May 2025 updates for Parish Councils

Over the course of May 2025, Cllr Simon Eardley will attend parish council meetings across the Saughall and Mollington Ward. For every meeting, whether he is in person (usually the case) or unable to be present, a report is submitted. May 2025 reports are repeated below - there's quite a lot of detail here, so you might need to scroll down to find your parish!

Capenhurst & Ledsham Parish Council - meeting held on 06 May 2025

Report presented in-person by Cllr Simon Eardley:

• Concerns have been raised regarding dogs being exercised on land in the vicinity of the former Malpas Tractors, off Capenhurst Lane. This has been logged with CWaC Planning Enforcement to determine, in due course, whether a ‘change of use’ application might be necessary and activity in this location regularised in some way. Advice has been given to residents who are concerned about the impact of noise on their residential amenity (directed to the relevant sections of the CWaC website).
• Ledsham Lane matters:
  • Various sites from Ledsham village through to the Rectory Lane, Capenhurst area have been marked up by CWaC Highways for repair – some 20 individual locations. The timeframe for repairs is not yet known.
  • Concerns have been raised with SE around ongoing speeding challenges along the lane. SE to obtain most recent ‘speed survey’ undertaken. Comment – unlikely to change the current speed limit and queries raised as to the effectiveness of doing so anyway as the key to meaningful change is effective Police enforcement.
• Miscellaneous reports:
  • Capenhurst Lane potholes, various, logged with CWaC on 23/04/25 (CE708446946).
  • Ledsham village potholes, various, logged with CWaC on 23/04/25 (CE708448499).
• Chapel Lane, Ledsham. Planning permission has recently been granted for this ‘dog exercise’ facility but there remains an outstanding enforcement issue relating to container infrastructure on site. SE is liaising with the site owner and CWaC Planning.
• Traveller sites across the Saughall & Mollington Ward are challenging at present, including on land a Dunkirk off the A5117 (just outside the parish). A verbal update was given an suggestion made that residents with concerns remain vigilant of potential unauthorised activity, log issues with CWaC Planning and follow advice SE recently posted on his councillor Facebook page as to the best course of action to take.
• Devolution for Cheshire & Warrington. A series of roadshow events and opportunities for residents to ‘have their say’ on this potential major change to local government arrangements will be held during May 2025. Details will appear here: https://www.cheshireandwarringtondevolution.com/
• Welsh Road – culvert repair works have now been completed and the location appears to have returned to normal.
• SE reminded parish councillors that his 2025/26 Member Budget was now available and open to supporting small community projects. Parish Council to consider and get in touch with any suggestions.
• Feedback was invited on a comprehensive email sent to parish councillors and residents in respect of ongoing drainage concerns in the Capenhurst Lane to Powey Lane area. A copy of this was also sent to the Clerk for reference. It contained an update on a number of specific issues, including culvert maintenance works undertaken by National Highways, pending culvert works to be undertaken by CWaC in the Powey Lane area and news that the safety fence replacement at Powey Lane (logged last August) had now been resolved and a good quality one erected.

Lea-by-Backford - meeting held on 12 May 2025 

Report presented in-person by Cllr Simon Eardley:

• HyNet ‘signage’. Comments around small signage in the area appearing on roadside verges in recent weeks were relayed to the ENI team for clarification. The explanation provided as follows: “This is a location sign which relates to a road crossing number along the pipeline route (in this case road crossing number 13 – this was the one SE supplied to them on Overwood Lane, Mollington). United Living has advised that they currently have road crossing signs and finger board directional signage out along the route, to help orientate their site investigation crews as they conduct their ongoing detailed design works. In terms of future signage, there will also be some New Road and Street Works (NRSWA) signage installed as they progress, to warn of site access points as they are installed.”
• Broadband update – there is no substantive progress at the present time, following the ‘collapse’ of the Freedom Fibre option via Project Gigabit to improve broadband provision in the area. I suggest we look to engage with Mike Dugine (CWaC Digital) at the July meeting of the parish council when, all being well, a further update will be available. However, this brief update from Mike as follows in the interim: “We have no information. The likelihood is that OpenReach will build it as part of a wider Type C contract but my issue (which I’ve raised multiple times to BDUK) is that OpenReach won’t build everything so they need to be watertight with their dataset that is presented as part of that contract for Cheshire West. I don’t think we’re going to find out what that looks like now until July/August time but again, because it’s BDUK’s contract, I imagine that will change. It’s out of our hands at this point.”
• Station Road – gully edge deterioration on the approach to the railway bridge. Reported on 14.03.25, ref. CE696119307.
• Demage Lane water leak reported on 12/05/25. Ref. CE713682610. Near the entrance driveway to Lea Hall. CWaC officers asked to refer this to the utility company.
• Station Road – fence in the vicinity of the railway bridge / line. I have been unable to obtain a suitable Network Rail direct contact to put the issue of the damaged / removed fence in this location to them for consideration. As such, I have logged this with CWaC as a ‘Councillor Portal Enquiry’ (ref. CLR713948452) and asked that they make contact accordingly. This was a follow-up action for SE following a meeting with the Chairman after the March 2025 meeting. I will report back accordingly in due course.
• Station Road – gullies, not draining (suspected blockages). Following a meeting with the Chairman and others on 14/03/25, I have logged a case with CWaC in relation to suspected gully blockages / other drainage blockages in respect of gullies on the approach to the railway bridge in this location. Ref. CE713953850. I await a response and their comments in due course.
• Although this issue is not directly within the parish of Lea-by-Backford, it is very close and likely to be of interest - Liverpool Road, vicinity of Backford village turn to Church Lane / pedestrian crossing route. I have asked the CWaC Head of Strategic Transport to look at ways in which the safety provision and infrastructure in this location can be improved. Details of my note to him as follows:
  • Images supplied showing the existing infrastructure in this location (dropped kerbs and other paving), but also illustrating sight line challenges, especially at times of long grass.
  • Comments for context sent as follows (summarised in part):
    • School students from Mollington / Lea-by-Backford are expected to cross this road at this point (the dropped kerbs etc exist) in order to access public transport on the Backford village side of the road. When school transport requests are refused in Mollington, it is cited that students should access the bus here. Aside from the challenges of walking from Mollington and Lea-by-Backford, where for 95% of the route there has no pavement, crossing the A41 is challenging in itself owing to the nature of the road
    • There are often grass cutting challenges, although this location is well on the radar of the CWaC team owing to sight line difficulties in what is known as the ‘Backford Dip’. Turning right from the Chester direction into Backford village, on Church Lane is not always easy. The grass length at the moment is quite difficult owing to the fact that the grass cutting regime requires traffic management which is not easily done just now owing to the Whitby Lane works.
    • Possible improvement ideas – introduction of some additional and visible infrastructure. SE thought was railings or the like to increase visibility of the fact that people do cross the road. This may not be the best solution; advice welcome. Request made to review further the location and consider whether there are any options available to help improve the safety of crossing in the vicinity.
    • SE offered to meet on site and walk the route to allow the officer a better sense of the location.
• Drainage challenges in the parish, particularly on Grove Road. I held a comprehensive update meeting with CWaC officers in relation to this location and others in the area on 28 March 2025. Notes have been prepared following this engagement, which I had hoped to be in a position to share with colleagues for this meeting, but they are awaiting additional officer input. They will be supplied to you ASAP (and wider residents).
• A reminder that my 2025/26 CWaC Member Budget is now open for grant applications. I would welcome any from within the parish. The application process can be found here: www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/your-council/councillors-and-committees/councillors-allowances/member-budgets

Backford & District - meeting held on 13 May 2025

Report presented in-person by Cllr Simon Eardley:

• Possible Rake Lane ‘impact day’ to deal with litter challenges. I have been in discussion with CWaC officers around the possibility of organising a full road closure of Rake Lane for a specific session to clear litter and any other items that require attention. The original suggestion was that this be undertaken on 18th May, but this has proven challenging to agree and secure the necessary permissions for, not least owing to other ongoing road closures in the area which would need to be considered. This is the latest position as advised by the Head of Environment at CWaC. I have said this works from my perspective and I will fund the works from my Member Budget: “I have a proposal - what if we arrange to get the grass cut and litter picked, using £350 estimated, rather than doing an impact day. If we did this way, I think a contractor could do it, we could then inspect and remove any fly tipping? It would probably be quicker, than an impact day and the team could work on stop and go rather than full road closure.” It will not be necessary to have volunteer engagement as a result of this approach.
• Poplar Hall Lane drainage. Cllr Cheers and I met with the CWaC ‘Lead Local Flood Authority’ officer on 28 March 2025, alongside a landowner to review ongoing concerns regarding pond drainage, ditch maintenance and other issues in this area (including works to trees which had been undertaken and branches etc dumped into the ditch system). The CWaC officer feedback as follows: “The Council’s view as the Lead Local Flood Authority is that the flooding from the pond doesn’t pose a risk to property, which is fundamentally how we invest our funding, however from discussion on site it would be beneficial for the ditches to be dug to aid the flow of water from the pond and if possible the same could be done on the other side to hold surface water during extreme events. Given it’s a single-track road, any suggested highway drainage works including roadside ditches should be discussed with the Area Highways Team. With regards to the tree, we have no records of any Council prescribed tree works so can only assume this was undertaken by a member of the public.”
• Liverpool Road (A41) grass cutting. Various points here:
  • I logged concern around the length of grass and need for cutting ASAP on 08/05/25 and received the following response from CWaC Streetcare: “We’d ordinarily have cut this at least once by now, but our requests for traffic management have been repeatedly rejected by Highways due to the other TM on the nearby network, and we’ve been told not to resubmit a request until after 29th May. We’ve therefore booked the earliest slot they’d allow us, which I recall is on or around the 3rd of June. I appreciate this is far from ideal in an area which we know to be an important sight line for junction access, but we’ve tried more than once with updated notes explaining the urgency and received the same reply.”
  • CWaC Highways have since responded further with the reasoning: “We don’t take decisions to deny additional works by Streetcare lightly. In this instance, you’ll know we have lane closures and while the grass needs cutting there is a greater danger posed by putting additional TM [Traffic Management] in when we have so much already in place on a fast stretch of A road. We have lane closures on here north and southbound just north of the Church Lane junction into Backford to north of the Whitby Lane junction. They are currently installing the new signal poles and heads and cabling up the new system so the traffic management will be changing from lane 1 to 2 to suit where the contractors are working.  This will also be the case next week [w/c 12 May] when the lining gang are in who again will need a mixture of lane 1 and 2’s to suit their work.  It is this potential clash that has worried our colleagues in Streetworks [who authorise road closures]. We are hoping to commission the new signals w/c 19 May. It won’t be more than a few weeks before the grass can be cut, but, it is currently judged as safer to not allow additional TM than to cut the grass.”
• Liverpool Road, vicinity of Backford village turn to Church Lane / pedestrian crossing route. I have asked the CWaC Head of Strategic Transport to look at ways in which the safety provision and infrastructure in this location can be improved. Details of my note to him as follows:
  • Images supplied showing the existing infrastructure in this location (dropped kerbs and other paving), but also illustrating sight line challenges, especially at times of long grass.
  • Comments for context sent as follows (summarised in part):
    • School students from Mollington / Lea-by-Backford are expected to cross this road at this point (the dropped kerbs etc exist) in order to access public transport on the Backford village side of the road. When school transport requests are refused in Mollington, it is cited that students should access the bus here. Aside from the challenges of walking from Mollington and Lea-by-Backford, where for 95% of the route there has no pavement, crossing the A41 is challenging in itself owing to the nature of the road
    • There are often grass cutting challenges, although this location is well on the radar of the CWaC team owing to sight line challenges in what is known as the ‘Backford Dip’. Turning right from the Chester direction into Backford village, on Church Lane is not always easy. The grass length at the moment is quite difficult owing to  fact that the grass cutting regime requires traffic management which is not easily done just now owing to the Whitby Lane works.
    • Possible improvement ideas – introduction of some additional and visible infrastructure. SE thought was railings or the like to increase visibility of the fact that people do cross the road. This may not be the best solution. Request made to review further the location and consider whether there are any options available to help improve the safety of crossing in the vicinity.
    • SE offered to meet on site and walk the route to allow the officer a better sense of the location.
• HyNet ‘signage’. Comments around small signage in the area appearing on roadside verges in recent weeks were relayed to the ENI team for clarification. The explanation provided as follows: “This is a location sign which relates to a road crossing number along the pipeline route (in this case road crossing number 13 – this was the one SE supplied to them on Overwood Lane, Mollington). United Living has advised that they currently have road crossing signs and finger board directional signage out along the route, to help orientate their site investigation crews as they conduct their ongoing detailed design works. In terms of future signage, there will also be some New Road and Street Works (NRSWA) signage installed as they progress, to warn of site access points as they are installed.”
• Broadband update. There is no substantive progress at the present time, following the ‘collapse’ of the Freedom Fibre option via Project Gigabit to improve broadband provision in the area. I suggest we look to engage with Mike Dugine (CWaC Digital) at the July meeting of the parish council when, all being well, a further update will be available. However, this brief update from Mike as follows in the interim: “We have no information. The likelihood is that OpenReach will build it as part of a wider Type C contract but my issue (which I’ve raised multiple times to BDUK) is that OpenReach won’t build everything so they need to be watertight with their dataset that is presented as part of that contract for Cheshire West. I don’t think we’re going to find out what that looks like now until July/August time but again, because it’s BDUK’s contract, I imagine that will change. It’s out of our hands at this point.”
• Whitby Lane improvement works. I have obtained some further information in relation to these works in terms of the scope and rationale for them, as follows, related to me verbatim from the officer working on this project:
  • The scope of the works. The works are to replace old, outdated traffic signal equipment at the junction.  The existing set of signals have tungsten bulbs that, by modern standards, are not efficient and are prone to failure.  In addition, they run at mains voltage so can remain live in the event of a collision presenting an electrocution hazard.  The scheme will replace the old signal heads with new LED units that run at a low voltage.  Much of the underground ducting has also been replaced as the old system used asbestos ducts.  It was the placement of these new ducts across the A41 that caused us the issues recently.  In addition to the signal works we have also introduced a pedestrian/cycle crossing across the A41 and have resurfaced the islands and some footways in the area.  There are also detection loops on each approach to the junction so when queuing traffic is detected the signal controller (also new) will increase the green times to help clear the queues in the overall cycle time.  Due to ducting issues the existing loops at the junction were inoperative meaning that the junction was running on a ‘fixed time’ cycle which was highly ineffective for traffic flows.
  • The rationale for them. There are several traffic signal junctions across the borough that remain on the old lamp system and these are gradually being replaced based on the oldest and most prone to failure being prioritised by colleagues in our Street Lighting team. The work is funded as part on the Integrated Transport Block, a Department for Transport funding ‘pot’.  As you will be aware Whitby Lane and the A41 form part of the boroughs abnormal load route and the new equipment will be much quicker to demount when a load is planned to come through the area.  The new equipment will also have reduced running costs/energy consumption.
  • The costs involved in the scheme. The overall costs for the scheme are in the region of £200k with the costs for the civils element (the ducting and kerbing work) in the region of £110k which includes the traffic management. We expect the costs to increase slightly given a few engineering difficulties encountered on site.  For example, while we had a contingency sum included, we did come across some asbestos ducting that had to be removed by specialists along with an amount of ‘hard dig’ where we encountered the old road layers buried beneath the modern surface which slowed progress a little.  The new traffic signal equipment makes up the remainder - poles, signal heads, controller, pedestrian push button units and the like.
• Miscellaneous reports:
  • Poplar Hall Lane – potholes in multiple locations. Reported on 02/04/25. Ref.: CE702181406.
  • Poplar Hall Lane – edge deterioration. Reported on 02/04/25. Ref.: CE702179574.
  • Liverpool Road, A41 – pavement collapse (near Moston – just in Upton Ward). Reported on 30/03/25. Ref.: CE701129734.
  • Poplar Hall Lane – speed limit sign ‘down’. Reported on 28/03/25. Ref.: CE700782434.
  • I have a detailed and complex report with CWaC via the dedicated Cllr system in relation to issues of drainage at the Backford Park Estate and am in touch with residents on these points (who raised them with me).

Mollington - meeting held on 15 May 2025

Report sent via email by Cllr Simon Eardley as he wasn't present owing to the 'Full Council' meeting of CWaC on the same evening:

• Development at the field off Parkgate Road, near the entrance to Crabwall Manor / Hall. I have engaged with extensive correspondence on this location as you might expect, including with residents and other interested parties (including Crabwall Manor itself). I am grateful to the parish council for their consideration of this matter too and your plans to submit a comprehensive letter of objection to CWaC Planning. I have sought to raise awareness amongst residents as best as possible and offered advice to individuals as and when they have contacted me. As of 14/05/25, no planning officer has yet been allocated to the case, which, as you know, is provisionally called-in for consideration by the Planning Committee (date – tbc – but likely some months away). To repeat my grounds for the call-in as follows:
  • Detrimental impact on the green belt and contrary to local and national planning policy in that regard
  • Detrimental impact on a countryside location, contrary to local and national planning policy
  • Impact on the amenity of neighbouring properties
  • Environmental considerations - the obvious impact on the physical environment of the green field where this development has taken place, the impact on wildlife and potentially protected species
  • Concerns about the impact on highway safety (of additional movement from this field as a result of the development here - i.e. was an agricultural field and now a site with multiple intended occupancy).
• Speed of vehicles on Parkgate Road, in the parish of Mollington. I met with a resident who has ongoing concerns regarding the speed of traffic on this road, which is a subject that has been considered in the past. I updated the resident on the outcome of previous enquiries, but agreed to ask CWaC to consider whether there is a case for a new speed survey etc to inform any decisions around possible future changes to the speed limit on this route, within the parish.
• Meeting with the new headteacher of St Oswald’s Church of England Primary School. I have approached the Mrs Beesley for a meeting, ideally alongside the PC Chair to introduce ourselves and consider issues of mutual interest between the school and the parish going forward. A date is yet to be arranged.
• HyNet ‘signage’. Comments around small signage in the area appearing on roadside verges in recent weeks were relayed to the ENI team for clarification. The explanation provided as follows: “This is a location sign which relates to a road crossing number along the pipeline route (in this case road crossing number 13 – this was the one SE supplied to them on Overwood Lane, Mollington). United Living has advised that they currently have road crossing signs and finger board directional signage out along the route, to help orientate their site investigation crews as they conduct their ongoing detailed design works. In terms of future signage, there will also be some New Road and Street Works (NRSWA) signage installed as they progress, to warn of site access points as they are installed.”
• Broadband update. There is no substantive progress at the present time, following the ‘collapse’ of the Freedom Fibre option via Project Gigabit to improve broadband provision in the area. I suggest we look to engage with Mike Dugine (CWaC Digital) at the July meeting of the parish council when, all being well, a further update will be available. However, this brief update from Mike as follows in the interim: “We have no information. The likelihood is that OpenReach will build it as part of a wider Type C contract but my issue (which I’ve raised multiple times to BDUK) is that OpenReach won’t build everything so they need to be watertight with their dataset that is presented as part of that contract for Cheshire West. I don’t think we’re going to find out what that looks like now until July/August time but again, because it’s BDUK’s contract, I imagine that will change. It’s out of our hands at this point.”
• Drainage challenges in the parish, particularly on Grove Road. I held a comprehensive update meeting with CWaC officers in relation to this location and others in the area on 28 March 2025. Notes have been prepared following this engagement, which I had hoped to be in a position to share with colleagues for this meeting, but they are awaiting additional officer input. They will be supplied to you ASAP (and wider residents) – I hope by the end of this week.
• A reminder that my 2025/26 CWaC Member Budget is now open for grant applications. I would welcome any from within the parish. The application process can be found here: www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/your-council/councillors-and-committees/councillors-allowances/member-budgets
• Clarification request from March 2025 PC meeting – I don’t believe we resolved this query: “In relation to the removal of the Tarrant Court trees, it was discussed at a previous parish council meeting there might be a wish to plant a new tree to replace the two to be removed by CWaC as noted. Please advise whether discussions on this have progressed. Whilst it might not be suitable to plant an oak tree in this location, you might wish to look at the ‘Oaks at 80’ project being championed by the Mersey Forest: : https://merseyforest.org.uk/our-work/oaks-at-80/.”
• Miscellaneous:
  • Townfield Lane / Parkgate Road junction – signage fallen over. Reported on 13/04/25 – ref. CE70553741.
  • I have supplied further information in relation to a query logged with CWaC around the apparent depositing of silt from gully cleansing in a ditch on Coalpit Lane. This awaits resolution and will be chased for a final view from officers.
  • It was a pleasure to undertake the annual ‘dawn chorus’ walk led by Phil Woollen at the start of May – a very timely reminder of the value of our precious natural environment locally.

Saughall & Shotwick Park - meeting held on 19 May 2025

Report submitted in advance of the meeting as Cllr Simon Eardley was unable to attend in-person.

This report for Saughall & Shotwick Park Parish Council has been uploaded separately and is available here: https://www.simoneardley.uk/news/may-2025-report-saughall-shotwick-park-parish-council 

Puddington & District 

No report owing to parish council currently being 'mothballed' - no meetings are currently taking place in this parish council area. Cllr Simon Eardley continues to engage with residents on a range of issues in the parish - highways and other matters are fairly top of the agenda!