Climate Emergency

Cheshire West and Chester Council have planted an Oak and long-lived broadleaf woodland on a 10-hectare, Council owned site, near Barrow, this winter.


After a rather wet winter and spring, the Council’s Climate Change Team visited the newly planted site in early May to see the work that has been completed already and hear about the plans to create a mosaic of habitats on this site.

Howard Pimborough, Woodland Creation Projects Delivery Officer for the Council, explains why the site had been chosen and more about the design of the new woodland here.

'This was low value agricultural land that is seasonally wet, so tree species selection was essential to its successful establishment. Equally the wood needs to be resilient against climate change, future pests and diseases, and help in reducing local surface water flooding. In the design phase the project was computer modelled using Forestry Commission software, to ensure its long-term survival.

The woodland was created utilising innovative techniques to maximise its potential, not only to meet the requirements of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)*, but to also create a mosaic of different habitats (essential for any good woodland design). Old ponds were restored, and new ones created with edges sown with wildflowers. Open spaces managed as woodland meadow are included in the design providing space for natural regeneration of existing mature trees, which border the fields.

An example of the types of innovation on the site was the translocation of early mature Crack and Goat Willow. Basically, removing early mature trees choking and shading out an existing pond, pollarding** them, and replanting in a more desirable location. This way the woodland has two ages of trees, not just young ones (or, even three ages of trees if we count the old Oak in the hedgerows).

One of the mature trees that has been moved to a more desirable location on the site

One of the reasons this site was selected to establish a new woodland on was because of the existing specie rich woodland adjacent to it. This should speed up the new woodland’s potential for wildlife as ground flora, fungi and other species now have room to spread and increase, bringing benefits to the quality of both the old and new woodland.

We’ve also left standing deadwood and deliberately splinted timber and old root plates placed across the site to replicate the result of a storm, which will provide ideal habitat for invertebrates. Coronet cutting*** techniques have also been used on declining trees to increase their potential for bats and stag beetle.

If the gauge of success is how quickly wildlife occupies the site, then early indications are very positive, with wild geese and waterfowl using the restored open water. Meadow buttercup and Cuckoo Flower is visible in the open grassland and there has been an increased presence of bees and butterflies In the future we intend to place Beehives on the site to improve pollination and support our native Honey Bees, who are very much under pressure. This site is perfect for them.

One of the ponds that has been restored

Forestry is a long-term investment, and it is vital that there is a sustainable revenue stream that supports this project and others without impacting the Council budget. To that end, the woodland needs to be commercially viable, that is producing high quality hardwoods and other forest products for the future, this is why the woodland is divided into identifiable stands of trees and a long-term management plan in place. Using continuous cover forestry, enables us to harvest on a sustainable, rotational basis, provide employment and it also helps in creating a diverse woodland structure.

Equally we have the value of ‘home grown’ Carbon Sequestration and BNG units (to meet changes in the Town and Country Planning act). Without Carbon Units and BNG units created ‘in County’, the Council would need to purchase elsewhere (costing far more and without any local benefit), impacting the Council’s Net Zero aims and restricting development. Most importantly, if the land has no value, who will value and preserve it?

From the outset, this has been a cross department co-operative effort between the Council’s Total Environment team and the Climate Change Team. It was really important to get both teams involved in its establishment, with Total Environment and The Climate Change team helping to plant trees and sow wildflower seed. Being part of helping nature, on a project that will outlast us all, and being amongst our natural environment is fantastic for mindfulness and well-being. In future projects perhaps we can get all our departments to come along and join us on this and other innovative, ambitious, projects. It is without doubt, a way of providing a most satisfying and worthwhile gift to future generations and their sustainability.'

The Climate Change Team helping to sow wildflowers

This work is contributing to the Council’s Land Action Plan and Climate Emergency Response Plan, helping the borough to become carbon neutral by 2045 and the Council, as an organisation, by 2030. Every tree planted in the borough is also helping to grow the Mersey Forest and the wider Northern Forest, helping to connect more of our communities with nature.

Find out more about our response to the Climate and Nature Emergency: Home | Climate Response (westcheshireclimateplan.co.uk)

You can share what action you are taking to reduce your own carbon footprint over on the Climate Emergency Inspire page.

*Biodiversity Net Gain is the term used to describe the process of increasing the overall biodiversity value of a development site.

**Pollarding is a method of pruning that keeps trees and shrubs smaller than they would naturally grow.

***Coronet cutting is a pruning technique that mimics the way natural tears and fractured branches occur on stem wood and branches.

Bikeability is today’s cycle training for the 21st Century. It is based on the government approved National Standards for cycle training. It is organised and delivered at schools across the borough, or locally, by the Council's delivery provider, Bikeright.


Cycling is a life skill and cycling safely, with confidence is key to enjoyment and participation, helping young people to develop lifelong physical activity habits to gain independence, social skills and a sense of wellbeing.

Any schools in west Cheshire can take part in the training programme and bikes and helmets are available for training sessions too. Learn to ride training sessions can also be provided for year four, five and six to prepare students for the on-road training in years five and six.

For more information and to book click here

Watch a video of a Bikeability session held at Victoria Road School, Northwich.

The Council will share details about family and adult training sessions later in the year.

Cheshire West and Chester Council has secured £2,049,000 Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure funding (LEVI). The fund is managed by the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), with a Support Body consisting of the Energy Savings Trust (EST), PA consulting and Cenex.

The funding will help to support EV charging solutions for people who are unable to charge at home (off street). The Council will now start an Invitation to Tender procurement process, to identify private investment from Charge Point Operators, to invest to deliver a commercial return over time. The public-private partnership will then deliver a comprehensive volume and type of chargers, meeting resident needs.

The majority of EV charging takes place at home, but this can be a challenge for residents without access to off-street parking. The Council aims to ensure residents will have easy access to EV charging, within a short walking distance through a range of car parks and on-street.

Council-owned car parks will be the first choice of where to site chargers. These car parks are often located in central areas. The plan will be to supply a quantity of chargers into these locations. As the demand for chargers increases the availability can be increased. Where car parks are further away than just a short walk, on-street chargers will be considered.

In addition to this, other locations that suit people’s normal routine and may support more sustainable travel will be considered. The Council will work with partners to install chargers into park and ride sites, leisure centre car parks and into railway station car parks, alongside council car parks.

The new funding is expected to enable an initial installation of around 600 chargers, with approximately 300 in car parks and 300 on-street locations across the borough. The initial installation phase will start in late 2024 and is expected to take around five years.

The first stage will be engagement with possible Charge Point Operators taking place between April and June. Site feasibility studies will take place during the Summer 2024 with the first new charging points being installed Autumn 2024.

A six-week public consultation took place between 1 February and 15 March 2023. Responses showed a high degree of support from those who already drive electric vehicles and those who do not.

There were over 200 responses to the consultation 70 per cent of respondents said they agreed with the aims of the Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy. Most respondents (53.9 per cent) considered that the Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure will have a positive impact upon them.

Cheshire West and Chester Council has won the Green Public Service award at the iESE Public Sector Transformation Awards, in acknowledgement of the Council’s support to the world’s first net zero industrial cluster being developed in Ellesmere Port.

Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council said: “I am delighted to receive the Green Public Service award. Awards like this help to promote the truly world leading activities in our borough. Being a net zero industrial producer is currently a pipe-dream in all but the most niche circumstances, however in west Cheshire, it will become a reality, attracting many more businesses to locate here

The Council’s programme of support to the industrial area has a long-standing history but in relation to net zero, this is a decade-long programme which is now moving into high gear. By working collaboratively alongside businesses, our communities and partners we are all playing our part to help the borough reach carbon neutrality by 2045, providing a healthier and resilient place for people to live, work and do business.”

Ellesmere Port is a world leading area in industrial decarbonisation, aiming to be the UK’s first low carbon industrial cluster by 2030, and the world’s first net zero industrial area by 2045. The infrastructure and technology being developed there presents a vital lifeline for domestic industry to ensure that it can continue to be productive, innovative and globally competitive.

The Council has worked extensively with industry and communities to facilitate the development of this cluster and deliver the combination of skills, relationships, resources and policy that make it one of the most exciting areas in the world for low carbon innovation.

ORIGIN was launched last year, a brand for the Ellesmere Port Industrial area, helping to lead decarbonisation in the North West and a key player in leading the Green Industrial Revolution. Projects, including HyNet, Protos and others will ensure Ellesmere Port is at the forefront of trailblazing green energy and decarbonisation technology.

Over the next 20 years ORIGIN aims to protect existing jobs, and create thousands of new green jobs, growing the economy with over 150 new businesses creating employment for over 10,000 people by 2040.

Cheshire Rural Touring Arts, a partnership between Cheshire West and Chester Council and Cheshire East Council has launched the new Spring 2024 artistic programme taking place at various community venues across Cheshire.

Councillor Lisa Denson, Cabinet Member for A Fairer Future (Poverty, Public Health and Mental Health) said: “Cheshire Rural Touring Arts return this Spring with another full programme with something for everyone.

“From Shakespeare to Dickens, from Africa to Cornwall and from climate change to dance there are performances for all ages. Last season many shows sold out, so make sure to book your tickets before they’re gone.”

Performance details and online booking is available on the CRTA website: www.cheshireruraltouringarts.co.uk
Tickets: www.ticketsource.co.uk/cheshireruraltouringarts

The Spring programme includes the below show about climate change which is suitable for families.

Birdie by Mind The Gap

Tuesday 18 June 1.30pm - Neston Library, CH64 6QE
Wednesday 19 June 1.30pm - St Mary’s Creative Space, CH1 2DW

Mind The Gap present their show Birdie, a fun and poignant adventure that blends choreography and original music to tell a powerful and accessible story about climate change for families. Traveling in a mesmerising upcycled mobile home, characters Homie and Birdie navigate a world filled with plastics and pollution on a journey towards freedom and hope. Described by an audience member and teacher as “a very beautiful and visual demonstration of what we can do to help the planet”. Post-show, the audiences are invited to create their climate action protest signs.
This accessible show is suitable for ages 5-11 and their families.

The Council is working alongside neighbouring authorities and other key partners to develop a Cheshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

Help us understand how nature matters to you and what actions you think could be taken to help wildlife across Cheshire.

We want to develop a blueprint to help wildlife thrive, improve our ecological network, but also target investment in nature where it could help us adapt to Climate Change and improve the places we live, work and play.

Please follow the link to the website below to share your views and help us develop solutions for a Wilder Cheshire over the next 10 years.

Working together for a Wilder Cheshire and Warrington | Cheshire West and Chester Council

Cheshire West and Chester Council has reiterated its commitment to sustainable and affordable transport following the decision by Ginger, the company behind Chester’s trial e-scooter service, to suspend its operations until further notice.

Ginger have operated a trial of e-scooters in Chester since 21 December 2020 as part of the Department for Transport’s micro-mobility e-scooter rental trial, introduced to gather evidence and inform government policy.

As part of this pioneering trial, there have been more than 180 e-scooters available for hire in Chester from 47 dockless parking locations available throughout the city to start or end a journey using the Ginger Shared Transport App.

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

“The Council is saddened to hear of the removal of Ginger Scooters from Chester Streets for the many users of this trail-blazing technology in our city provided through the trial hire scheme.

The trial has supported the Council’s Climate Emergency Response Plan. It has provided a ‘green’ restart of local travel with the aim of mitigating the impact of reduced public transport capacity that came about during the height of the pandemic, providing a sustainable mode of transport around the city and reducing short, single-occupancy car journeys. We are in discussions and awaiting further information about the decision”.

The Council’s approach is pioneering and we’ll continue to progress with our many sustainable transport options for Chester and the rest of the borough. We are committed to affordable and sustainable transport and will continue to make great headway, keeping our residents and visitors connected to the places they need to get to”.

Paul Hodgins, Chief Executive of Ginger, said:

“We are reviewing our operations and trying to find a way to come back to Chester, which has been a great place for e-scooters, proving the future of local transport in small efficient vehicles, not big cars.

We have greatly appreciated the support of the Council, who have been fantastic partners. They are doing a lot of innovative things in green transport and are working hard on enabling future transport for all residents. We encourage you to continue to support those efforts. And finally, we'd like to thank our amazing local team who kept the fleet running safely and efficiently”.

Cheshire West and Chester Council is now offering half price travel on Chester’s Park & Ride service throughout February 2024.

The discount is for tickets bought on bus and applies to adult and youth day tickets only.

It follows on from the success of free travel during January, which saw an impressive 62,001 trips on the Park & Ride service.

This latest discount has also been made possible by funding from the Department of Transport under its Bus Service Improvement Plan + grant.

The Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Strategic Councillor Karen Shore said: “It’s been wonderful to see an increase in customers trying the Park and Ride during our ‘free travel’ promotion in January.

“I’m delighted the Council is able to continue the promotion of this excellent service with half price travel throughout the whole of February. Give Park & Ride a try and do your bit to cut congestion, carbon emissions and pollution in the city.

“Travelling on the Park & Ride is so easy. Just drive up and park at one of our sites, there are plenty of spaces available, hop on board a bus and pay for your half-price ticket from the driver. Then relax on your way into the City. Buses run at regular intervals until 7pm (5.30pm Sundays).

“Our stylish and comfortable Park & Ride buses have USB charging, free wifi and premium seating.”

More information, timetables and routes are available on the Council’s website

There is lots of information around that says that eating locally grown produce is the best option for a sustainable diet. But not all food from abroad makes a significant impact on the climate, and not all locally found food is good for the environment.

When buying locally grown food one of the key questions to ask is whether it’s in season. Some growers in the UK use heated greenhouses (hot houses) to produce fruit and vegetables that wouldn’t normally be in season in this country. And it can take a huge amount of energy to grow some of this unseasonal produce in the winter.

When it comes to produce that has to travel from abroad, the main guidance is that food that has to travel by plane because of its short shelf-life does have a major impact on the climate. But, generally, food that travels by boat is significantly less damaging.

If we want to eat the best diet possible for the planet there are even more things to consider – like refrigeration, agricultural methods, packaging and more. But for those of us that want a simple way of making less climate impact with our food choices, recognised industry expert Mike Berners-Lee and author of How bad are bananas? has some straightforward advice. He says: “Local and seasonal is best of all, but shipping is fine. As a guide, if something has a short shelf life and isn’t in season where you live, it has probably had to be grown in a hot house or travelled on a plane.”

Examples for January of what will have travelled by plane or been grown in a hot house include lettuce, tomatoes, asparagus and strawberries. Also be aware that most cut flowers will have also arrived by plane. Items like apples, oranges and bananas almost always go by boat.

Eat Seasonably has a useful calendar to tell you what is in season each month. If you are interested in growing some of your own fruit and vegetables this year the Love the Garden website has advice on what to plant each month.

Whilst what produce we buy and where we buy it from forms a significant part of our food–related climate impact, perhaps a more important issue to consider is how much we waste. We, in the developed world, are thought to waste about a quarter of the food we buy.

Not only is throwing out food a major waste of money, it’s also very damaging to the environment. Though our food waste recycling service has a healthy take up in west Cheshire, a 2023 project to analyse what was in the borough’s bins showed that food waste was the largest disposed of material in our black bins, making up 29% of waste thrown away.

Food waste that is binned rather than recycled ends up at landfill. There it rots down and produces methane – a greenhouse gas that is even more potent than carbon dioxide.

Hints and tips to reduce your food waste

Information sources

How bad are bananas? By Mike Berners-Lee

wrap.org.uk (The Waste and Resources Action Programme)

www.wwf.org.uk (The World Wildlife Fund)

Every effort has been made to ensure the information used in all climate emergency articles is accurate. All information used to inform the articles has been taken from reputable sources and those sources are given at the end of each article.

We are aware, however, that data will change over time and that some information across the internet and printed matters can be contradictory.