Your ideas for building a stronger future

Encouraging wider use of the River Dee - paddle boarders, kayaks, canoes, swimmers

River Dee - Chester through Sandy Lane / Red House. During lockdown there has been a huge increase in the number of paddle boards, kayaks / canoes and swimmers using the river. This has been facilitated by the lack of motorised traffic on the river. For example on a trip from Alford to Sandy Lane I passed over 100 non-motorised craft last week - paddle boards, kayaks etc. This number is now a regular level. Lockdown has changed the nature of use of the river opening it up to 100's of individuals and families, and these now represent the largest user group of the river, especially the stretch between the Red House and Chester - and they will still be the largest group once the rowers and pleasure boats return. This changing use encourages fitness, community, and enjoyment of our wonderful river in a quiet, non-polluting and inclusive way. However this will become dangerous and difficult once motorised craft return - especially those acting without regard to these new river users - a fast boat with large wake simply overturns paddle boards, is dangerous for swimmers and dominates the river in a non-inclusive way. I would like to suggest: 1. The 5 mile / hour speed limit is more strictly enforced especially between Chester and the Red House; 2. The River Patrol have powers to fine / remove licenses of motorised craft that exceed the speed limit; 3. The River Patrol's presence is extended into the evenings when fast boats tend to launch from Sandy lane; 4. The 5 mile per hour limit is prominently displayed at Sandy Lane where almost all motorised boats launch; 5. A self-service kiosk is placed at Sandy Lane for day licenses for motorised boats and all motorisied boats are required to purchase a license before launching; 6. The River Patrol have powers to check for licenses and issue fines for non-purchase; 7. Rowers and their coaching boats should not exceed the 5 mile per hour speed limit from Chester and the Red House. A racing Eight an accompanying coaching boat can exceed 2km in under 10 mins - so over 12km per hour and as they are rear-facing can find it difficult to see small craft and swimmers. [I am an ex-rower and love the sport. Restricting the speed limit up to the Red House would not be too onerous as all rowing outings begin with a series of slow warm-up exercises which in practice take a squad pretty much up to the Red House, and it would be very possible to use the return from the Red House as a cool down period]; 8. The rowing coaching boats moving between different groups of rowers should not exceed the 5 mile per hour speed limit. These are some of the most dangerous boats as they regularly travel at excessive speeds to catch-up with their rowers. This is already in the River Dee Courtesy Code (Feb 2014) which governs the use of the river and should be enforced by the clubs / River Patrol. Point 10 of the Code states 'Coaching boats are only granted permission to exceed the speed limit while they are close to the rowing boat being coached'. 9. All boats passing paddle boards, kayaks etc. should slow down and reduce their wake appropriately. 10. Keeping to the right on the river should be enforced and be prominently displayed. This applies particularly to the pleasure boats rented from Bithall's. I'm sure Bithall's explain this to their renters, but it needs enforcing on the river - boats do u turns, zig-zags, travel on completely the wrong side with no awareness of other users which is dangerous to paddle boarders and swimmers in particular, Again the River Patrol should have the power to stop this behaviour. Thank you for your consideration.

People alongside Planet as Joint and Central Priorities

In light of the disproportionate and harsh impacts of economic crises, including the current recession, now deepened to a likely unprecedented level by COVID-19, place poverty alongside climate as dual, central and urgent issues that require investment and more joined-up action across our Borough.

Massively reduce traffic through the city. There is a climate crisis & the pollution & noise are awful. Many more buses & cycle lanes needed

Enforce conservation of energy use in shops

Legislate for reduce energy use. In winter, shops in town centres blast out heat because they want to have their doors open. Each shop does it because they might lose custom if their doors are shut. This wouldn't happen if all doors were shut. Write a byelaw to force shops to close doors.

Support young people in obtaining work experience

Work experience can help young people to work out career paths they are interested in, or at the very least rule something out. It can also give them vital skills they will need in the workplace. At graduate level, employers are looking for people who have work experience and getting some in Y10 and Y12 can help young people gain contacts and enhance their CV. In the current climate, work experience is becoming ever harder to find and this might mean young people may be leaving school in Y11/13 with no experience of the workplace environment. Moreover, Saturday job vacancies will fall given retail and leisure is one of the hardest hit sectors in this recession. I think the council should create a dedicated page on their website that shows various work experience placement vacancies in Cheshire West. It could be the role of the youth senate to get into contact with employers ad schools to promote this.

Make use of the largenumber of empty shops in our town centres to provide places where people can meet up to share interests and activities.

Bring together volunteers and people who need support to get out and about to make this open to all and help reduce loneliness as well as bringing town centres to life again.

Provide dedicated spaces in low income communities to bolster against the economic and health crises

These could be low-cost eco-builds that provide a base for communities to increase their knowledge and confidence in tackling the issues that directly affect them, inviting in expertise to help explore and implement solutions to the crisis that best meet the new and evolving needs of the community in relation to low income, climate, health, hunger, education, democratic voice, tackling anti-social behaviour and community safety etc. They could be managed by communities and be a home for resident-led, council and partner-supported community wealth-building, rather than part of an ‘outreach’ service.

Establish a new Working Group to map out realistic local living costs and examine what constitutes quality and sustainable employment.

This group could sit within the Poverty Truth Advisory Board, assess what the support/resource needs may be in identifying opportunities within the private sector but also with regards to Council contract renewal in re-shaping the local economy alongside dedicated Eco-Community Co-Op Hubs. Community-ownership, particularly forms based on flatter pay structures such as http://belfastcleaningsociety.com, can play their part in providing a meaningful route out of the crisis of low income and are an extremely positive, empowering means of galvanising local people within low income communities around shared projects that address local need. They have potential to re-build participation, confidence and viable incomes in more environmentally sustainable ways.

Work more closely with the Canal and River Trust to improve the towpaths for walking and cycling, for visiting the linked parishes and towns

Marbury Maid.

Provide more cycle racks in parks, town centres and all car parks to increase cycle use..

Marbury Maid

More supported volunteering

The Council needs to invest more in volunteer organisers, for example Green Space Rangers so that more volunteer hours can be effectively managed. This will have the added benefit of reducing demand on health and social care are members of the community will also have improved health and wellbeing

Just do something

One of the better aspects of the pandemic has been people looking out for neighbours and offering help. Sometimes we can all be too backwards at asking for, or offering help from friends and neighbours. So many things that sounds small add up to bigger things. We can't all do eveything, but we should all try to: support local shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs, vote, give blood, recycle, home compost, walk or cycle short journeys, pick up some roadside litter ocasionally, talk to people, join a local group or society and so on.