Welcome to this week’s newsletter!
The local community radio the Cat asked me to record a Christmas Message and I thought it was a good thing to share with you on my final newsletter for the year. My views have been reinforced by the number of people who have kindly agreed to take time out on Christmas Day as part of our doorstep visits so no one who is socially isolated feels alone. Find out more about this below and let me know if you would like to nominate someone to receive a visit.
Christmas Message
There are so many reasons this is a year we will all want to forget. It has been a year of sacrifices and loss. Not seeing our loved ones, our friends and family. Residents living in care homes cut off from the rest of the world. Businesses and jobs gone. And of course, very sadly those precious friends and family members that we have lost. However, we need to want to focus instead on the reasons why we should remember this year.
As your MP I have seen, not for the first time, just what fantastic local communities we have here in Crewe & Nantwich. At the outset of the lockdown I got to see how willing local charities were to work together to find the best possible ways to support people and adapt. Community volunteer groups and hundreds of volunteers helping individuals asked to stay in their homes across the whole constituency. And an army of key workers kept the nation going.
I had the privilege of volunteering alongside NHS staff at Leighton Hospital and I got to see first hand their usual can do attitude and willingness to just step up to the challenge we faced. Our brilliant NHS has worked night and day to make sure hospitals were not overwhelmed.
It is only at times of challenge like we have experienced in the past year that we get to see the best of our communities as well. So as we enter the Christmas and New Year period, I would encourage you all to focus on that.
There are still difficult times ahead. But with the first vaccine arriving we have reasons to be hopeful. We should be proud of Crewe & Nantwich and be proud of each other.
I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
THANKING OUR VOLUNTEERS
CHRISTMAS DAY VOLUNTEERS
WHITBY MORRISON - MEETING WITH THE MINISTER
VISITING THE LIGHTHOUSE CENTRE FOOD BANK
PLANNING REFORM DEBATE
STRICTER RULES FOR BIG ONLINE COMPANIES
BOOSTING POLICE FUNDING
£100 MILLION NATIONAL LEISURE RECOVERY FUND
TRAFFIC REPORT
THANKING OUR VOLUNTEERS
On Thursday I made what might be my last contribution in the House this year.
Reflecting on my first 12 months as an MP, what has really stood out to me was the incredible strength of community in Crewe and Nantwich. So and I took the opportunity to thank all of our volunteers, charities and community groups.
Over the pandemic, organisations like The Wishing Well Project, St Paul's Centre, Hopes and Beams, The Salvation Army, Crewe Corps, YMCA Crewe, Nantwich foodbank and many others went above and beyond to provide support for the vulnerable.
There were also a number of community volunteer groups like Nantwich Buddies, Wybunbury Viral Kindness, Haslington Volunteer Group, and Community Group for Wistaston, Shavington, Willaston, Crewe & Nantwich sprung up and sprung into action, led by local community leaders.
More than 400 local residents responded to my request for volunteers and we were able to send them to help charities and individuals asked to stay in their homes across the whole constituency. The Leader of the House joined me in thanking all the fantastic volunteers across the country. They have played a crucial role in this country's response the pandemic!
CHRISTMAS DAY VOLUNTEERS
I would like to thank all the volunteers that have signed up so far for volunteering your time to do a doorstep visit to isolated members of our community in Crewe and Nantwich on Christmas Day. This Christmas will be difficult for many residents, but it is wonderful to see members of community come together to offer their support. If there is anyone in your neighbourhood that you think is socially isolated and will be alone on Christmas Day do let me know and we will arrange for them to have a doorstep visit.
Email me on kieran.mullan.mp@parliament.uk
We want everyone to know that they have not been forgotten on Christmas Day.
WHITBY MORRISON - MEETING WITH THE MINISTER
Recently, I had a call with the Trade Minister, Graham Stuart MP, and Ed Whitby to discuss trade opportunities within the Department to promote British Exports.
Whitby Morrison is world leading ice cream van manufacturer, has been operating in Crewe, Cheshire since 1962. The manufacturer exports their vans to more than 60 countries world-wide and it was great to meet with the Minister alongside Dan Ramsay, the CEO of the GREAT Britain campaign, to speak about trade opportunities.
It is fantastic to be able to this great British export and I look forward to seeing what opportunities future trade deals will present for British exporters.
PLANNING REFORM DEBATE
This week I spoke in the Westminster Hall debate on the Planning for the Future White Paper, which proposes a number of changes to our planning system. I support the Government's emphasis on our national building design code and the locally produced building guidelines. I also back the Government's goal in making the building rules clearer.
I my speech I emphasised the importance of local knowledge and input to planning decisions and put on record my concerns that these changes may limit the input councillors have on planning decision. I also spoke about the challenge these proposals could create for local authorities who already regularly go toe-to-toe with the lawyers from big developers.
Personally, I would also like to see planning developments give consideration to NHS capacity much more than they do, in the same way that they consider school capacity. I ended my speech by calling on the Minister to review the proposed changes and consider the impact that they may have on local decision making. We have had a local example of the government overrule local views and decision making.
We need to build more homes, but we need to do it in the right way, in the right place and in a way that does not negatively impact the local area. If we need to change something we need to focus more on making developers build on where they have permission instead of land banking to maximise the prices in what is essentially a broken market.
STRICTER RULES FOR BIG ONLINE COMPANIES
Following the Online Harms consultation, the Government plans to create new laws to make companies like Facebook, TikTok and Youtube take more responsibility for the safety of their users and tackle harm caused by their content.
Online protections for children is an area I have been looking at and while parental responsibility is crucial, I believe we need other measures to properly protect young people online.
I asked the Secretary of State if these new proposals have the teeth to ensure big tech companies will feel the impact. The Minister confirmed that the UK Online Safety Bill has teeth and proposes fines of up to 10% of annual turnover if tech companies that breach their duty of care. In theory, it could fine Instagram's parent company Facebook $7.1bn and YouTube's owner Google $16.1bn based on their most recent earnings.
It is crucial that we ensure all social media platforms are putting their users first and continue to look for ways to protect their users from harmful and violent content.
BOOSTING POLICE FUNDING
This week, the Home Secretary has announced more than £15 billion in funding to help the police build back safer and cut crime next year.
This will help our ambition of delivering more officers and keeping our communities safe.
Cheshire is set to receive an additional £11.8 million in its funding next year, thanks to the Conservative Government’s increase to police budgets. In total, this Government will increase police funding to £15.8 billion in 2021-22. This will help ensure that our police have the right funding, equipment and support they need to keep us safe and drive down crime.
This includes over £400 million recruit 20,000 extra police officers by 2023, a pledge made by the Government in last year’s General Election. I am very pleased that Cheshire has already benefitted from getting 84 new officers. I will continue to make a case for getting more officers on the streets in Cheshire and ensuring our frontline officers have all the support they need.
£100 MILLION NATIONAL LEISURE RECOVERY FUND
Sport England and the Government are currently working on a £100 million National Leisure Recovery Fund to support local leisure centres.
The Fund will be open for applications from 14th December to 8th January. Eligible Local Authorities are able to submit an expressing of interest form from today until the 21st December 2020.
The Fund aims to assist the reopening and recovery of leisure services. Gyms and leisure centres play an incredibly important role in improving people's physical and mental health and I hope this Fund is able to provide them with the support they need. More information on this fund can be found here: https://www.sportengland.org/news/national-leisure-recovery-fund-opens?fbclid=IwAR0R49ViNq5fZnsntgkhiqbgNlybCa9pBsmFV6r6xTdTmCMBq36VqTWRfTE
TRAFFIC REPORT:
The following are road closures for the week ahead as reported by Cheshire East.
- Wistaston Green / Valley Road– Closed 22nd December.
- Baddington Lane / Shrewbridge Road – Closed until 22nd December.
- Warmingham Road / Groby Road – Closed 21st December until 22nd December.
- Mill Lane – Closed 22nd December.
- Pyms Lane – Closed.
- Tower Way – Closed.
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