 apartments of the Howey Lane property. She argues that the roads in the area are already clogged with traffic, including workers trying to avoid parking charges and people visiting a nearby burial ground.

She said: “The traffic situation from the bottom of Moody Street all the way to Congleton Town burial ground is already unacceptable. The introduction of parking charges has meant that Howey Lane, Howey Hill and Tudor Way are now being used as all day parking by commuters.”

She adds that parked cars have virtually turned the road into a single lane, and adds: “This situation can only be made worse with more housing and the associated traffic it will generate.

“Whilst we understand the need for housing, further traffic on these very narrow roads, which are never gritted during bad weather, is a major concern to all residents in the area.”

The “Chronicle” has recently reported on how commuters parking in this area of the town had led to conflicts with some disgruntled residents leaving notes on parked cars.

Other residents have sent planning officers photographs o roads leading to the proposed housing development site clogged with cars.

Cheshire East Council’s housing department has said that i the proposals are approved, Plant Developments must provide more than £17,000 in contributions to public open space and children’s play facilities.

The council’s Strategic Planning Board will make a decision at a meeting later this month. Burglar (15) told he is ‘in the last chance saloon’

The Chronicle, Thursday, 9th February, 2012. www.chronicleseries.co.uk 7

A 15-year-old has avoided prison for committing his second burglary in a year, despite carrying out a mini crime wave while he was on bail.

But a magistrate told the boy, who admitted he sed to buy alcohol with his pocket money, that he was in the “last chance saloon.”

The teen, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was instead given a threemonth curfew and a yearlong youth rehabilitation order. Magistrates refused to relax the curfew so the oy could go out and play football.

Magistrate Phillip Edgeworth was about to send him to a young offenders’ institute but a lastminute plea by the boy’s social worker made him change his mind.

On 2nd December the boy was part of a group that broke into a property on Swan Street, Congleton. Cash, alcohol, a Nintendo DS game system and jewellery was stolen, and while inside the group used the toilet and vomited in the bathroom.

The defendant was found with the Nintendo a few days later and arrested. He admitted eing involved in the burglary, ut said he was too drunk to remember much of it.

He appeared in court in December when it was revealed that the crime was committed while he was serving a conditional discharge for another burglary in July.

The case was deferred for sentencing, but while on bail the teen committed several other offences, including three incidents of theft at Tesco on Barn Road, Congleton, on 9th January.

Over the course of the day he stole four bottles of whiskey, two bottles of amaretto and razor blades, in total £130 worth of goods.

He later stole a bicycle from Congleton train station, because his train did not arrive on time, and cycled home drunk.

Beverly Dobson, prosecuting, said the fresh-faced teen had probably stolen the items to sell. She added: “I can’t imagine he needed £60 worth of razorblades himself.

“He admitted selling a couple of the bottles of alcohol. When his home was searched police only found a couple of bottles of Budweiser.”

A probation service report said the boy had expressed no remorse over the incident.

But Tim Edgeley, defending, said: “He accepts he did it and he is sorry. He is an individual who embraces the wrong people.

“He realises if he continues along this route he will be unemployable. He needs help and not just the short-term solution of a custodial sentence.”

Mr Edgeley asked that if magistrates chose to punish him with a curfew, could they relax it one night of the week so the youth could play football.

When asked what he had to say for himself, the boy replied: “I’m getting older, I want to make something of myself — I can’t go on robbing all the time. I do get in with the wrong crowd of people. I stop going round with them now.”

Mr Edgeworth said: “If you continue this path, all the things you like will be taken away from you. If you want a good life and a career you have to settle down.”

When asked what he felt about the burglary the youth said: “I’m sorry. I didn’t take much, but that’s not the point.”

The boy’s grandfather was present and said: “He’s got to realise he is on the wrong track.”

The court had been told how the teen had spent years involved in alcohol and drugs including cannabis and cocaine.

When asked how he paid for these, he said: “I used to buy alcohol with pocket money.”

His grandparents said they stopped giving him money when they found out what he was spending it on.

Magistrates started deliberating the sentence, but were then called back to hear a plea from a social worker. She said the boy had a difficult past, and had trouble showing any emotion, but was learning from his mistakes.

Sentencing the boy, Mr Edgeworth said: “You don’t know how lucky you are today. Had it not been for that last minute intervention you may well have gone to prison today, and you were looking at 18 months.

“If you commit any further offences from now on, prison is what you’ll have to look forward to. You are in the last chance saloon. Every time you leave your home, think about that.”

His curfew will be between 7pm and 7am. Dismissing the request for leniency so he could play football, Mr Edgeworth added: “This is meant to be a punishment.”

EverydaylowpricesUpto60%off

Longevity is no marvel when it burdens council budget: council leader

Cheshire East Council leader Wesley Fitzgerald, (73), said next year’s budget had been the most difficult in his 50-year career, the rising number of elderly people eing the main concern. At Monday’s Cabinet meeting in Crewe on Monday, Coun Wesley Fitzgerald said increasing longevity was beginning to turn from “wonderment” into a serious problem and he had sought top-level Government help.

As previously reported, the council must cut around £20m million from its 2012/13 budget.

Coun Fitzgerald said: “I have een doing budgets for 50 years, and even in the hard times of the 70s I have never known a year like the one just gone and the one that’s about to come.

“We are winning despite a fantastic reduction in Government money, inflation and energy costs.”

He said the council received much less Government funding compared to many other authorities, despite the fact that the borough had one of the highest pro-

ortion of elderl residents in need of care.

Coun Fitzgerald said: “I have spoken to the Chancellor and reminded him about the demographic we’ve got in the borough and how serious it’s becoming.

“Before, it was a matter of wonderment but it has become a very serious bill for our ratepayers and a very serious concern.”

He said the council had written to George Osborne in the hope of increased Government funding for future years.

But he defended the budget, adding: “We are a very low cost borough, and we should be very proud of that. We are giving excellent value for money.”

Coun Roland Domleo, head of adult services, told the meeting that last year, 156 elderly “selffunders” had run out of money and now required council help at a cost of around £3m a year.

Although not all the details of cuts have been revealed, Coun Rhoda Bailey said the council would be reviewing the borough’s CCTV cameras, as many were based in areas where crime related roblems had “lon one awa ”.

Tel: 01782 774 113 www.freeport-talke.com