THE year began with a topic bound to get people hot under the collar - hospital parking charges.

It emerged that the Countess of Chester Hospital had raked in £1.39m over the previous year, although health chiefs argued that the money was reinvested in patient care at a time when budgets were tight.

We also carried the exclusive story of Blacon mum Rachel McLoughlin who was told by a paramedic that her baby, Isla, wasn’t sick enough to be taken to hospital. It turned out the tot actually had deadly sepsis.

Fortunately A&E doctors spotted the signs and saved the 18-month-old’s life.

Rachel received an official apology from the ambulance service and was asked to work with them on improving their service.

The issue of ‘studentification’ reared its head again the following week after a Government planning inspector overturned Cheshire West and Chester Council’s decision to reject plans for a huge, 376-bed student accommodation block on Hoole Way.

Community leaders said the decision completely undermined local democracy and led MP Chris Matheson to say: “I cannot find words to describe how angry I am.”

In a move that paved the way for ever-grander announcements this year, in mid-January Chester Racecourse revealed plans for its new entrance - which meant bulldozing the Watergate Inn pub.

And the week after that the Northgate Development was back in the news when it emerged top Spanish chef Omar Allibhoy had signed up to open one of his Tapas Revolution restaurants in the new £300m retail and entertainment hub.

Work also began to expand the hugely popular Cheshire Oaks retail park and the first ever public meeting was held on Chester’s ambition to become the first UK city to stop using plastic drinking straws, led by campaigner and lecturer Dr Christian Dunn.