Hello fellow residents! I’m James Pratt, your local councillor for Crewe St Barnabas. I live right here in the heart of our St Barnabas community, in the West End of Crewe.
I’m proud to represent our area on both Cheshire East Council and Crewe Town Council, working to make sure your voice is heard and local priorities are delivered across Crewe & Nantwich.
From Minshull New Road, to Underwood Lane, West Street to Wheelman Road, Badger Avenue, Frank Webb, Rolls Avenue, Chassagne Square, Kettell to McNeill Avenue and all roads and communities in between – we are all Crewe St Barnabas.
I’m your local councillor – and a fellow resident of our community. I’m working hard to tackle the everyday issues that matter, including potholes, litter, fly-tipping, parking problems, street lighting and anti-social behaviour.
If there’s something you’d like me to look into, please get in touch – or you can report issues online.
Read my latest news updates or check my recent facebook posts to find out what I’m up to!
Please follow and share my Facebook and Instagram and TikTok accounts, or sign up for my Email Newsletter so I can keep you up to date on local issues.
You can also take a look at my video looking back at some of our achievements in 2024!
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I wrote to every household in the area and delivered residents surveys to to find what issues you’d like to see tackled in our community. You can still complete this survey online if you have not already. |
If you would like to contact me about any local issue please do get in touch.
Thank you for your support!
Here’s what I’ve been up to recently…
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
FREE FOOTBALL SESSION – EVERY WEDNESDAY ⚽
Had a brilliant time catching up with the Crewe Alexandra in the Community coaches at last week’s Premier Kicks session in our park! Huge thanks to the team for running these for us.
If you fancy joining in, it’s FREE every Wednesday from 6pm to 7.15pm at Leighton Brook Park, Frank Webb Avenue CW1 3NE. Just head to the MUGA – everyone’s welcome!
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
MISSED BIN COLLECTIONS – TUESDAY
I’m aware that some households around Badger Avenue and West Street have missed their recycling collections. The issues on Badger Avenue may be related to roadworks, although both sides of the road were accessible and collections should still have been possible!
I have raised my concerns with the Waste and Recycling team and requested that the collections in these areas are reviewed and that return visits are arranged where necessary. I have also previously raised concerns about recent missed collections on West Street and asked for changes to be reviewed to resolve access issues around the collection point at the top of Bowen Cooke Avenue.
As your councillor, I don’t have direct control over bin collections or access to the system that logs where collections have been missed, but I am doing my best to raise these issues to help ensure we all receive the decent service we deserve.
If your bin was not collected, please report it directly by calling 0300 123 5011 or using the online system:
www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/waste_and_recycling/bins/missed-bin-collections.aspx
Thank you for reporting any missed collections so the team can resolve them quickly.
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
🚨 MINSHULL NEW ROAD POTHOLES ! 🚨
Following the lack of progress on the concerns I’ve continually raised, I have written to the Head of Cheshire East Highways, and again to the Senior Highways Officer about the shocking state of Minshull New Road. If you follow my social media posts you'll know how many times I've raised this!
We know this is not a new problem – I’ve been raising issues about this road since 2023 and have been 'pothole reporting' its deteriorating condition weekly since before Christmas. What started as small cracks some years ago have now turned into seriously poor and dangerous surface conditions – exactly what I warned would happen over the years. And nothing has been done to fix it properly.
Since 16 February, 34 residents have contacted me directly about this road, not counting the many more who’ve raised it at surgeries or on social media. This road is busy, unsafe, and it’s becoming impossible to justify the lack of action.
If you’re fed up too, please email Cheshire East at letusknow@cheshireeast.gov.uk
and copy me in at james.pratt@cheshireeast.gov.uk
The more voices we have, the harder it is for this dangerous stretch to be ignored.
It’s time this road is treated with the urgency it deserves! I will keep trying!
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
GETTING THINGS DONE LOCALLY! 👍
I met up with the Town Council Rangers this morning to borrow some litter picking gear and spent a bit of time clearing litter from the bottom half of Frank Webb Avenue and the field towards Brooklands Grove.
While I was out, it was also good to chat with a few local residents about issues in the area, including a water leak on Smith Grove which I’ve reported to United Utilities.
Being a councillor isn’t just about meetings and emails. It’s about getting out, speaking to residents and just getting on with things. Living in the community I represent definitely helps with that too.
If there’s something you need my help with, please do get in touch by filling in this form:
www.crewestbarnabas.org.uk/contact/
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
POTHOLE PATROLLING! 🛣️
I’ve spotted a couple more potholes locally - this time on Goulden Street and Underwood Lane (and of course the rest on Minshull New Road!)
All have been reported for repair. I’m also continuing to push for more substantial resurfacing works in parts of St Barnabas where continual patching simply is not enough. Plans are now being developed for improvements in some of these areas.
If you notice a pothole, please report it - even a temporary fix is better than leaving it to get worse. The more reports logged, the stronger the case for action.
To report highways issues such as roads, potholes or flooding:
📞 0300 123 5020
💻 www.crewestbarnabas.org.uk/report-an-issue/
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
FLY TIPPING – LET’S KEEP STREETS CLEAN! 🚮
I’ve been out and about across our area recently reporting several examples of fly tipping. No one wants to live with waste dumped on their streets or in our communities, and it’s something I take seriously.
It also costs the Council a huge amount to clear up each year – around a quarter of a million pounds. And who pays for that? Us, through our council tax. I’d much rather see that money spent on things that benefit our community!
If you know anything about who’s responsible for this kind of mess, please let me know. And if you live on a street with an alleygate, please keep it LOCKED – it really helps prevent fly tipping, especially where vehicles are involved. If you need an alleygate key, please call 01270 375295.
I’m also pleased that mobile CCTV is now being used in our area – something I’ve been pushing for a long time.
If you see fly tipping, report it so it can be cleared:
www.crewestbarnabas.org.uk/report-an-issue/
The waste team can check for evidence in dumped items, and the fines for those caught are hefty. Let’s work together to keep St Barnabas clean and safe! 💪❤️
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
MORE POTHOLE PATROLLING! 🛠️
While out on foot recently, I spotted a couple more potholes on Windsor Avenue and Smith Grove. I’ve reported them to highways, and hopefully they’ll be patched up in the next few days – but I’ll be keeping a close eye to make sure it happens! Living in the area makes it easier to keep on top of these issues and follow the progress myself.
Of course, temporary patching isn’t ideal, and I’m constantly pushing for better, more permanent repairs on our roads in St Barnabas – like some of the improvements we’ve already seen. We just need more of it!
If you come across a pothole, don’t wait – you can report it here:
www.crewestbarnabas.org.uk/report-an-issue/
I’m out regularly keeping an eye on our streets because our local roads really matter, and I want them safe and well cared for. 🚶♂️💪❤️
Councillor James Pratt - Crewe, St Barnabas
COMMUNITY DROP IN SURGERY - THANK YOU!
Thank you to everyone who came along yesterday to our community drop in surgery at the Community Hub on Timbrell Avenue.
It was really helpful to hear directly from residents about the issues affecting them and our local area. We will now be following up on the concerns raised and continuing to work on behalf of residents in the St Barnabas community.
Many thanks as well to PCSOs Jen and Dan from Crewe Police for attending, and to Katie from Guinness Housing for her support.
If you didn’t manage to get down last night but would still like to raise an issue, please email me at:
james.pratt@cheshireeast.gov.uk
or fill in my online form here:
www.crewestbarnabas.org.uk/contact/
I will be happy to help where I can!
Cllr James Pratt