Date: 15 December 2022

Reference Number: 5982

Sports pitch provision across west Cheshire

Cheshire West and Chester Council is reviewing the boroughs Playing Pitch Strategy and pitch provision. 

The review will consider all outdoor sport facilities, including those for football, rugby, cricket, hockey and artificial pitch provision (3G’s), and will provide up to date information on existing and future needs in terms of quality, quantity and location. 

The review is being carried out by the Council and partners from key national governing bodies for sport including Sport England, Active Cheshire, and Brio Leisure. 

The review aims to capture the views of residents, clubs and any other individuals or organisations using a questionnaire. 

Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council said: “We would like to hear your views on the draft Strategy over the next 12 weeks. If you have an interest in pitch provision, please complete the questionnaire. This review will ensure all the information we hold is up to date and will be used for future planning and investment in sport and recreation facilities across the borough.” 

The 2021 strategy identifies a total of 368 football pitches across 180 sites in the borough, of these, 287 are available, at some level, for community use. 47 pitches are managed by the Council, 16 by parish/town councils, 131 by schools, colleges, universities and 45 by clubs. The remaining pitches are privately or commercially managed. 

A total of 816 teams were identified as playing within the borough, consisting of 140 men’s teams, nine women’s teams, 292 youth boys’ teams, 74 youth girls’ teams and 301 mini soccer teams (49 of which are girls’ teams).

There are 28 grass cricket squares identified in the borough, of which 26 are available for community use. Plus 11 full size hockey suitable artificial grass pitches in the borough, ten of which are available to the community, as well as 14 smaller size pitches.  There are also pitches that have been used for American Football, Gaelic football, lacrosse and polo. 

Any individual, organisation, sports group or team can complete an online or postal questionnaire on: https://participatenow.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/playing-pitch-strategy-consultation

The formal consultation period runs until 9 March 2023. 

For more information contact the Total Environment Team:  TotalEnvironment@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

Date: 15 December 2022

Reference Number: 5983

Council launches new homelessness pledge

Residents, businesses and charities are being asked to sign up to play their part in tackling rough sleeping and homelessness in a new initiative being launched by Cheshire West and Chester Council.

The Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Pledge aims to improve the way organisations and individuals work together to tackle homelessness in the borough. Signatories to the Pledge will agree to make a tangible contribution to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping through offering their support and undertaking a number of straightforward actions.

For individuals, this includes committing to contact the forfutures Outreach Support Team if they believe that someone is sleeping on the streets and supporting the many local organisations working to provide assistance on the ground.

Meanwhile, businesses are encouraged to provide training and employment for people recovering from homelessness, and to make preventing homelessness part of their corporate social responsibility. The pledge – which can be signed on the Council’s website at https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/residents/housing/housing-advice-and-homelessness/housing-advice-and-homelessness/rough-sleeping-and-homelessness-pledge

– was launched alongside partners from the homelessness, housing, voluntary and business sectors.

Councillor Matt Bryan, Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Planning and Climate Emergency, said: “As a Council we are committed to driving down rough sleeping and homelessness, but we do not work in isolation. We are very proud to work alongside a range of partners, including charities, housing associations and businesses.

“This Pledge is about ensuring that everyone knows the best way to offer support and ensure that people who are sleeping rough or at risk of homelessness receive the assistance that they need.

“We know that this issue matters deeply to lots of people across Cheshire West and Chester. I’d encourage as many people as possible to visit our website, sign the pledge and support the work that we are doing alongside charities and other partners.”

The initiative is part of the Council’s commitment to reducing homelessness and ending rough sleeping in the borough.

The includes providing new supported accommodation schemes so that people have a safe place to stay while they are helped to find a new home. The support provided includes help with finding long term housing, employment, access to health and personal finance advice.

Providing accommodation is only one small part of the work that the Council does. In many cases, homelessness can be prevented by intervening early when people are at risk. This work is critical and turns lives around.

Councillor Bryan added: “We often speak with people who want to help to tackle these extremely challenging issues, but don’t know how. By providing the opportunity to sign a pledge, we can start to build a network and can look at different ways to bring people together and ensure that expertise is shared.

“We are hopeful that this work will lead to even more individuals and organisations working together towards a shared goal – driving down homelessness and ending rough sleeping in Cheshire West and Chester.”

Date: 15 December 2022

Reference Number: 5981

Changes to library opening times during the Christmas period

Cheshire West and Chester Council’s libraries will be operating a revised service over the Christmas period.

Libraries will close at 1pm on Saturday 24 December 2022 until Tuesday 27 December.

Ellesmere Port, Frodsham, Neston, Sandiway, Upton and Winsford libraries will open as normal from 28 December to Saturday 31 December, close 2 January and re-open 3 January.

Our other libraries, except for those listed below will close throughout the festive period, re-opening 3 January.

• Storyhouse will close Christmas Day and then open as follows during the festive period:

24 December, 8am-9pm; 26 December, 10.30am-9pm; 27 December 9.30am-11pm; 28-30 December, normal opening hours; 31 December, 8am-9pm; 1 January, 10.30am -9pm; 2 January, 9.30am-11pm.

• Malpas Library, based within a high school, will close at 7pm on 15 December and re-open 3 January.
•  Tarporley Library, based within a high school will close at 7pm on 22 December and re-open January.

• Hoole Library will close at 4pm on Thursday 22 December and re-open 5 January.
• The Mobile Library will not undertake any routes week beginning 26 December through to 2 January.

During opening times libraries are part of the Council’s Warm, Welcoming Spaces network, providing a space for you to stay warm and safe. Come along and join the library for free and take advantage of the wide range of books, eBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines eBooks and eAudiobooks | Cheshire West and Chester Council. There are also refreshments and free access to Wi-Fi as well as public computers and everyone is welcome to join in with library events and activities that are taking place.

Find out more and share the details with your friends and neighbours Warm, Welcoming Spaces | Cheshire West and Chester Council

For more information visit www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/libraries.  You can also follow Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Libraries Service on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Date: 08 December 2022

Reference Number: 5972

‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ for a greener Christmas

The Council is urging all Cheshire West and Chester residents to help the environment by choosing to reduce, reuse and recycle their food this Christmas.

Global food waste produces more emissions than all commercial flights put together. In the UK, food waste contributes to 5% of our emissions, the same as one third of all our cars.  

With lots of food being wasted at Christmas time especially, we encourage all residents to help tackle climate change and save themselves money by only cooking what is needed, reusing uneaten food to reduce waste, and then recycling it.

The borough’s kerbside recycling service enables almost every household in Cheshire West and Chester to conveniently recycle their food waste separate from their other recycled waste, and tens of thousands of Cheshire households make use of this weekly service.

At Christmas, the Council collects and recycles more food waste than at any other time of the year, and this season we are ready to collect food waste which has been separated from other recyclables and general waste.

Councillor Karen Shore, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Strategic Transport, said: “Trying to waste less food in the first place has the biggest benefit to the environment. Try to only cook what you need but, if you have leftovers, reuse in another meal to reduce waste. Please take the time to separate out food waste from general waste and put it in your food waste bin. It’s better for the environment.

“Last year, we recycled 667 tonnes of food waste over the three-week Christmas period. We would like to thank the many households already recycling food waste every week. You are already making such a big difference.

“We can provide you with the containers and information to start recycling your food over Christmas. Almost every home has been given a food waste bin. Use this Christmas as an opportunity to use the brown food waste bin again. None of us can afford to give up on tackling climate change – and the extra space it saves in the black bin will come in useful this time of year.”

Residents’ black domestic bins are emptied fortnightly so please make use of your weekly food waste collection service.

The Council sends your food waste to an anaerobic digestion treatment facility, which can recycle all different types of food waste: Turkey giblets and carcasses, vegetable peelings, chestnut shells, fish skins, bones, pet food, plate scrapings and cooked food. 

Food waste is turned into green electricity to power peoples’ homes and a fertilizer that puts vital, natural nutrients back into our farmers’ fields.

Residents who no longer have a food waste bin, can order one for free. Cheshire West Recycling has made available 1,000 extra delivery slots this month to help more homes recycle.

Visit Order new or replacement bin | Cheshire West and Chester Council to order a food waste bin if you need one.

Visit Love Food Hate Waste for useful hacks, tips and guidance on how to avoid creating food waste and saving money on your food bills especially over the Christmas period.

Cheshire West and Chester Council is launching a new e-newsletter to support residents through the cost-of-living crisis.

The rising cost of living means that more people will need help to buy essential goods and heat their homes this winter. This is why we are launching a dedicated e-newsletter, called ‘Cost of Living Support,’ to inform you about the support available. The newsletter will come out monthly and can be sent directly to your inbox.

In the newsletter, you will find lots of helpful information about the schemes available to help with essential costs, like food and fuel, and other support that you might be eligible for. The newsletter will have a ‘Partner Stories’ section where people from other organisations in the community can share what they are doing to lend their support. We will also include helpful advice, from how to heat your home efficiently to money-saving tips.

The first edition is due to launch in January 2023. If you would like to receive regular updates and hear about the support available, you can sign up to the Cost of Living Support Newsletter here.

Date: 06 December 2022

Reference Number: 5964

Cheshire West and Chester Council’s new highways contractor appointed

Cheshire West and Chester Council has appointed a new partner for its highways services following a procurement process.

Colas Limited will become the new highways term maintenance contractor from 1 April 2023.

The new contractor will be responsible for the maintenance of 2,300km of public highways as well as structures including Chester’s historic City Walls, plus traffic signals, street lighting, gulley cleansing, drainage, street furniture, road studs and markings.

The comprehensive tender process to engage a term maintenance contractor included them responding to requirements around quality of materials and repairs, ensuring appropriate data and intelligence is gathered to deliver real innovation in the way the Council delivers services in the future, and a strong customer focus to ensure fault reports and enquiries are responded to in an appropriate and timely manner.

In the tender, bidders were also required to set out how they would respond to the climate emergency and demonstrate commitments to Social Value

Each year the Council spends up to £20 million on these services, making the highways contract one of its largest.

The initial contract term will be seven years with options to extend to a total of 15 years.

Councillor Karen Shore, The Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Strategic Transport, said: “We are pleased to award our highways term maintenance contract to Colas Limited following a lengthy and detailed procurement process.

“Teams in our Transport and Highways directorate have been working hard to ensure the procurement process and the development of the overall contract for these key services was carried out thoroughly and effectively, taking into account factors that are influencing the market for these services at the current time.

“We would very much like to thank our current contractor, Ringway, for their hard work in Cheshire West and Chester since 2012, working alongside us to look after our highways assets and keep our residents and visitors safe.

“We are however looking forward to working with our new contractor Colas to deliver the best possible highways maintenance services for the borough.”

CEO at Colas, Faical Lahmamsi said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this seven-year contract by Cheshire West and Chester Council and are excited to be bringing our experience in delivering sustainable road solutions for them, and their communities.”

Police and Crime Commissioner John Dwyer is encouraging local community groups, businesses and members of the police family across Cheshire to apply to the Community Cashback Fund over the Christmas period. Taken from money seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), each of Cheshire’s nine Local Policing Units (LPUs) has been allocated £10,000 from the fund. The aim is for local residents and businesses to work with their neighbourhood policing teams on projects to improve their community.   ‘Not for profit’ organisations such as charities, ‘friends of’ groups, neighbourhood groups, social enterprises and community groups are encouraged to apply. Local businesses and Parish Councils can also apply to the fund, as well as local policing teams themselves.   The fund is open now and will close at 9am on Friday 27 January 2023.   Police and Crime Commissioner John Dwyer, said: “I’m delighted to be able to support Cheshire’s communities with funding that has been seized from the ill-gotten gains of criminals. This money should be used to fund community improvements, not criminal lifestyles. “Through the Community Cashback Fund, local people will be able to work hand-in-hand with their policing team to improve their area. This is all about working together to make Cheshire even safer so if you’ve got an idea for a project that will make a real difference, I want to hear from you.” Applications will be considered by a panel including representatives from the local community, which will decide which projects to fund. All applications must meet the criteria and support one of the six aims of the Police and Crime Plan. These are:   ·  Prevent and tackle crime ·  Make Cheshire’s roads safer ·  Deliver justice for victims of crime ·  Protect vulnerable and at-risk people ·  Improve public confidence in policing ·  Modernise our police service   For information about the criteria, frequently asked questions and how to apply, visit Cashback fund open county-wide for Christmas (cheshire-pcc.gov.uk)

Date: 01 December 2022

Reference Number: 5959

Support available to residents this winter

On Fuel Poverty Awareness Day (2 December), Cheshire West and Chester Council is reminding residents of the support available to them this winter.

National Energy Action, a national charity aiming to end fuel poverty, estimates 6.7 million households are currently in the grip of fuel poverty following a 130 per cent increase to gas prices over the last 18 months.

The Council is working alongside a number of partners across the borough to provide support to residents this winter.

Home Upgrade Grant
Funding has been secured from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to provide Home Upgrade Grants to households in properties that do not use gas as their main source of heating. These could include homes that use electric, Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG), oil or solid fuel to heat their homes. The grants will provide eligible households with funding to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, helping them to reduce their energy bills.

Some of the measures the grant can be used for include funding for external and internal wall insulation, loft insulation, under-floor insulation, air source heat pumps, single glazed windows and door upgrades, high heat retention electric storage heater and solar panels.

Full details of the grant, including eligibility criteria and how to apply can be found on the Council’s website:  www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/homeenergyhelp or by calling 0300 123 8 123 to request an application form.

For more information on various energy efficiency schemes which you may be eligible to apply for, visit: Home energy | Cheshire West and Chester Council

Warm, Welcoming SpacesA network of Warm, Welcoming Spaces have been set up in various venues across the borough, providing people with a place where they can go, for free, to stay warm, feel safe and connect with others in their community.

Libraries, some Brio Leisure Centres, Chester Grosvenor Museum and the Lion Salt Works in Northwich are part of the scheme. Many churches and community venues have also opened their doors as part of the initiative and more venues are joining regularly.

For a full list, details of opening times and activities on offer visit: www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/warmspaces

Cllr Matt Bryan, Cabinet Member for Housing, Planning and Climate Emergency, said: “As we head into winter, many residents are understandably concerned about the rising cost of living and how they will heat their homes.

“We know that making homes more energy efficient so that they remain warmer is one of the best long-term solutions to the cost-of-living crisis and I would urge anyone eligible for the Home Upgrade Grant to make an application today.

“We’re extremely grateful to the range of local organisations working together with us to support residents during these worrying times. Anyone needing support can find details of a range of organisations that can provide help on the Council website: www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/costofliving or by calling: 0300 123 8123.”