Climate Emergency

A colony of bees has been saved when their oak tree home was blown down in strong winds blocking a path through Hillside Wood in Rivacre Valley Country Park.

With the assistance of a local beekeeping expert and the Council’s tree contractor, Mancoed, the colony of bees was successfully encouraged out of their natural nest that was made inside a hollow area of the tree.

An entry gap was cut above the bees' nest to allow the honeycomb containing the eggs, some of the workers bees and most importantly, the queen, to be brought out and placed onto a frame in a temporary-built hive for transit.

Once this part was complete the remaining bees were encouraged into the box by a number of methods. Worker bees then started to fan and produce pheromones at the entrance to the temporary hive, confirming that the queen had been brought out with the honeycomb and was safely inside the temporary hive.

The Council’s Director of Environment and Communities, Maria Byrne said:

"I’m delighted to report it has been confirmed that bees at all stages of their life cycle are now safely re -housed and thriving in a larger hive just outside Chester. After the winter, they will continue their important role of pollination."

Honeybees in the UK do not migrate to find warmer weather like other winged animals, they prefer to stay close to home and rarely leave the hive during the winter months.

The honeybee is the only bee to maintain a colony throughout the winter. The colony reduces its size in autumn and relies on its stores of honey to last it through the winter months when it is too cold for foraging or there is no food source available.

26 October 2022

Cheshire West and Chester Council is supporting the new national 'Take Charge' campaign, which urges consumers to recycle dead batteries and to never throw batteries away alongside general rubbish.

Consumers across the UK are being urged to "join the fight against Zombie batteries" in a bid to tackle the growing number of fires caused by carelessly discarded dead batteries.

Dead batteries thrown away with other waste and recycling, which the campaign refers to as "zombie batteries", are likely to be crushed or punctured once the waste is collected and processed.

Some battery types in particular, like lithium-ion (Li-ion) and nickel-metal Hydride (NiMH), can ignite or even explode when they're damaged. Once this happens, the batteries can quickly set fire to other materials present in the waste, like paper, leading to serious incidents that put lives at risk.

Although safe to use normally, powerful lithium-ion batteries are typically the most dangerous if they are not recycled properly. These batteries are often found in products like laptops, tablets, mobile phones, radio-controlled toys, Bluetooth devices, shavers, electric toothbrushes, power tools, scooters and even e-cigarettes.

Litter pickers are available at a number of different Vivo Care Choices buildings across west Cheshire so people accessing its services, as well as the local community, can all do their bit for the environment.

Vivo, now an in-house service at Cheshire West and Chester Council, provides a range of services for people with learning disabilities and autism, along with older people.

Litter pickers are now available at the following Vivo buildings.

• Water Tower Gardens, Chester
• Meadowbank Lodge, Winsford
• Neston Community Youth Centre

The equipment has been provided by Eco Communities as part its Plastic Free Cheshire project and all people need to do to get involved is follow these instructions.

• Borrow the kit from one of the locations
• Go for a walk and fill the bag
• Recycle what you can
• Leave your bag at the agreed location
• Take a photo and log your findings
• Return the equipment

Since Vivo buildings have been acting as litter picking hubs, people accessing services have regularly been out and about in the community, doing their bit for the environment.

It builds on the work that the Green team has done over the last couple of years, taking part in environmental projects to help develop allotments and green spaces across west Cheshire.

Along with Vivo buildings, litter pickers can be found at the Countess of Chester Country Park, Grosvenor Park and many other locations, adding to the litter pickers that are available in libraries across the borough.

Lynn, who uses Vivo’s services and has helped with the project, added: “When we pick the rubbish up, it’s important because it keeps the park clean and is good for the environment. It was good exercise too.”

The Council’s Climate Emergency Response Plan encourages residents to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible to help the borough become carbon neutral by 2045. The Plastic Free Cheshire project is just one way of taking action to help achieve this.

Visit: westcheshireclimateplan.co.uk to find out what action we can all take to tackle the Climate Emergency.

For more information about Vivo and the range of services it provides, visit: vivocarechoices.co.uk.

This winter, residents of all ages across the borough will be welcome to come into the Council’s libraries, to stay warm, and enjoy refreshments as part of a new Warm Welcoming Spaces initiative.
They will receive a friendly welcome from library staff and volunteers in a warm and safe place. While at the library, residents can take part in a range of events and activities that are on offer. They can also join the library for free and take advantage of the wide range of books, eBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines. Libraries have Wi-Fi and public computers which can be used free of charge too.

Cheshire West and Chester Council is planning to establish a network of Warm Welcoming Spaces that residents can access, starting with libraries across the borough from Saturday 15 October 2022. Further details about Warm Welcoming Spaces can be found on the Council's website.

A list of libraries in the borough can be found using the Find a Library service on the Council website. Opening hours are available on the library’s webpage; with some sites being open all day and some for shorter periods. Residents can also ask their local Councillor if they’re not sure where their nearest library is.

Working with Cheshire West Voluntary Action and Cheshire Community Action, and the wider voluntary and community sector, the Council is exploring opportunities to expand the network, and provide services to support people using the Warm Welcoming Spaces. The Council also recognises that not all residents will be able to attend a library or other community setting, and is working to ensure that residents can be safe, well and warm in their homes throughout the winter period.

Residents who are worried about the cost of living and rise of energy bills can find useful information from the Council and other local organisations on the Council's website.

• Cost of living support

Community energy coach, Mark Thompson, joins the Council's energy sector specialist to discuss some of the myths that are currently being shared about saving energy in the home.

They discuss some of the suggestions they've heard recently that may not save you as much energy as you think, and talk about the small changes you could do to help you to reduce energy use at home and save you money.

Find out more about other organisations that are sharing useful energy saving tips.

If you have your own energy saving tips add them to the 'your stories' section of the Climate Emergency Inspire hub.

Plans have been revealed aiming to make Cheshire and Warrington the fairest and greenest place in the country.

The Cheshire and Warrington Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Commission was set up with the aim of moving further and faster towards achieving the sub-region’s ambition of becoming the most sustainable and inclusive place in the UK, helping to address inequalities and climate change in the process.

Recent months have seen the need for progress highlighted, with the country experiencing the impacts of climate change in recent heatwaves and the need for inclusive growth being shown through the Cost of Living Crisis.

The commission has now made a number of ambitious recommendations around an inclusive economy, sustainable transport, sustainable land use and Net Zero in its report ‘Towards a Sustainable and Inclusive Cheshire and Warrington’.

These include:

1. A fair employment charter for Cheshire and Warrington
2. The decarbonisation of dairy
3. The full decarbonisation of all transport by 2035
4. Building the UK’s First Net Zero industrial cluster around the area’s large hydrogen and net zero projects
5. Access to digital for all
6. Making current land use net zero

The commission will now work with partners and stakeholders, including the local authorities, to plan for the implementation of the key priorities.

Sam Corcoran, Leader of Cheshire East Council, and co-chair of the Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Commission said: “We have set out a number of ambitious recommendations that we believe will accelerate progress towards our goals of encouraging sustainable economic growth to increase prosperity and create greater equality and opportunities for all, as well as accelerating our progress towards Net Zero.

“We will do this by creating an inclusive economy, making our land use sustainable, making transport sustainable and achieving our Net Zero goals.

“So much great work is already going on to achieve these aims but this is about us accelerating that progress and we will be working together to make that happen. We need everyone – residents, businesses and stakeholders engaged to do so.”

The commission will now also be promoting the plan to stakeholders, residents and businesses to ensure proper collaboration on achieving its aims.

Other recommendations made by the commission include:

1. Public investment to address disadvantage and target opportunities
2. Improve active travel and public transport
3. Provide new infrastructure/ support for electric cars and zero-emission vehicles to make them cost effective and accessible
4. Work with businesses, public sector and agriculture to speed up the transition to a circular economy
5. Retrofitting insulation and clean energy to housing, particularly for social housing and disadvantaged households.

Robert Davis, CEO of EA Technology, and co-chair of the Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Commission, said: “Businesses are at the heart of our recommendations and are key to us making Cheshire a greener place but also a fairer one, where there are opportunities for everyone.

“A key part of these plans is encouraging growth that will increase prosperity, providing even greater opportunities for businesses. To make this happen though, we need businesses to work with us, to make them a reality.

“We will now set out to promote the plan across Cheshire and Warrington and speak with and engage with businesses – not just on what we need from them, but what we can offer to help them grow and achieve their aims.

“Alongside our public sector partners these businesses will be key to leading the revolution to a sustainable and inclusive economy here in Cheshire and Warrington.”

You can find out more and read the commission’s report here: Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Commission - Cheshire and Warrington

Cheshire West and Chester Council is encouraging pupils across the borough to cycle to school during this year’s national Bike to School Week (3 to 7 October).

The national event, organised by Sustrans and supported by the Bikeability Trust, celebrates cycling to school and the positive impact an active lifestyle can have on pupils’ health and wellbeing.

Choosing a more active form of travel to get to school, such as walking, cycling or scooting, will also help cut air pollution near the school gates and will help towards the borough’s target of becoming carbon neutral by 2045 as part of the Council’s commitment to tackle the Climate Emergency.

This year, the Trust is asking children and their families across the UK to choose one of the four pledges:

• Cycle to school everyday
• Swap at least one car journey for cycling
• Cycle with your family
• Discover somewhere new on a cycle ride

The Council’s Road Safety team organises free Bikeability courses at both primary and secondary schools across the borough, providing pupils with important road safety knowledge and the bike skills to confidently ride their bike to school. Free courses for families are also available.

To find out more, visit: bikeability.org.uk/cycletoschoolweek.

Residents across west Cheshire can get involved in the UK’s biggest celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature during this year’s Great Big Green Week.

Running between 24 September and 2 October, the week will see a selection of events running throughout the borough and nationwide.

As part of the week-long celebrations, Eco Communities has organised a Great Big Green Week Festival on Saturday, 24 September, 11am – 4pm, at Chester Grosvenor Park, supported by Cheshire West and Chester Council, Cheshire West Voluntary Action, Chester Zoo, the Co op and Sykes Holiday Cottages.

There will be something for everyone at this year’s festival with a fun palace and fair zone, nature activities, workshops and stalls selling sustainable goods.

Find out more by visiting: Chester Great Big Green Week Festival 2022 – Great Big Green Week (great-big-green-week.com)

There are lots of other events taking place across the borough.

Saturday, 24 Sept - Great Big Green Week Clothes Swap

Fancy a new outfit without spending a single penny? Bring the clothes you no longer wear to the Grosvenor Museum’s clothes swap and trade them for new and exciting pieces. Between 10.30am and 4pm, drop off your old clothes and exchange them for something new.

Find out more about the clothes swap

Saturday, 24 Sept – Sunday, 2 Oct – ‘Chester Creates’

During Great Big Green Week, the Save The Children charity shop in Chester will be showcasing their Upcycled range, including shirts, bags, cushions and furniture.

Find out more about 'Chester Creates'

Saturday, 1 October – Frodsham’s Big Green Day

Climate Action Frodsham is hosting a Big Green Day on Saturday, 1 October, 10am to 4pm, at Frodsham Community Centre on Fluin Lane. There will be a range of stalls, plus displays and talks from experts to help you learn more about our changing climate and ways to reduce our impact on the world.

Find out more about Frodsham's Big Green Day

Sunday, 2 October – Make Smaller Footprints

The Cheshire Federation of WI’s is hosting an event outside of the Delamere Forest visitor centre on Sunday, 2 October, 9am to 4pm. Their theme this year is ‘make small footprints’, with ideas being shared around the small changes we can make in the home and garden. There will be activities for children, ideas for using up leftovers, bee hotel building, wild corners, nectar bar window boxes and homemade cosmetics.

Find out more about Make Smaller Footprints

To find out more about Great Big Green Week and all the events taking place nationally, visit: greatbiggreenweek.com.

Information correct at time of being published. Please check for updates on the individual event organisers’ websites before attending.

With the recent announcement of the new energy price cap increase, which comes in to place in October 2022, there are lots of stories in the media about the rise in costs and what households can do to manage their bills.

We’ve pulled together links to some useful advice from a range of organisations to help you reduce your energy use and manage your household bills.

• Energy Saving Trust – Quick tips to save energy
• Energy Saving Trust – Reducing home heat loss
• Green Doctor – useful downloadable guides on range of energy saving measures, including installing draft strips and tackling damp
• British Gas – Energy saving tips
  

What does the rise in the energy price cap mean?

Ofgem has published some useful information on their website to explain about the price cap and what is means for households.

• Ofgem – Check if the energy price cap affects you

The Money Saving Expert website also has some useful information.

• Money Saving Expert website – What is the energy price cap?

We’d love to hear of any other ways you are considering saving energy this year. Please add details to the ‘your stories’ section of the website to share your tips.

Further support
The Council’s cost of living support page provides advice for residents that may be struggling with the cost of living crisis, including information about welfare rights, benefits and debt advice, and support getting all the money you're entitled to.

• Cost of living support | Cheshire West and Chester Council