The aim of this page is to recognise, celebrate and encourage the self-empowerment of community agency networks (CANs) and community groups' activism for climate, environment and many other sustainability topics across North West England.
Whitehaven coal mine plan quashed by High Court, BBC News (Sep 13, 2024) - ‘When it’s sunny, we get the barbecue out’: urban gardeners transform foul alleys into verdant havens, theguardian.com (Aug 12, 2024)
- ‘My Southport shop was looted by rioters, then saved by strangers’, BBC News (Aug 11, 2024)
- Liverpool library torched by far-right rioters raises repair funds, theguardian.com (Aug 06, 2024)
- Cumbria coalmine was unlawfully approved, government says, theguardian.com (Jul 11, 2024)
- Public backs move to green home heating but more government support is needed, research shows, theconversation.com (May 02, 2024) — "...in Liverpool, strong local identity and a feeling of solidarity led most participants to prefer a locally-owned system to private provision."
- E-bikes are freewheeling through rain and over hills, with huge promise for sustainable transport in rural tourist areas, theconversation.com (Feb 06, 2024)
Networks and sustainability initiatives[edit | edit source]
- Ashton Hayes Going Carbon Neutral aiming to become England's first carbon neutral village
- Cumbria Action for Sustainability, Sustainability groups in Cumbria on cafs.org.uk
- Green Chester, campaign from the University of Chester
- Low Carbon Lymm
- Macc2020, aiming to make Macclesfield sustainable by the year 2020
- Transition Chester
- Transition Town West Kirby
- Transition Wilmslow
- Wirral Environmental Network
Climate action[edit | edit source]
- Climate Emergency Commission, Warrington, warrington.gov.uk, added 14:42, 29 September 2022 (UTC)
- Climate Action Chester & District on twitter.com, added 16:46, 23 August 2021 (UTC)
- Climate Action Preston, Friends of the Earth Action group, added 15:12, 15 July 2021 (UTC)
- Cool Wirral, campaign aimed at encouraging local climate-related action in support of the climate change strategy for Wirral.
- South Lakes Action on Climate Change Towards Transition
Biodiversity[edit | edit source]
- Chester Supertrees, Chester's biodiversity project
Environment quality[edit | edit source]
- Mersey Rivers Trust, added 14:27, 28 April 2021 (UTC)
Trees, woodland and forest[edit | edit source]
The Mersey Forest is a network of woodlands and green spaces being created across Merseyside and North Cheshire by a wide-ranging partnership of different organisations including local authorities, community groups and businesses. The Mersey Forest is the biggest of twelve community forests covering 420 square miles (1,100 km2) and accessible to a local population of 1.6 million people. It stretches from Sefton to the north of Liverpool and south to Northwich in Cheshire. Delamere Forest in the south of the area being the largest area of established woodland. The forest is seen as having a major role in attracting new business and tourism to the area.
In common with the other community forests, it is not a contiguous area of forest, but rather an initiative to increase forestry coverage in an area close to urban communities. An example of this at work is Griffin Wood, clearly visible from the M62 just to the south of St. Helens. This woodland was established in 2007, including Scott's Copse, planted in recognition of the work done by David Scott. It is one of the areas where trees where planted by Team Trees.
The forest falls within the area of the proposed Northern Forest.
The Northern Forest is a proposed forest in England to encompass five community forests. The aim is to plant 50 million trees by 2032 which would provide a timber industry, leisure opportunities and environmental benefits. Initial funding for the project was granted by the British government in January 2018.
The proposed forest has been welcomed by the Woodland Trust.
The proposed forest would run the whole width of England from Liverpool and Chester in the west to the coastline of the East Riding of Yorkshire and would include the cities of Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Hull. The forest scheme is led by the Woodland Trust and would incorporate five community forests: the Mersey Forest, Manchester's City of Trees, the [White Rose Forest], the South Yorkshire Forest and Humber Forest. The aim is to plant 50 million trees in the 25 years between 2017 and 2042, a trebling of current planting rates in the area; this would help to increase the rate of reforestation in England, which is at record low rates and may currently be outweighed by the rate of deforestation for the first time in decades. The area currently has less than 8% tree coverage, one of the lowest proportions in the country.
Arts, sport and culture[edit | edit source]
- A Field of Flax, community growing project inviting people in Bootle to grow, nurture, process, spin and weave a field of flax, from flower to linen thread. added 10:41, 14 January 2022 (UTC)
- Rule of Threes, initiating art projects for local neighbourhoods, added 09:19, 15 October 2021 (UTC)
Cycling activism[edit | edit source]
The Hub, Stockton, Sustrans' project delivering free information, advice, resources and events to help people in Stockton walk and cycle for more of their everyday journeys
Food activism[edit | edit source]
- Farmers Markets in Cheshire, visitcheshire.com
- FarmStart, the UK's very first farm incubator initiative!
- Food4Macc voluntary group that aims to have more food produced locally in the Macclesfield area, to keep food prices down as transport costs rise
- Incredible Edible Rossendale on facebook.com
Localism[edit | edit source]
Supporting community business in the North West, powertochange.org.uk, added 10:51, 12 November 2021 (UTC)
Road safety[edit | edit source]
In December 2011, the village road network was reconstructed at the intersection of Chester Road/Park Lane and London Road, creating the first "double roundel" for a high traffic intersection. Similar to a roundabout, the new intersection reduces the four-lane approaches to two lanes, allowing pedestrians to cross quickly, and safely allowing the elimination of traffic signals. Multiple coloured and textured cobbles separate traffic from pedestrians areas, however it functions as a shared space, allowing pedestrians to cross anywhere that feels safe. According to the city, businesses have seen increased foot traffic, and congestion has been considerably lessened. The total cost was 4 million pounds, comparable to traditional road repairs which were needed. W
Social inclusion[edit | edit source]
Of the nine regions of England, the North West has the fourth-highest GVA per capita—the highest outside southern England. Despite this the region has above average multiple deprivation with wealth heavily concentrated on very affluent areas like rural Cheshire, rural Lancashire, and south Cumbria. As measured by the Indices of deprivation 2007, the region has many more Lower Layer Super Output Areas in the 20% most deprived districts than the 20% least deprived council districts.[28] Only North East England shows more indicators of deprivation than the North West, but the number of affluent areas in the North West is very similar to Yorkshire and the Humber.
The most deprived local authority areas in the region (based on specific wards within those borough areas) are, in descending order—Liverpool, Manchester, Knowsley, Blackpool, Salford, Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Rochdale, Barrow-in-Furness, Halton, Hyndburn, Oldham, Pendle, St Helens, Preston, Bolton, Tameside, Wirral, Wigan, Copeland, Sefton, and Rossendale.
In 2007 when Cheshire still had district councils, the least deprived council districts in the region by council district, in descending order, were—Congleton, Ribble Valley, Macclesfield, and South Lakeland.[29] These areas have Conservative MPs, except South Lakeland has a Lib Dem and Labour MPs. At county level, before it was split into two, Cheshire was the least deprived, followed by Trafford, and by Warrington and Stockport.
In March 2011, the overall unemployment claimant count was 4.2% for the region. Inside the region the highest was Liverpool with 6.8%, followed by Knowsley on 6.3%, Halton with 5.5% and Rochdale with 5.1%. The lowest claimant count is in Eden (Cumbria) and Ribble Valley (Lancashire) each with 1.3%, followed by South Lakeland with 1.4%. W
Maps[edit | edit source]
Locations and Facilities in Trafford
Past events[edit | edit source]
- May 23, 2017, Cycle Maps for Chester
- May 3 - 4, 2014, Lymm Green Trail, meet Lymm householders and see energy efficiency first hand
- June 21, 2014, Chester Green Day
- September 13, 2014, Wirral Earth Fest 2014 on facebook
About North West England[edit | edit source]
North West England is one of nine official regions of England and consists of the ceremonial counties of Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside. The North West had a population of 7,417,397 in 2021. It is the third-most-populated region in the United Kingdom, after the South East and Greater London. The largest settlements are Manchester and Liverpool.
Near you[edit | edit source]
Cumbria - Lancashire - Liverpool - Manchester
