Welcome to this week's newsletter.
A couple of bits of topical news for Nantwich today. We have both the return of the Nantwich Food Festival and also the opening of the new skatepark on the Barony!
I know people from across the area and actually the whole country enjoy the Food Festival. Te much-loved Nantwich Food Festival is back! The town centre will be transformed into a “food lovers’ paradise”.
It’s one of the UK’s largest free-entry food festivals, bringing together the best local talent and produce. There’s enough for all the family to enjoy this weekend!
I’m sorry I can’t be there to volunteer myself this year as I’m still recovering from surgery after my fractured ankle. I encourage everyone to go along and support and remember this is all put on by a group of incredible volunteers!!
Find more here nantwichfoodfestival.co.uk
Huge thanks to Alexander Donlon and Rich Ryan on the skatepark front. Alexander approached me and got the campaign started and both of them have done their bit to to ensure we got a park that will be really popular with users.
Nationally we have two law and order related announcements below on zombie knives and sentencing hearings.
On school buildings which has been in the news-I have been told we don't have any affected schools in Crewe & Nantwich constituency (your children might go out of area though). I have also checked this change for schools doesn't mean more has to be done at Leighton and have been advised they already have a more enhanced programme for managing the concrete in question in the NHS.
Have a great weekend.
New Skatepark at The Barony
Criminals to be forced to attend sentencing hearings
Crackdown on Knives
Crewe's Crucial Role in WW2
Crewe Heritage Day
My Casework this week
Traffic Report
CRIMINALS TO BE FORCED TO ATTEND SENTENCING HEARINGS ⚖️
The Government has this week announced plans to introduce a new law which means that convicted criminals can be forced to attend their sentencing hearings in court. This change gives custodians the ability to use “reasonable force” if necessary, and criminals will potentially face an extra two-years in prison for ignoring a judge’s order. The new law will apply to all cases where the maximum sentence is life imprisonment.
This change follows the high-profile case of convicted baby-killer Lucy Letby who refused to attend her sentencing hearing earlier this month and hear from the victims and families of her heinous crimes. There have been calls since Letby’s sentencing from victim groups who have felt aggrieved that perpetrators of crime were being allowed to ignore the pain and suffering they cause.
I support the introduction of this new law and hope that it will help give families and victims a sense of closure in the most serious of cases. We will need to carefully consider measures which could be taken to force them to attend, and alternatives to ensure that criminals cannot be cowards and hide from their crimes and worsen their victims suffering.
Government Crackdown on Knife Crime
I have welcomed the Government’s announcement this week of a new ban on Zombie-style knives and machetes, giving police greater powers to seize knives. This comes just a short time after knife incidents in Crewe in the past month.
The possession of zombie knives was made illegal in 2016; however, these new measures hope to close a loophole which allows knives of a similar style to be sold.
This crackdown will limit the possession and sale of these dangerous weapons and will hopefully curb incidents like the one seen recently in Crewe, where a 44-year-old man was stabbed on the street. These knives endanger the lives of ordinary people in towns and cities throughout the country, and I welcome the introduction of tougher sentences and bans.
This new ban comes a few months after the Knife Angel Statue was in Crewe, as part of a national tour. The statue is made from over 100,000 seized blades and was specifically created to highlight the negative effects of violent behaviour whilst solidifying our critical need for social change. The Angel acts as a representation of the harm that violent and aggressive behaviour can cause, but it is also a beautiful memorial to those who have tragically lost their lives to these thoughtless acts. I had the privilege of attending the closing ceremony for this wonderful installation.
Zombie-styles knives and machetes have no purpose in the hands of anybody on the street. They make the risk of serious harm or death increase exponentially when they are in the hands of criminal gangs and thugs. There is no place for these weapons.
Crewe's Crucial Industrial Role in Supporting Britains' Infrastructure in WW2
In the years leading up World War II the industrial machine of Britain began to whir in preparation for what was rapidly looking to be an inevitable conflict with an increasingly aggressive Germany. Rolls-Royce, producer of engines for aero-engines and critical to Britain’s’ air defence, already had a factory based in Derby. However, increasing tensions led Rolls-Royce and the Government to the conclusion that a ‘shadow factory’ should be built to ensure production of aero-engines was not impacted should German bombers successfully locate the Derby factory.
Due to its extensive rail network and excellent roads, Crewe was chosen as the location for this ‘shadow factory’ named Pym’s Lane Factory, with construction beginning in July 1938 and finishing just five months later. Employing 10,000 people during World War II, the factory constructed living facilities, with many still used as homes today.
Understanding the risks from aerial bombing, designers had painted the roof and walls to blend in with its surroundings. However, this was not successful as on Sunday 29th December a German Junker 88 dropped a bomb killing 17 workers and injuring several others. A memorial in the shape of a propellor was installed as a memorial for those workers who died.
A total of 25,000 Merlin engines, used in Fairey Battle, Hawker Hurricane Supermarine Spitfires were produced from 1938 through until the end of the war, when in 1946 the factory converted to car manufacturing. Today Pym Lane factory is owned by Bentley, producing the Bentayga SUV model.
Crewe Heritage Fair Next Week
If you want to learn more about the rich history of Crewe make sure to check out the Crewe Heritage Fair on Saturday September 9th!
"Join us for a fun packed day for all the family to discover how the people of Crewe have used their creativity to develop and innovate industrial engineering."
Find out more here: https://www.crewehc.co.uk/events
My Casework 23rd Aug- 30th Aug
Above is a breakdown of the sort of issues that constituents have contacted me about over the past week.
The types of issues I deal with change week to week.
If you do have an issue I can help you with you can contact me by emailing kieran.mullan.mp@parliament.uk.
Traffic Report
The following are road closures for the week ahead as reported by Cheshire East:
Manor way (between the junction of Nantwich Road and the junction of Salisbury Avenue) – 4th Sep to 31st Oct
Flowers Lane – Until 26th Nov (see Leighton closures)
Smithy Lane – Until 1st Nov (see Leighton closures)
Mill lane, Haslington – Until 15th July
Close Lane (south) at junction with Crewe Road – Until 29th Sep
For further details of the closures around Leighton hospital, please see: North West Crewe Package (cheshireeast.gov.uk)