Midcheshire Independent Issue 190

APRIL 2026 4 MP calls on government to ‘rebuild’ lost family services FROM the beginning of April people living with a terminal illness in Cheshire West and Chester will no longer have to pay coun- cil tax. Cheshire West and Chester Council has agreed to introduce a local exemption to help ease financial pres- sures for residents and their families. The move supports the Marie Curie ‘Dying in Poverty’ campaign, which calls for councils across England to provide addi- tional financial support for people approaching the end of life. The exemption will be delivered through the council’s Council Tax Discretionary Dis- counts Policy. It means that a house- hold can receive a council tax exemption for up to 12 months where some- one living there has been diagnosed with a termi- nal illness and issued with an SR1 form con- firming they have less than 12 months to live. The exemption will begin when the SR1 form is provided to the council and will continue for two months after the date of death. The council will also ensure residents who may benefit from the exemp- tion are supported by welfare officers and made aware of other financial support available, includ- ing national benefits and local schemes such as the Crisis and Resilience Fund, the HELP scheme and Housing Payments. Around 280 people die in poverty every day in the UK, according to Marie Curie’s Dying in Poverty report. Through its Cost of Dying campaign, the charity is calling for councils across England to review the support available for people living with a terminal illness and their loved ones. Marie Curie says the cost of powering medi- cal equipment at home, increased heating needs MODEL -MAKING enthusiasts and fam- ilies from far and wide flocked to Nant- wich for the hugely popular Universal Model Show. Hosted by the South Cheshire Military Mod- elling Club, the annual event at Malbank School and Sixth Form College transformed the venue into a vibrant showcase of creativity, craftsmanship and com- munity spirit. With more than 100 exhibitor stands, visi- tors were treated to an extraordinary variety of scale models and inter- active displays. Highlights included detailed Army, Navy and Air Force exhib- its, intricate model railway layouts, clas- sic car and motorbike replicas, and thrilling remote-control truck and tank demonstrations. Crowds also mar- velled at military weap- onry displays, wartime dioramas, LEGO crea- tions, science fiction fig- ures and a competitive model showcase span- ning multiple categories. There was plenty of excitement for film fans too, as the UK Garrison made a special appear- ance. Darth Vader, Clone Troopers and Stormtroopers patrolled the venue, delighting visitors of all ages. Outside, members of the Crewe and District Military Vehicle Club showcased an impres- sive line-up of mili- tary vehicles, adding even more spectacle to the day. Event organiser Steve Morris said: “It’s been fantastic to see so WORKhas started on a newpedes- trian and cycling route that will connect Northwich railway station to the town centre. The programme to improve walk- ing, wheeling and cycling in the town centre got underway at the begin- ning of March and will continue for five months. Cheshire West and Chester Council was awarded £892,000 from Active Travel England to design and deliver a pedestrian and cycling route connecting the railway station to the town centre. The scheme includes improved pedes- trian crossing points at side roads; reduced speed limits to make on-road cycling safer; a signalised crossing for pedestrians and cyclists over Chester Way; an improved public realm and crossing at the Venables Way junction with Witton Street. Karen Shore, the council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for trans- port and highways, said: “We want to make active travel a convenient choice for more of our residents. We are deliv- ering improvements for Northwich to enable safer, comfortable and efficient active journeys. “The route was identified through previous consultation for our Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan which sets out our walking and cycling networks to be developed.” A timetable of the work has been released by the council: ● Chester Way and Church Road – Monday 2 March to Thursday 16 April ● Witton Street, OldWarrington Road and Station Road – Thursday 16 April to Thursday 14 May ● Venables Road, Albion Road, and Witton Street – Friday 15 May to Friday 19 June ● Station Road, Manchester Road, Vic- toria Road, Kingsway, Church Road & Princes Avenue – Wednesday 17 June to Wednesday 22 July THE Labour MP for Mid Cheshire, Andrew Cooper, is pushing the government to speed up rebuilding commu- nity services to support fam- ilies, through the roll-out of much-anticipated Best Start Family Hubs. In the autumn it was confirmed that Cheshire West and Chester Council would receive £163,352 as part of the rollout of the hubs, and Andrew is keen for the gov- ernment to firm up plans for that funding. Modelled on the successful Sure Start services that were a legacy of the last Labour government, these hubs are set to revolutionise family and community services. Research shows that children who lived within a short distance of a Sure Start centre for their first five years were 0.9 percent- age points more likely to achieve five good GCSEs at grades age 16. Keen to see a return to that support, Andrew is pushing the government to confirm the loca- tion of Best Start Family Hubs in Mid Cheshire, restating his belief that postcodes should not dictate the support available to families. With one in four families with children under five currently unable to access local children’s centres or Family Hubs, Andrew Council launches tax exemption for the terminally ill CROWDS FLOCK TO A MODEL EVENT Popular: The Universal Model Show drew the crowds. (Photo credit: Chris White) Highlights included Star Wars characters (Photo credit: Chris White) many people through the doors. “The standard of mod- els on display has been outstanding, and the atmosphere has been brilliant all day. We’re incredibly grateful to our exhibitors, visitors and volunteers who make this show such a success year after year.” The event attracted hundreds of people throughout the day and raised vital funds for the Mid Chesh- ire Hospitals Charity, a registered charity which support the excellent work of Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Founda- tion Trust. Getting better connected and other expenses linked to terminal illness can create signif- icant financial pressures for households. Carol Gahan, the coun- cil’s cabinet member for finance and legal, said: “No one should have to worry about council tax bills while facing the real- ity of a terminal illness. “By introducing this exemption, we are help- ing to ease some of the financial pressure on residents and their fam- ilies at an incredibly dif- ficult time. “This decision reflects our commitment to supporting vulnerable residents and ensuring people can focus on what matters most – spending time with loved ones and accessing the care and support they need.” Toby North, head of public affairs at Marie Curie, said Cheshire West and Cheshire was one of the first local authorities in the coun- try to provide specific support with council tax to people facing a termi- nal illness. He said: “We now urgently need more coun- cils to adopt a similar approach, to help more people live out their last months, weeks, and days without needing to worry about their bills. “We hope to expand our campaign further, with more councils across Eng- land following suit to ease the financial burden on people at the end of life.” says he is anxious to see a wrong put right. He said: “The government needs to get on with bringing these services back and I have been making the case for areas like Northwich and Winsford to be included in the initial roll-out. “We have the right blueprint and knowledge of what works from the Sure Start days, and I know we can do the same again and make Best Start Family Hubs a huge success, which is why I am pushing for the roll-out to begin Mid Cheshire as soon as possible. “I hope to get answers on this from the government soon.” Charity scam alert POLICE have urging people to stay vigilant following reports of scammers targeting people in Cheshire East. Its officers in Chester and Cheshire East have received sev- eral reports from concerned people who have been approached by an unknown woman claiming to rep- resent a disability charity. In one incident, reported in November 2025, the woman approached a member of the public in a supermarket car park in the Mill Lane area of Chester. She was carrying a card reader and asked for a donation of five pounds. However, the device had been set to £5,000. Fortunately, the transaction was declined. More recently, on Monday March 2, Cheshire Police were contacted after reports that the same woman had been seen asking for dona- tions in the London Road area of Holmes Chapel. The caller reported that the woman was carrying a sign stating she was deaf and was asking members of the public to withdraw cash for her from nearby cashpoints. The caller approached her, chal- lenged her behaviour, and advised that he would contact the police. Following this, the woman then left the area. She is described as being around 25 to 30 years old, approximately 5ft 7in tall and with auburn hair.