29 June 2022

Plastic Free July is a global movement that empowers people to be part of the solution to plastic pollution.

In 2021, an estimated 140 million people worldwide participated in Plastic Free July from 190 countries. By taking part and making small changes, collectively we can all make a massive difference in our communities.

You can choose to refuse single-use plastics in July and beyond. Here are some simple ways to make a change.

1. Bring your own re-useable bag – Keep a handy re-useable bag with you when you head to the shops, so you don’t need to purchase a plastic bag. You can also invest in a few re-usable fresh produce bags to put your loose fruit and vegetables in, or simply buy them loose rather than putting them in a small plastic bag that will be thrown away once you’re home.

2. Use re-usable bottles or mugs – There are so many varieties of re-usable bottles and mugs to suit every situation, need and budget. Remember to take yours with you when you’re out and about, so you don’t have to accept a disposable coffee cup or buy bottled drinks.

3. Ditch the cling film – This is another single-use product that ends up in landfill and in our oceans and wider environment, causing harm to nature. The good news is that there are lots of alternatives, such as re-usable containers with lids, lunchboxes, bees wax or plant-based wraps, cotton sandwich wraps, or silicon bowl covers that you can use time and time again.

4. Reduce the single-use plastic packaging you’re buying – If you’re going on holiday, go plastic free and pack soap, shampoo, conditioner and deodorant bars instead of the plastic miniatures. They last longer, so better value for money, and don’t count as a liquid, so there’s no limit for people travelling with carry-on luggage.

5. Re-use glass jars – Glass jars can be a great way of storing loose products such as rice, pasta, lentils, or dried fruit (or anything that fits in the container).

6. Research products you use regularly – Sometimes, single-use plastics lurk in unexpected places, such as in tea bags, wet wipes, cosmetics and feminine hygiene products. If you find they do contain plastic, aim to switch some of these items for plastic free alternatives.

7. Plastic free ice cream – This summer, opt for a cone rather than a plastic tub and spoon, so there’s no plastic waste to throw away. Many ice cream shops also sell gluten free cones if you ask, which means more people can take the plastic free option.

8. Visit a refill shop or buy in bulk – There are several refill shops across the borough (Just Footprints in Chester and Frodsham, and Weigh of the World in Northwich), where you can choose just the right amount of food, cosmetics or cleaning products as you need, and bring your own containers to take them home in. Another option is to try buying in bulk to cut down on the packaging you throw away.

9. Make your own snacks and condiments – By making your own snacks, such as biscuits, cakes, breadsticks and flapjacks, you can avoid a lot of the single-use plastics these come wrapped in when purchased from shops. The Love Food Hate Waste website has some good recipes to choose from.

10. Buy milk in re-useable glass bottles if possible – Find out where your local dairy is, and switch to buying your milk in glass bottles. There is nothing quite like finding fresh milk on your doorstep in the morning.

Click here for resources and ideas to help you to reduce single-use plastic waste every day at home, work, school, and even in your local café. Share these tips to encourage your friends, family and work colleagues to take part in Plastic Free July.

More information

Become a plastic free Cheshire business

Several energy saving measures have been installed at Ellesmere Port Catholic High School this year as part of £5.8 million of funding secured from the first round of the Government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS).

The school’s head teacher, Mrs Vile, and a member of the schools eco committee join Councillor Matt Bryan, Cabinet Member for the Climate Emergency and the Council’s Energy Sector Specialist, George Ablett, to explain about the systems installed and the benefits to the school.

Watch the video below

14 June 2022

Clean Air Day, the UK’s largest campaign on air pollution is taking place on Thursday 16 June 2022.

Air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to our health, no matter who you are or where you live.

It can harm every organ in your body and can shorten lives, contribute towards chronic illness and put us more at risk of Covid-19.

On Clean Air Day there are simple steps we can all take to cut down on the pollution we cause and use our voices to fight for a cleaner air future.

This year’s campaign is focusing on walking which has positive benefits for your health and the planet.

There are some simple things you can do to improve the air quality in your community and protect yourself from the effects of pollution.

• Leave the car at home – walk, cycle or take public transport if you can, especially for those short distance trips
• Use quieter streets when you’re on a bike or on foot to avoid polluted main roads
• Work from home more often, if this option is available to you
• Cycle, walk or scoot the school run – it will set a good example to your children and provides you both with an opportunity to be active
• Create awareness by speaking to someone about air pollution and its impact on health

If driving is essential

• Consider going electric – if you don’t have an electric car consider hiring one, using an electric taxi or renting an electric scooter
• Don’t idle – turn off your engine whenever your vehicle is stationary, and it is safe to do so. Read our anti-idling myth busting webpage.
• Try parking further away from your work/school and walking some of your journey

At home

• Avoid using wood burning stoves and open fires – if it is essential, only burn dry, well-seasoned or ‘ready-to-burn’ labelled wood or smokeless fuel
• Avoid burning household and garden waste – take it to your local household recycling centre.

Free electric vehicle charging

As part of this year’s Clean Air Day campaign the Council is offering free charging on the following electric vehicle (EV) charge points from 6pm on Wednesday 15 June 2022 to 8am on Friday 17 June 2022.

The EV charge points at the following locations will be offering free charging. Each car park has two double-socket ‘fast’ chargers, enabling four EVs to charge at once.

• Bishop Street car park - Chester
• Brook Street car park - Chester
• Shrewsbury Road car park - Ellesmere Port
• Moor Lane car park - Frodsham
• Chester Road car park - Neston
• Park Street car park – Northwich

The Council has also installed two rapid 50 kilowatt EVCPs and a fast charger outside the boat museum in Ellesmere Port. Being close to the M53 and Stanlow, the rapid chargers are well suited to quick top-ups by passing trades, taxi drivers and the general public. These will also be free of charge for Clean Air Day.

Details and locations of all these chargers, as well as the wider networks of EVCPs can be viewed on Zap Map.

Free family cycling training

The Council’s road safety team are currently offering free family cycle training to help all members of the family to develop their cycle skills and improve their confidence. For more information visit the Bike Right website.

More information

Learn more about Clean Air Day and organisations that can help you switch to more sustainable modes of transport.

• Clean Air Day
• Pollution and air quality monitoring in Cheshire West
• Cheshire West and Chester Council’s free Bikeability training
• Living Streets – UK Charity for everyday walking
• Sustrans – UK Charity supporting people to walk and cycle
• Chester Cycle Campaign

Residents are being encouraged to get on their bike and enjoy their community from the saddle as part of this year’s national Bike Week, which takes place from 6 – 12 June.

The Cycling UK website has lots of helpful tips to get you out on your bike and includes an inspiration page, full of ideas and routes to explore.

Find out more about Bike Week

Get on your bike safely this summer with free training

Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Road Safety team has arranged free training for families in the borough looking to take up cycling or improve their skills.

Bikeability Family is a new training package to help people living in the same household cycle together. The training will enable families to plan enjoyable group rides, switch from driving to cycling the school run or help other family members develop their cycling skills and grow their confidence.

All training is provided by fully qualified instructors and compliment training currently available through the borough’s schools through Bikeability. Trainees will need to have a bicycle of their own and family sessions are for up to six people.

The health and wellbeing benefits of being outdoors cycling are well known and these Bikeability courses will develop skills and confidence while having fun along the way. Whether you and your family are relative novices to cycling or you all ride already but would like advice on specific routes, for example to school or friends, your instructor will tailor the session to meet your needs.

There needs to be at least one child (under 16) and one adult on each session. Sessions are for up to 6 people from one family and at least one trainee must be an adult. Please be aware that where groups have very different ages or abilities, instructors need to pace training to suit the least able.

For more information and to book please visit: www.bikeright.co.uk/cheshirewest-chester

17 May 2022

As part of its drive to tackle the climate emergency, Cheshire West and Chester Council is now using electricity to keep streets across the borough clean, while being kind to the environment.

The Council’s StreetCare teams are now using all-electric street sweeping machines for their day-to-day cleaning operations.

The machines are charged overnight and then provide around 12 hours of cleaning time. Water jets, with added sanitizer, and circular brushes scrub away dirt, and the machine also has a jet washer attachment for hard to remove spots, plus a vacuum nozzle to suck up larger material.

The Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Strategic Transport, Councillor Karen Shore said: “As well as reducing our carbon footprint and being environmentally friendly, the new machine is very manoeuvrable and can easily fit through narrow alleys and passageways.

“The machine is also relatively quiet when it’s in operation, so it can be used in pedestrian areas without disturbing shoppers and visitors. This is particularly useful in the centre of Chester and our town centres.

“It really helps our teams keep the borough looking great for everyone to enjoy and we hope to add more electric equipment to assist our StreetCare operations in the future.”

ENDS

17 May 2022Walk to School Week (16 – 20 May 2022) is a national event designed to raise awareness of the health benefits of walking to and from school. It’s also a great way to celebrate National Walking Month this May.

Getting fresh air and exercise first thing in the morning helps children feel refreshed and energised, so they’re more alert and ready to start the school day. As well as keeping their bodies healthy, walking promotes positive mental health, helping to boost children’s mood and self-esteem.

The Council’s Road Safety team is encouraging all local schools to take part in Walk to School Week. As well as the benefits listed above, walking to school with your children will give you screen-free family time, reduce the stress of getting stuck in traffic and hunting for a parking space when you arrive, it saves money, and it’s better for the environment too. If you live too far away from school to walk, park up five minutes away, and complete the rest of your journey on foot.

In line with its Climate Emergency Response Plan, the Council encourages residents of the borough to walk more and take fewer car journeys, thus reducing carbon emissions and contributing to a cleaner, greener environment.

Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, has put together a five-day walking challenge for primary schools. This year’s theme is #PowerUp. Pupils will be engaged through a video game-inspired design, encouraging them to travel sustainably to school every day of the week. Click here if your school would like to get involved with National Walk to School Week and take the #Power Up five-day challenge.

09 May 2022

Cheshire West and Chester Council is supporting a national campaign this spring and will slow down its grass cutting operations to support animals and plant life.

The Council will leave some areas of grass to grow to help biodiversity during the month of May, with a particular focus on pollinators such as bees.

National charity, Plantlife, launched the #NoMowMay campaign on 22 April which challenges everyone to leave their mowers in their sheds for the month of May to allow pollen rich flowers for nature’s emerging insects.

However, road safety is a priority for the Council, grass will still be cut in some locations such as at road junctions or bends where leaving grass to grow long could cause a danger. Grass cutting will also continue where needed for operational reasons, like football pitches, play areas and paths.

Councillor Karen Shore, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Strategic Transport said: “May is an important month for biodiversity as the first nectar rich flowers are helping to sustain the emerging insect population. Taking part in No Mow May also supports the Council’s climate emergency declaration by reducing carbon emissions.

“I hope many residents will join in the campaign too to boost biodiversity in the borough. Whether it’s a small patch or your whole lawn, you can have an impact.

“Of course, road safety is a priority for us to, so road users can be assured that any necessary maintenance will be carried out and signage will remain clearly visible.

“Our regular grass cutting schedule will begin again across the borough in June.”

The Council is also continuing to implement its Wildflower and Grassland Strategy and native wildflower meadows are being planted in every ward in the borough using a bespoke seed mix to boost biodiversity.

The seed mix that has been created by the Wildflower Centre based at the Eden Project. The seed supplier, Boston Seeds, has agreed to stock the ‘Cheshire mix’ so that anyone can order it and help to boost biodiversity in the borough. Residents can order the seed mix direct from Boston Seeds by calling 01205 280 069 and their website has some helpful guides on how to create a wildflower meadow in residential gardens.

Councillor Shore added: “It’s also Global Bee Day on 20 May, so this month, please play your part to help our pollinators, by planting wildflowers in your garden or leaving your grass to go wild.”

For more information on Plantlife, visit: https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk or https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/discover-wild-plants-nature/no-mow-may

13 April 2022

Cheshire West and Chester Council StreetCare teams have been working hard this winter to keep weeds at bay in the coming summer months. Plans are also in place to create a splash of colour in communities with wildflower planting, using a bespoke seed mix created by the Eden Project.

During the winter of 2021-2022, the Council has undertaken a huge project to manually clear built-up detritus on the borough’s fast and busy ‘A’ roads.

This detritus contains small, broken-down particles of natural materials including dust, mud, soil, grit, gravel, stones, rotted leaf, fragments of twigs and also seeds.

If left in situ, the detritus could provide just the correct moisture and nourishment to create a growing medium for weeds, due to the seeds it contains. Especially at the edge of kerbs edge and other areas where there is less vehicular or pedestrian traffic.

Now, many tons of detritus have been removed by the Council’s StreetCare teams– along with the weed seeds in it to try stop the growth of weeds on footpath and roads that both impact on the infrastructure and accessibility for users.

The Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Strategic Transport, Councillor Karen Shore said:

“Having successfully completed all priority areas identified for detritus clearance during the winter period, we’re now much less likely to experience high levels of weed growth in our kerb channels and traffic islands in this coming season.

“Where weeds do grow the council undertakes targeted weed control on roads, pavements, kerb channels and wall footings to keep them as weed free as possible.”

To control weeds herbicide is applied twice a year, the first application between May and July then the second application from September to November.

The work is undertaken by specially qualified and certificated operatives. The herbicide is only applied to weeds that are visible at the time of application, using approved herbicides applied at the manufacturers recommended minimum dosage rates for effective control. The Council is also looking to explore alternatives to herbicides.

The herbicide is applied as a spray to the leaf of the weed where it is absorbed by the plant. Any chemical remaining on the leaf quickly dries and has no long-lasting toxic effects outside of the plants system. From initial absorption of the herbicide through the leaf, it can take 10-14 days for the first signs of the chemical’s effects to show.

The Council’s native wildflower meadows will be created using a bespoke Cheshire seed mix that has been created by the Wildflower Centre based at the Eden Project. The seed supplier, Boston Seeds, has agreed to stock the ‘Cheshire mix’ so that anyone can order it and help to boost biodiversity in the borough.

Residents can order the seed mix direct from Boston Seeds by calling 01205 280 069 and their website has some helpful guides on how to create a wildflower meadow in residential gardens.

It is best to sow native meadows in spring or late summer on areas of bare ground, or ground that is low in nutrients.

Cllr Shore added: “The Council is also making sure that grass and wildflower areas set aside for wildflowers and biodiversity are not affected by weed spraying.

“Wildflowers need specific conditions to grow and they struggle to compete with lawn grass. Some Councils use herbicide to kill off the grass in preparation for seed, however we have made the decision to minimise the use of herbicide and will manually prepare the ground. We’re going to put signage up explaining this to residents in all the areas selected for wildflower planting.”

13 April 2022

Cheshire West and Chester Council has started to implement a programme of reflection on the COVID-19 pandemic, which will provide communities with spaces to reflect and opportunities to share their experiences.

The first phase of the programme will see COVID-19 reflection areas created in parks across the borough, involving a reflective tree planting and associated landscape design.

The work has been commissioned by the Mersey Forest team working together with the Council’s Greenspaces team. Planting is now taking place over the next three months in the following locations:

• Castle Park, Frodsham
• Grosvenor Park, Chester
• Winsford Marina
• Stanney Fields Park, Neston
• Whitby Park, Ellesmere Port
• Marbury Park, Marbury

Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Wellbeing, Councillor Louise Gittins said:

“We have all been through the most challenging of times and this project will provide opportunities to reflect on how the pandemic impacted us all. It has brought sadness and grief, but also hope and determination as communities came together to support each other.

“These lovely reflection areas will provide beautiful spots to take the time to pause from our busy lives and reflect on all our experiences over recent years. A chance to think about lost loved ones but also to celebrate all those people who went above and beyond, in the most difficult of circumstances, to help others.”

Trees have been selected that flower in spring, between March to May, to reflect the time when the effects of the pandemic first reached the UK. Plants and trees with white blossom, stems or bark will create a theme for the reflection areas. Shrub and bulb planting will also extend the flowering season to create beauty all year round.

The project has received a funding contribution from the Trees for Climate programme. The greenspace reflection areas will be followed by a targeted cultural programme of creative engagement with residents.

Councillor Gittins added:

“The Council is keen to first map what has already been done within our communities and within the Council to reflect and capture experiences of the pandemic, then wants to work closely with communities across the borough to find out how they would like to record their own reflections and see these presented. More details on the project will be announced soon.

“This programme is first researching how the pandemic has impacted on Cheshire West’s communities. It will then appoint suitably experienced artists to work with residents from the summer onwards to choose how they would like their experiences of the pandemic reflected creatively. This programme will run until early 2023.”