Cheshire West and Chester Council is encouraging parents and carers with children who attend local authority maintained schools in the borough to take part in a consultation on proposals to vary the current Standardised School Year.
The Standardised School Year is a set of principles used to set out school term and holiday dates for schools in an area.
Term dates and holidays in England are set by the Council for community and voluntary controlled schools, by the governing body for foundation and voluntary aided schools and by the academy trust for free schools and academies.
The proposal is to vary the current Standardised School Year for Cheshire West and Chester’s community and voluntary controlled schools based on feedback from schools and parents.
Councillor Robert Cernik, Cabinet Member for Children and Families said: “In 2012 the Council consulted on and adopted the current Standardised School Year, which aligned our school term dates with other neighbouring authorities. In recent years, more councils have moved away from this model.
“We are aware that differing term dates for schools may be causing inconvenience for some of our families and school staff across the borough. At the moment some primary and secondary schools don’t always have the same holiday dates, and we are out of sync with our neighbouring areas, which can make it difficult for parents.
“The Council is now consulting on a proposal that will bring our term dates more in line with neighbouring authorities and will help parents with children at more than one school to know that their holidays will fall at the same time.
“We would like to hear from as many parents and carers of children attending west Cheshire schools as possible, to make sure we get it right.
“To take part in the consultation and view the consultation documents, please visit our consultation webpage where you can have your say in a number of different ways.”
Applications are now open for communities in Cheshire West and Chester to receive up to £500 to fund celebrations and activities to mark the Coronation of King Charles III.
The Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort will take place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6 May 2023 and many communities may wish to celebrate the historic occasion with events over the Coronation Weekend between Saturday 6 and Monday 8 May 2023 and throughout the Coronation year.
An additional bank holiday has been granted on 8 May and, as with other significant royal occasions, this is an opportunity to spend time and celebrate with friends, family and communities.
To help communities celebrate the occasion, each existing ward councillor has a budget of £500 to support the celebrations and activities in their own ward and/or the wider borough. Applicants can apply for a maximum of £500 and minimum of £100 per project, per ward councillor.
Councillor Carol Gahan, Cabinet Member for Finance and Legal, said: “The Council considers the Coronation to be an important and monumental occasion for the residents of the Borough, and we are delighted to be able to offer funding for our communities to come together in celebration of the event. An additional budget allocation has been made available to each existing ward councillor to support community-based activity in recognition of the year of the Coronation. We look forward to the celebrations and seeing community spirit in action.”
Applications will be considered from groups who show they are providing a community-based activity in recognition of the year of the Coronation. Funding applications open on 22 February, and close on 22 March 2023. Payments for successful applications will start to be released on 3 April 2023.
Please find attached a temporary road closure notice for Warrington Road, Acton Bridge which commences on 14th February 2023. This is necessary for safety reasons to enable emergency utility works, works to be carried out by United Utilities.
Develop ‘skills for life’ this National Apprenticeship Week
Cheshire West and Chester Council is encouraging people and businesses to take advantage of apprenticeship opportunities and develop ‘skills for life’ this National Apprenticeship Week (6-12 February 2023).
National Apprenticeship Week brings together businesses and apprentices across the country to shine a light on the positive impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy. This year’s theme is ‘Skills for Life’; reflecting on how apprenticeships can help individuals to develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career, and businesses to develop a talented workforce that is equipped with future-ready skills.
Apprenticeships are a mixture of work-based training and education for anyone aged 16 and over. Since April 2021, people have started apprenticeships with Cheshire West and Chester Council in areas such as Finance, Pensions, Legal, Human Resources, Transport, Construction, and more. We will be sharing some of their stories and what they enjoy most about their apprenticeships on social media during National Apprenticeship Week.
If you are just starting out on your career path, considering making a change, or wanting to develop your skills further, you can find out more about the opportunities available with Cheshire West and Chester Council on our website:
An apprentice can be an asset for any business. Taking on an apprentice could allow you to fill a skills gap, improve the company image, improve productivity, reduce staff turnover, increase diversity, and upskill existing staff. If you are interested in recruiting an apprentice to your business, you can find everything you need to know on the Council’s Let’s Talk Business website:
Councillor Richard Beacham, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Growth, Economy and Regeneration, said:
“Apprenticeships can help you to develop skills and gain experience, so that you earn while you learn. For employers, hiring an apprentice can be a great way of investing in the talent of the future, and we encourage businesses to consider taking on apprentices. At Cheshire West and Chester Council, we really value the work that our apprentices do and it is important that as a Council we invest in people’s talent and potential.”
Councillor Paul Donovan, Cabinet Member for Workforce, Equality & Democracy, said:
“Among the Council’s many priorities is to help the people in our communities to thrive and improve their personal circumstances by supporting them to find training, build skills and gain employment. Having served an apprenticeship myself I can say they are a great way for people to develop and get onto their chosen career path.”
Creating and promoting apprenticeship opportunities is part of the Council’s commitment to bringing together business and education providers to develop skills and career pathways into jobs in key sectors. This is one of the 12 action points identified as part of Cheshire West and Chester Council’s vision for an Inclusive Economy, which aims to make the borough a greener, fairer and stronger place to live, work and play.
You can find out more about the Inclusive Economy here:
With less than two months to go until community projects on the Cheshire West Crowd need to reach their crowdfunding targets, this is an ideal time for you to help their ideas become a reality.
The Cheshire West Crowd provides the opportunity for everyone to put forward community-led projects and attract funding to make the borough more vibrant, resilient and connected.
The Cheshire West Crowd autumn 2022 round is the biggest yet, with 44 community projects currently running crowdfunding campaigns and more than £425,000 in funding pledged by Cheshire West and Chester Council.
That means nearly £1.4 million has been raised for local projects from almost 4,800 backers since the initiative was first launched.
Ellesmere Port Local and Family History Society (EPLFHS) is fundraising to create an animation video that will showcase the town’s history.
Celia Webber, Chair of EPLFHS, said: “We’ve had wonderful support so far and every penny of it will help with promoting Ellesmere Port.
“The funding we’ve received from the Council is a real incentive for others to get involved in a project that could make a real difference to the town.”
Incredible Edible Handbridge is another project on a crowdfunding journey, with plans to launch a new Arches Wildlife and Wellbeing Garden.
Lisa Rossetti, Secretary of Incredible Edible Handbridge, added: “We’re absolutely delighted to have our community project supported and funded by the Council.
“We can’t wait to get started with transforming the patch into a lovely, thriving green space for our Handbridge community to enjoy.”
Down Syndrome Cheshire is generating funds through the Cheshire West Crowd for a new sensory room.
Lawrence Caygill, CEO of Down Syndrome Cheshire, commented: “We’re over the moon that we’ll be able to provide a sensory room for babies and children with Down syndrome in Cheshire, supporting their physical, communication and social development.
“The pledge from the Council has been instrumental in getting our crowdfunding campaign over the line and providing funding for this-much needed resource, which will make a massive difference to the lives of children living with Down syndrome and their parents and carers.”
While some projects have successfully reached their crowdfunding targets, others are calling on some extra support so they can become a reality.
Whether you’re a business, donor, resident or anyone else, you can get involved with the Cheshire West Crowd and donate to local projects close to your heart.
Please remove Christmas wreaths from cemeteries this month
To allow ongoing maintenance of the cemeteries and crematorium grounds managed by Cheshire West and Chester Council, grave owners and visitors are asked to remove all Christmas tributes and wreaths by Sunday, 12 February.
Anyone who wishes to dispose of or keep their Christmas tributes will need to remove them from the cemetery grounds and burial plots by this date. Cemetery staff will then begin to remove any remaining Christmas tributes from Monday, 13 February.
The reason for the removal of the tributes is to allow grass cutting to take place from early March.
Wreaths and tributes will be removed from the grounds of:
Blacon Cemetery / Chester Crematorium, Chester
Overleigh Cemetery, Chester
Overpool Cemetery, Ellesmere Port
Neston Cemetery, Neston
Wharton Cemetery, Winsford
At Chester Crematorium, Christmas tributes and any other memorial items not issued by the Council that have been placed in the Garden of Remembrance areas, and also adjacent to the Book of Remembrance Room, will be removed from Monday, 13 February. This is to ensure that these areas can be enjoyed as peaceful areas of contemplation by everyone.
The Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Strategic Transport, Councillor Karen Shore said: “The Council understands that the removal of Christmas tributes is extremely sensitive and this is why grave owners and visitors are being given early notice, so that they may remove their own Christmas tribute should they wish.”
The Council does not remove wreaths from private church yards.
Council asks for views on electric vehicle charging in the borough
Cheshire West and Chester Council is asking for views on electric vehicle charging in the borough.
A public consultation on the Council’s draft Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy launches today (1 February) and will close on 15 March 2023.
Uptake of electric vehicles has grown rapidly within the borough over recent years, and there are increasing requests from communities for the Council to provide more charging facilities.
Making it easier for people to switch to electric vehicles forms a key part of the Council’s Climate Emergency Response Plan, which first promotes active modes of travel – like walking, wheeling or cycling – or public transport, followed by a transition to zero emission vehicles where car travel is unavoidable.
The Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy sets out how the Council and its partners will support the transition to electric vehicles within this framework, though promoting and providing comprehensive, accessible, and efficient charging infrastructure.
Potential locations for charging electric vehicles include key destinations – like town centres, supermarkets and restaurants, plus along routes across the borough and at residents’ homes.
Delivering the level of charging infrastructure required to meet future demand will require close partnership working between the council and private operators.
The adoption of local electric vehicle charging infrastructure strategies is being promoted by the Department for Transport, and development of this strategy will support submissions to the government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, which is expected to be launched soon.
The Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Strategic Transport, Councillor Karen Shore said: “If you have any comments or views regarding charging electric vehicles in the borough, please get involved in our consultation.
“We want to hear from as many residents, businesses, communities and other stakeholders as possible. Help us to shape our strategy for the future of transport in the borough.”
Findings from the public consultation will help to shape the final draft of the strategy, which will be presented to Cabinet in Summer 2023.
There are a number of ways to take part in the consultation:
Telephone the Council’s contact centre on 0300 1238 123 and quote ‘Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy’.
Request a copy of our consultation or survey in alternative formats, including hard copy, easy read, Braille or large print, using the contact details above.
Paper questionnaires and written responses can be returned to the following address: Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy Consultation, Transport Planning Team, Transport & Infrastructure, The Portal, Wellington Road, Ellesmere Port, CH65 0BA.
Wanna Dance?, a project run by Cheshire Dance and the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), is continuing to go from strength to strength, helping people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) supported by Vivo Care Choices to take part in dance activities.
Vivo, which is now an in-house service at Cheshire West and Chester Council, has worked with Cheshire Dance to provide weekly group dance sessions across west Cheshire for more than a decade.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, Cheshire Dance developed a pilot project of Wanna Dance? in 2021as a way for people with PIMD who were unable to access their online sessions to keep dancing with Vivo staff.
Following the lifting of restrictions, the programme has since gone on to see people using Vivo’s services take part in one-to-one, face-to-face sessions with Cheshire Dance artists to explore how they might like to dance.
The artists work with each person in the moment, exploring communication and connection beyond words through dance with touch, sensory objects and music.
Jane McLean, Creative Director of Cheshire Dance, explained: “Working one-to-one with members of the Vivo community allows us to respond to a person’s unique movements.
“This helps us to notice verbal and non-verbal signals and enables us to really understand how our dancing partner likes to dance.
“We can respond and review our approach in the moment and provide an enhanced dance experience that is right for each participant.
“During each and every session, we value and celebrate all movements together, no matter how small they may seem.”
The project has been highly commended by Vivo staff, family members and carers and has since progressed, with Cheshire Dance taking up a 12-month Dance Artist in Residency role across the Canal Street and Lightfoot Lodge centres from autumn 2022.
During this next year, Cheshire Dance will explore how members of the Vivo community with the most complex needs might want to engage in the art form and continue to hold one-to-one sessions for people using services, with staff also being given the opportunity to develop their skills and confidence.
A staff member involved with the project said: “It’s great for John to have the choice with his dancing.
“The Wanna Dance? sessions get him engaged as he’s always laughing and screaming.
“I think changes in his alertness levels are because of these sessions as he’s developed every week, showing good eye contact and recall.”
Councillor Val Armstrong, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, commented: “This is another excellent project being run by our in-house service Vivo in partnership with Cheshire Dance and UCLan.
“At Vivo, we want to be at the heart of the local community and provide plenty of opportunities for people we support to enjoy life to the full.
“These sessions not only help people keep active and take part in dance, but it’s all tailored to their own preferences and what they enjoy.
“It’s clear to see that these sessions are having such a positive impact on the people we support and helping them become more independent.”
The Wanna Dance?programme has been founded on a commitment to involve people with PIMD in decisions about their continuing engagement through dance, with opportunities for their likes, dislikes and preferences to be heard and impacted on their experience.
Jane McLean added: “During phase two, we will build on all of this and work with staff to provide training that is bespoke and relevant to the Vivo community member they care for, ensuring activities are manageable for them to replicate.
“We want the staff to feel confident and comfortable to dance with people with disabilities and for everyone taking part to enjoy the experience.”
The programme sets out to not only explore how people with complex disabilities might like to dance, but also seeks to reexamine models of how dance artists can work in social care settings embedded as members of the staff team, specialising in non-verbal communication and physical expressions.
Cheshire Dance strives to enable everyone to access dance, regardless of age, ability or disability.
Some 97 per cent of its work is with people from protected characteristics groups, working extensively with people with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and hosting a national PMLD Networking Group that brings together dance artists from across the UK, meeting regularly across the year to share learning, undertake training and develop practice.
For more information on the PMLD Networking Group and the Wanna Dance? programme, visit: pmld-dance.org.
For more information about Vivo and the range of services it provides in the local community, visit: vivocarechoices.co.uk.
Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Cabinet will consider the construction plans for Soot Hill and the recommendation to enter a contract with Balfour Beatty for the construction works to start in March, with a scheduled completion by December. The costs of these works are estimated at £3.5m.
A section of the highway at Soot Hill in Northwich was closed in December 2021 after a period of heavy rainfall triggered a land slip. A section of retaining wall collapsed.
Work during the past year has prepared the area for repair works to reopen the road. The site has been laser scan surveyed, the adjacent building has been propped, a section of safety barrier has been removed (which was precariously suspended above live high voltage cables). United Utilities has redirected the water main; BT have moved telephone cables and Scottish Power have diverted the live power cables. Geotechnical engineers have completed ground investigations, feasibility reports have been produced, and contractor Balfour Beatty selected.
Councillor Karen Shore, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member – Environment, Highways & Strategic Transport said: “I understand the huge frustration that the landslip at Soot Hill has created for residents, and we share those frustrations. I want to assure you that Council officers and specialist engineers, and our partners, have worked effectively under uniquely difficult circumstances to expedite the recovery as much as possible.
“While some of the work is not immediately apparent on site, significant progress is being made. We have today published papers for our Cabinet meeting on 8 February 2023, which represents a further important step forward.
“The repair costs are large, and we’ve been working on plans to ensure these don’t increase further, where possible this risk has been mitigated by advanced purchase of materials and site surveys. We have prioritised the Soot Hill project at the expense of many other demands on our scarce highways budget, including pot hole repairs.
