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We’ve had some great progress across the borough recently - from launching our new Health and Wellbeing Strategy, shaped by residents, to bringing our council housing and homelessness services back in‑house so we can offer tenants more stability and support. Work is also moving forward on key projects like Brio Northgate’s transformation and the new Northwich Market, both of which will bring fresh energy to our town centres.
As we head into the long weekend, I hope you get time to unwind and enjoy the break.
Councillor Louise Gittins,
Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council
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We’ve just launched our new Health and Wellbeing Strategy for 2026–2031, and it’s very much been shaped by the people who know our borough best - our residents, partners and community organisations. It sets out how we’ll work together to tackle inequalities and improve both mental and physical health.
Why this matters is simple: we want everyone to have the chance to live well, stay well and age well, no matter where they live or what their circumstances are. This strategy supports our wider Borough Plan and reflects what people told us matters most. By joining forces across the whole system, we can make real progress on helping everyone in Cheshire West and Chester enjoy more years of healthy, fulfilling life.
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We recently joined The Mersey Forest to celebrate a huge national milestone - 10 million trees planted across England since the Trees for Climate programme launched in 2020. As the accountable body for the programme, we’re incredibly proud of what’s been achieved through community forests and local volunteers. |
Cheshire West Recycling - our own Council‑owned company has now taken over the running of all Household Waste Recycling Centres across the borough. They already collect recycling and waste from homes, schools and council services, so this feels like a natural next step.
Why it matters is that bringing everything under one roof gives us clearer oversight, better value, and the chance to keep improving the service. The centres have now switched to their summer opening hours, and all the details are available on our website so residents can plan their visits easily.
From today, we’ve brought the management of our council housing and homelessness support services back into the Council. After several years of these services being managed on our behalf, we felt the time was right to take direct control again. We own 5,300 homes across the borough, and this move helps us give tenants long‑term stability and a more flexible, responsive service.
What matters most here is continuity and confidence. Our tenants will continue seeing the same friendly faces, and services won’t be interrupted. We’re still working with expert partners like Liberty for repairs and maintenance, and we’ve made sure that people who are homeless or rough sleeping know that support will continue exactly as before. If anyone has questions or concerns, their usual support workers are on hand to help.
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I’m delighted that Brio Northgate Arena will reopen on Tuesday 5 May after a major, Council‑funded refurbishment. The transformation is huge - from a bigger, modernised gym to refreshed pools, a new flume, improved squash courts, new studios and upgraded changing areas. There’s even a Library Express so people can browse and borrow books during their visit.
To celebrate the new look, Brio members can redeem an Early Bird deal, that includes 12 months for the price of 9 on annual memberships. Offer available until Tuesday, 28 April and is for Brio Northgate only members.
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We’ve opened the seventh funding round for the Cheshire West Crowd, unlocking nearly £250,000 to help local people bring their community ideas to life. Working with Spacehive, the platform has already helped more than 200 projects raise over £3 million, with thousands of local backers behind them.
These projects make our neighbourhoods stronger, more connected and more vibrant. Whether it’s a small community event or a big local improvement, we want to help great ideas get off the ground. We’re also holding an online workshop later this month to support anyone thinking of launching a project.
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