Your ideas for building a stronger future

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

Postpone any changes to Chester Market commercial terms

Freeze the plans to increase payment terms (the ones publicised before Xmas) because traders are struggling already. The 'Play Your Part' consultation clearly showed a strong desire to support small local businesses. This would be in line with that.

Green Building

The Council has built 4K+ new homes in the last 5 years with almost no green features. Stop wasting opportunities to build with green options like solar, ground source, water capture, shared highways. Innovate to put a green score on building

Stop cutting down trees

There should be a 'presumption against' felling trees. Currently, anyone can cut down a tree on their premises provided no neighbour objects in the time allowed. Often, neighbours don't hear of a felling notice until it's too late. The notice system is seriously flawed. A presumption against would put the onus on the person wishing to fell to prove that the tree needs to be felled. Ecological criteria including biodiversity issues should be used to assess trees, as well as existing issues (like letting in light). Alternatives such as lopping should be used before felling. We are losing old trees at an alarming rate.

Use community centres as hubs to feed the elderly and vulnerable

I live in Delamere. Our community centre is used twice a week as a post office at the moment and for nothing else, and I'm sure this is the case in other places in Cheshire West. It would be great if we could establish a network of community centre hubs across the region that would open up once or twice a week for a few hours, providing food to local people for free. People over the age of 70, and families whose children would normally receive free school lunches, for example. I'm sure local businesses would love to help out. Food would be takeaway only, and ready to go in carrier bags. Social distancing would be stringently observed, and volunteers would wear masks and gloves.

Support local enterprises

The Council needs to have real experts who can offer effective practical advice to assist local enterprises to grow and develop

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!

Drive inward sustainable investment in Cheshire West valuing people, community ownership, participatory democracy, and place.

Community Wealth Building (Preston Model)

Graveyards

Our graveyard at St Laurence Church is closed and adopted by Cheshire West. Frequent concerns are expressed about its tidiness and grass length. Is it possible that local people could be encouraged to work with Cheshire West rather than being reliant on them? Could the insurance be sorted to allow that to happen?

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.

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.