Climate Emergency

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.

To help meet the Council’s ambition of being net zero by 2030 as an organisation, and by 2045 as a borough, plans are being progressed to tackle the carbon emissions produced by the Council’s housing stock.

The Council owns 5,382 properties across the borough which are managed by ForHousing, our local social housing provider. A challenging target has been set which will see all properties reach Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of Band C by 2028, ahead of a net zero target by 2045. At present 77% of properties have an EPC rating of Band C and above thanks to an ongoing investment in energy efficiency upgrades in these properties.

To reach the EPC Band C target for all properties, ForHousing will continue to deliver planned upgrade works such as replacement windows and doors, loft insulation top-up and cavity wall insulation. These measures will improve the energy efficiency of the buildings, helping to reduce the amount of energy needed to heat them, and in turn, helping to reduce both fuel bills and carbon emissions.

ForHousing also work closely with Council officers to take advantage of external funding opportunities such as the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF).

The SHDF supports the installation of energy performance measures in social homes in England and aims to deliver warm, energy-efficient homes, reduce carbon emissions and fuel bills, tackle fuel poverty, and support green jobs.

The Council is submitting a bid for the latest phase of the scheme which, if successful, could see over 600 properties benefit from a range of energy efficiency upgrades. The most energy inefficient properties, with the lowest EPC ratings, will be addressed first. Residents whose properties have been identified as eligible for the scheme will be contacted directly by ForHousing.

Regular updates will be provided for all ForHousing tenants via the website, ezine and letters to directly affected households to ensure tenants have the opportunity to learn more about the activity taking place on the Council’s journey to net zero for its housing stock.

Decarbonising social housing is part of the Council's commitment to creating a long-term plan to retrofit housing to help tackle the Climate Emergency and reduce fuel poverty. This is one of the 12 action points identified as part of Cheshire West and Chester Council's vision for an Inclusive Economy. The Inclusive Economy aims to make Cheshire West and Chester a greener, fairer and stronger place to live, work and play.

For more information on social housing in Cheshire West and Chester, visit:

Council housing | Cheshire West and Chester Council

Find out more about home energy help for residents here:

Home energy | Cheshire West and Chester Council

You can find out more about the Inclusive Economy here:

Inclusive Economy | Cheshire West and Chester Council

Every year in the UK, approximately seven million tonnes of food is wasted and, just during Christmas, two million turkeys, five million Christmas puddings and 74 million mince pies get thrown out, even though they are still edible.

With Christmas food bills averaging between £100 - 300 per household, and over a third of us admitting to throwing away more food at Christmas than at any other time of the year, we can all play our part to cut down our waste in an effort to help the environment and our wallets.

Wasting food contributes to climate change. When we waste food, we’re wasting the resources it takes to produce it and the hours it takes to make it and transport it.

Here are some ideas to help you cut down your food waste this Christmas and help the environment.

• Plan for the correct number of people you are cooking for, so that you don’t over shop.
• Buy seasonal, fresh, local fruit and vegetables.
• Visit your local butcher or farm to pre-order local meat – they can also advise on the size you will need for the number of people you are cooking for.
• Try drying apples, oranges or cranberries for a healthy snack to have over the festive break or in the new year.
• Buy loose fruit and vegetables from your local greengrocers and only buy what you need, rather than buying pre-packaged food that you may not use.
• Eat up and use up your leftovers. Check out the Love Food Hate Waste website for great ideas on how to use up your food leftovers this Christmas. We love the look of this bubble and squeak recipe to use up your sprouts and leftovers roast potatoes.
• Remember to store your food correctly to help it last as long as possible. The Love Food Hate Waste website has useful guide on how to store different food.
• If you have edible leftover food that you can’t eat or store, donate it to a local food bank or list it on a food sharing app such as Olio.
• Recycle what you can’t eat either in a home compost or in your food waste bin.

A local initiative that is helping to cut down food waste is The Very Green Grocery in Northwich and Winsford, a not-for-profit organisation run by Changing Lives Together which aims to prevent food waste by offering surplus stock from supermarket and farmers, to local residents. The food on offer is still fresh, edible and 100 per cent delicious. The team supports residents of Winsford, Northwich and the surrounding areas by offering essential fresh food and dietary staples, drinks, and so much more for a very reasonable £5 per bag.

In Ellesmere Port, The Port Grocery, another not-for-profit organisation, offer a similar service.

Information sources

WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme)

Love Food Hate Waste

Olio

Changing Lives Together

Every effort has been made to that 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. If you have any questions or comments about any articles, please submit them below the article.

Solar Together Cheshire and Warrington, a pioneering initiative aimed at supporting UK residential customers in the installation of solar panels, has recently been awarded the Green Expo Hynet Award for Innovation in Energy. This prestigious recognition underscores Solar Together Cheshire & Warrington's significant contributions to promoting sustainable energy solutions.

Thanks to a partnership with Cheshire East Council, Cheshire West and Chester Council, and Warrington Borough Council, households in Cheshire and Warrington can now easily access solar panels and optional added battery storage through group buying. This helps to make the transition to a renewable solar energy source easier and more affordable than it might otherwise be. This partnership represents a shared commitment to

environmental responsibility and community empowerment, demonstrating the power of collaboration in driving positive change.

George Frost, spokesperson from Solar Together, commented: “We are delighted to see the Borough Councils of Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Warrington recognised for the impact they are having on carbon reduction by encouraging households to invest in solar PV on their roofs.”

“Many people know they want solar but don’t know where to start. The Borough Councils have helped create a safe environment where people feel comfortable to make the decision to install panels when they might otherwise not do so.”

The first Solar Together scheme in Cheshire and Warrington saw an overwhelming response, with over 6,000 registrations from local residents eager to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in their homes. This enthusiastic participation underscores the community's growing interest in renewable energy and sustainable living practices.

Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: "It’s been fantastic to see the enthusiasm from residents across the area to find out more about renewable energy systems for their homes and business. By working together with our neighbouring local authorities and Solar Together we’ve been able to provide residents with options to install solar PV systems at a competitive price. As more of us move to renewable energy sources we’re all helping the nation to reach its goal of becoming carbon neutral.”

The Green Expo judges said; “Although group-buying is nothing new, Solar Together has the support of three Councils working together to offer residents the opportunity to benefit from 'Solar Together Cheshire and Warrington'. The scheme will help homeowners feel confident that they are paying the right price for a high-quality installation from pre-approved installers.”

This award is not only a testament to Solar Together Cheshire and Warrington's innovation and dedication but also reflects the broader community's support and enthusiasm for green energy initiatives. As a pioneer in innovative energy solutions, Solar Together remains steadfast in its mission to make solar installations more accessible for all.

Solar Together Cheshire and Warrington is a comparable initiative to other Solar Together schemes run in collaboration with 23 county councils, combined authorities, or groups of unitary areas across England. Together, it has delivered nearly 28,000 solar panel installations to date.

For more information about Solar Together and its initiatives, please visit https://solartogether.co.uk.

Following a pre-planning consultation process held in November, plans for external improvements to Ellesmere Port market have now been submitted for planning approval.

Ellesmere Port Market entrance illustration.

The proposed works being undertaken by the Council are designed to create a more sustainable building and make the market a more welcoming and vibrant space, boost footfall and deliver wider benefits for Ellesmere Port Town Centre.

New external cladding will improve energy efficiency and help to make the market more attractive and visible with a bright new colour scheme and signage incorporating separate dedicated entrances for the market hall and the flea market event space.

By creating its own entrance, the flea market would be able to function independently from the market, for example when the market is closed in the evenings.

The bright new external colour scheme has been inspired by a Vauxhall colour chart used between 1971- 1974, linking the market to the nearby Stellantis factory. Vauxhall produced its first cars in Ellesmere Port in 1964. The proposed exterior colours are based on 'Sunspot' warm yellow for the market entrance canopy and 'Tasman Orange' for the flea market entrances, alongside black and pale grey cladding.

Energy efficiency proposals include the installation of solar panels on the roof, low energy lighting and increased insulation within the new external cladding.

As part of the pre-planning consultation, a public display of the proposed plans was exhibited in the market between 1 - 12 November and an online feedback form was also provided. Traders, local councillors and other business groups were also consulted.

Feedback was very supportive, and the majority of responses backed the proposed exterior improvements and their feedback helped shape the current proposals.

During the planning application process further feedback can be submitted via the Council's Planning Portal until 6 January 2024.

Councillor Nathan Pardoe, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy, Regeneration and Digital Transformation, said: "Thanks to its brilliant traders, Ellesmere Port Market is a much-loved community asset. The improvements that the Council are making will make the market even better, and the Council has made sure that all the existing stalls can stay in the new market.

"From the comments received so far, it’s clear Ellesmere Port's residents and market traders firmly believe that it should remain a traditional market. The project team will make sure this happens in a future-proofed Ellesmere Port market that people can enjoy for years to come."

Ellesmere Port Market planning application