Your ideas for building a stronger future

Open libraries and leisure centres as soon as possible.

Now that pubs and restaurants have opened we need to see our libraries and leisure centres open as soon as possible. Children have had 3 months without school so let’s get them back reading and exercising.

Prioritise walking, cycling and public transport over and above cars

Roads and 'grey infrastructure' have always been designed for cars and lorries. Cyclists and pedestrians have to squeeze in where they can. This has caused deaths and injury and adds to greenhouse gas emissions. From now on, think in terms of the other way around. Design for people and let motor vehicles squeeze in where they can (they can be provided for adequately - I'm talking about a mindset; an approach). Close some roads, or one side of a road. Traffic has already increased to approaching that before the lockdown, and we're still in it! Make the change.

Increase the number and locations of public toilets

Aim to have a public toilet every half mile within public areas so that everyone can go out confident that they will not get 'caught short'!

Better wayfinding signs on the walls

The walls can be an excellent way to get around the city but there needs to be more wayfinding signs to help people come off at the right part.

Adult education and training

Many people have lost or will lose their jobs as a result of Covid-19. We need to recognise that this is the opportunity to get people back into work in sustainable and forward-thinking roles but for this they will need training. Since the closure of Hartford Campus (formerly Mid-Cheshire College) the opportunities for retraining are extremely limited especially for adults. The council could encourage local colleges to offer more opportunities in the community by supporting with free or low cost venue hire. There are also many former college lecturers/trainers who could be brought back into education by being directly employed by the council. There are several areas of educational deprivation within the area where even basic literacy and numeracy would make a significant change in people's prospects but these courses are few and far between now. Without education it is hard to make lasting change!

Support Communities!

Where there's capacity and the will, support communities to get things done. Remove the bureaucracy that gets in the way of change.

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.

Promote 'Local'

The Covid message in Wales is not 'stay alert' but 'stay local'. The more that people are remaining at home (and many of us will be forced to now simply due to child care) the more we are able to support the genuinely local economy - the corner shop, greengrocer, butcher, newsagent, cafe, pub etc - but also the local town centre. I've had to cancel my summer holiday, many others will have to. We have kids to entertain. Could we promote at-home-holidays, ultra local day trips you can make by bike/walking if you can, or car if you have to. could we promote street parties as a way for neighbours to thank each other, and to meet up after weeks of whats app? Wrexham do an annual play day when they convert the town centre into a family focused space. Could we copy it in Ellesmere Port, Winsford, Frodsham, Chester and wherever? Cahllenge local communities to out do each other

Concentrate on environmental issues - look forward for future generations

Allow grass verges to grow and invest in wild flower seeds rather than mowing them down. This will encourage insect and birds to thrive. Rotherham Council have planted 8 miles of wild flower verges saving £25K in mowing costs!

Covid has shown we can take care of people. No more homeless on our streets invest in solutions that work for them and our community.

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.