Cheshire West and Chester Council has won the Local Authority Body of the Year Award at the North West Regional Energy Efficiency Awards.

The Energy Efficient Awards are open to anyone involved in the energy saving and efficiency sector in the UK and recognise best practice in energy efficiency projects that took place between January 2022 and March 2023.



As part of the Council's target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 for Council services and 2045 for the borough, a number of energy efficiency schemes have been introduced to reduce the amount of energy being used across Council services.

• 14 council buildings* have switched from primary gas heating to air source heat pumps and had solar photovoltaic systems and LED lighting installed, where appropriate, thanks to £5.8 million of funding secured through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (round one).
• A further four schools have been supported to install energy efficiency measures including air source heat pumps, LED lighting conversion, solar photovoltaic systems, roof refurbishment with additional insulation and installation of double glazing, where appropriate, thanks to £3.5 million of funding through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (round 3a).
• Streetlights across the borough have finished being converted to LED lighting, during the second round of improvements to the street light service. This is helping to reduce the electrical demand across the borough by 9GWh per year, the equivalent of the electricity use in 2,000 average homes. The reduction of demand has saved around £2 million pound in energy costs.

The Council's awards submission will now be entered into the national Energy Efficiency Awards, with results to be announced in September.

The Council continues to invest in ways to reduce energy use across the borough and, this year, has plans to refurbish leisure centres, libraries and schools with further energy efficiency measures. Home Upgrade Grant funding has also been secured to improve the energy efficiency of homes in the borough which are not heated by mains-gas and have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of Band D, E, F or G.

Cllr Matt Bryan, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency, Energy and Green Spaces, said: "Since declaring a Climate Emergency in 2019, we've been working hard to reduce carbon emissions across Council-owned buildings to help us achieve our target of carbon neutrality by 2030. With the energy market continuing to fluctuate, this has saved the Council money and cut the amount of energy we're using, and I’m pleased we've been recognised for these improvements by winning this award."

The Council has also set up a Climate Emergency Inspire Hub, providing residents with advice and tips to help reduce their carbon footprint and make energy saving measures. Individuals and organisations are encouraged to share what energy saving measures they are making on the 'your stories' section of the website too.

Transformation plans are progressing well for Ellesmere Port. The project using £13,378,478 from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities' Levelling Up Fund will include preparations for low carbon town centre housing around Coronation Road to help bring new footfall to the town centre and exciting plans for Ellesmere Port Market.

The third element of the transformation plan will improve pedestrian and cycle links with secure bike storage to make it safer and easier to walk or cycle from Ellesmere Port railway station into the heart of the town centre.

The Council has now been awarded an additional £274,000 from the Active Travel Fund 4 (ATF4) managed by Active Travel England.

The additional funding will enable an extended walking, wheeling and cycling route to be designed for future delivery between the M53 underpass and the Sutton Way/Stanney Lane junction. This longer route forms part of the Council's adopted Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan.

The Active Travel Fund nationally will deliver a range of schemes across the country, including 121 miles of new cycle track, 77 miles of new paths and greenways and initiatives to make streets safer around 130 schools.

The design team will consider all transport methods, including bus stop infrastructure/routes and loading requirements for businesses. They will also consider the requirements for the market, as well as opportunities for signage and wayfinding. The new proposals will tie into existing cycling and walking routes such as those on Stanney Lane.

Councillor Karen Shore, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Highways, said: "We are committed to improving areas across the borough, Ellesmere Port joins projects already underway in Winsford and plans for Northwich and Chester.

"Engineering specialists are being commissioned to design the new active travel route, and their plans will be shared in the autumn with residents, commuters, and businesses along the route.

"Construction work on the Levelling Up Fund project elements is provisionally scheduled to start in Spring 2024 and completed winter 2024."

Cheshire West and Chester Council is holding an engagement exercise to understand how the community in Whitby, Ellesmere Port would like a poll on the proposed hydrogen village to be run.

Whitby in Ellesmere Port is being considered as the UK's first hydrogen village, under proposals put forward to Government by gas distribution network Cadent. The area has been confirmed as one of two locations across the country being considered as the first to use low carbon hydrogen on this scale.

At an engagement session earlier this year, Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of the Council, confirmed that the Council would hold a poll on the proposed hydrogen village to test public support. Part of this agreement included engaging with the community on what form this would take and what questions would be included.

Once the community's views on the format of the poll have been received and analysed, the Council will carry out the poll later this summer.

The poll will measure 'public support' for the trial, one of the five tests that the Council is asking the gas distribution network (Cadent) and the Government to meet. The results of the poll will be published for residents to see and will be fed back to Government, prior to them making a decision on the location of the trial hydrogen village area.

The Government (not the Council) will decide if the Hydrogen Village trial goes ahead. The Government have stated that they will only progress with the trial if there is local support. However, the poll is non-binding, and it is up to Government to decide.

Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: "We have heard clearly from residents how they want to have a poll on the hydrogen village and also that they wanted to be involved on how the poll will be run. I made a commitment at the public engagement event in February that residents would be involved at all stages.

"Local elections in early May meant that we had to delay the start of this engagement exercise, but I’m pleased to confirm that people in the proposed hydrogen village area will receive a letter about how to submit their views on the format of the poll, as part of this initial engagement process."

People can submit their views in a number of ways, before the engagement exercise closes at 10am on Monday 5 June 2023.

• Complete an online feedback form
• Attend the drop-in session: The Council’s Research Team will be running a drop-in session where you can come and talk to us about how the poll could be run on 23 May 2023, between 10.30am and 7.30pm, at Theatre Porto, Whitby Park, Stanney Lane, Whitby, Ellesmere Port, CH65 6QY.
• Email your views: WhitbyPoll@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk
• Write to us: Whitby Poll, Insight and Intelligence, Cheshire West and Chester Council, The Portal, Wellington Road, Ellesmere Port, CH65 0BA
• Telephone: 0300 123 8123 to speak to the Council's Contact Centre, quoting ‘Whitby Hydrogen Poll’

Paper copies are available on request using the contact details above. From 22 May 2023, you will also be able to pick them up from the following locations:

• Ellesmere Port Library, Civic Way, Ellesmere Port, CH65 0BG
• The Portal, Wellington Road, Ellesmere Port, CH65 0BA

Alternative formats are also available on request.

Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Environmental Services team has been shortlisted for in the Workforce Optimisation category at the Municipal Journal (MJ) Achievement Awards for its work to provide an improved and efficient service for residents. This is in addition to the recent news that the service has made it to the finals of the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Environmental Service Award.

The MJ provides news and intelligence about the UK’s local authorities, and the awards acknowledge “the tremendous effort of those in local government dedicating themselves to supporting local communities.”

The Workforce Optimisation award recognises local authorities who have developed and engaged employees in a service to improve performance and delivery and make a positive impact on the experience of residents.

In response to an increase in demand for Environmental Services between 2019 and 2022, Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Environmental Services team implemented a transformation programme which has delivered an improved workplace culture, efficient services, a range of creative projects, and driven innovative solutions to improve customer experience for residents.

Working with colleagues and partners at Qwest, some exciting, innovative changes have been made to improve customer experience and manage demand and expectation. The main focus has been to ensure that residents have access to information about the services the Council provides so that they can self-serve, expectations can be managed, and the need to raise enquiries is reduced.

One example of this approach is that Cheshire West and Chester is one of the first local authorities to introduce QR codes on litter bins. Using their smartphones, customers can scan the code to find out when the bin will be emptied next, or to report it as damaged. An interactive map has also been developed on the Council website to help residents with grass cutting enquiries, enabling people to check when an area of grass is next due to be cut. The number of enquiries received by our contact centre for Environmental Services reduced by over a third from 2021 to 2022, as residents can now access the information they need more easily online.

Cllr Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: "We are delighted that the Environmental Services team are now double award nominees, having been shortlisted at the MJ Achievement Awards to go alongside reaching the final of the LGC Environment Service award. The team has provided residents with measurably better outcomes over recent months through a workforce culture programme and transforming service delivery.
“The Council puts our residents at the heart of everything we do, and we have developed a wide range of creative, unique, and innovative solutions to improve customer experience, significantly reduce demand, and markedly improve culture within the team - with and for our staff. It is fantastic that this hard work has been recognised by the MJ for this award."

Find out more about Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Environmental Services on the Council website.

Cheshire West and Chester libraries will be celebrating the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and The Queen Consort with some wildflower themed activities.

Some libraries will sow wildflower seeds, so they will bloom red, white and blue this summer, seed bookmarks will be given away and there will be themed children’s craft sessions.

The Coronation’s themes are “youth, community, diversity and sustainability” which led the Library Service, which is already involved in the Council’s plans to tackle the Climate Emergency, to think more about sustainability.

The outside space at five libraries – Barnton, Hope Farm, Lache, Sandiway and Tattenhall – will be wildflower seeded. Flowers will include the patriotic colours of red, white and blue. The wildflower areas are being created by the Council’s Your Streets team as they work their way around the borough creating this year’s native wildflower meadows.

This follows on from the wildflower seeding of Upton Library last year and it is hoped that more libraries will have wildflower areas in the future.

One thousand plantable seed paper bookmarks, specially printed with the Coronation logo, will be distributed by the borough’s libraries. After being used in books, watering them will allow the wildflower seed to germinate and grow. Simple instructions on how to do this will be given out with the bookmarks.

In addition, libraries will be doing children’s crafts and other activities in the weeks before the Coronation. Please ask at your local library for details, or see the library events webpage: Library events

Arts Council England have provided library services in England with £1,000 to mark the occasion in whatever way they think will be most relevant and enjoyable for their users and local community. In west Cheshire this funding has been used for the wildflower seed and bookmarks.

It’s free to join and use a library. In addition to printed books, there is free access to computers, wi-fi and study space. Membership allows access to the popular BorrowBox app which provides thousands of eBooks and eAudiobooks for free. As well as this, the Libby app provides free access to hundreds of magazines online.

The library events are part of the Council’s programme to celebrate the Coronation. For more details see: Coronation events in west Cheshire