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Annual Meeting
Councillor David Ellis, Chair of the Town Council for 2022/23 presented his annual report at the Annual Town Meeting. To view a copy of the annual report click here.
At the Annual Town Council Meeting held on Tuesday 23rd May 2023, Councillor Joe Dempsey was elected as Chair of the Town Council for 2023/24 and Councillor Jacquie Sheridan was elected Vice Chair.
Birchwood Carnival
This year's Carnival took place on Sunday, 11th June 2023 at Birchwood Forest Park.
During the fancy dress procession, which was led by Batida Rio, a memorial to the workers of the Royal Ordnance Factory was formally unveiled by the Chair of Birchwood Town Council, Cllr Joe Dempsey.
It was a glorious day with a full programme of varied entertainment and activities for local residents to enjoy as well as the fairground, stalls and refreshments.
Gypsies and Travellers
Throughout the year, Birchwood is usually visited by a number of groups from the Gypsy and Traveller Communities.
The Cheshire and Warrington Traveller Team have published a Cultural Awareness Guide to help local residents understand cultural issues, traditions and various backgrounds relating to these communities, in which they explain:
"Gypsies & Irish Travellers are amongst the most disadvantaged groups who access our services. There are cultural and language/literacy barriers and individuals need as much help and support as any others who access our services."
To view the guide in full, click here.
As with all communities, including the settled community, sometimes there are people who find it difficult to get on with their neighbours.
Some Gypsy and Traveller groups who pass through Birchwood cause no substantial issues for the local, settled community.
However, there are occasions when a group may cause alarm or distress, in one form or another, to residents and the wider community.
A new Policing Bill has now come into law with the aim of, ‘Strengthening police powers to tackle unauthorised encampments’ by introducing new legislation to change trespass from a civil to a criminal offence and/or strengthen police powers under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (CJPOA).
Royal Assent was granted by her late Majesty, the Queen on Thursday 28 April to the Bill, so it is now an Act of Parliament. The legislation in the Bill regarding trespass / unauthorised encampments came into law on 28 June 2022.
To view further information relating to this Bill click here.
High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill
Birchwood Town Council has material relating to the High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill which is available for inspection at our office, by appointment. Available hours will be between 9.00 am to 2.30pm, Monday to Friday.
The majority of the material is available to view on a laptop, with some additional material in hard copy.
The updated digital version of the plans can also be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/plans-and-sections-for-hs2-phase-2b-crewe-manchester and all of the documents relating to the High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill can be found at: www.gov.uk/hs2-phase2b-crewe-manchester.
To make an appointment to view the material, please telephone 01925 819440 during office hours, or email
Reduction in Grass Cutting – Rewilding Birchwood
Birchwood Town Council (BTC) currently works in partnership with Warrington Borough Council (WBC) by undertaking the cutting of many of the WBC owned grassed areas in Birchwood. BTC does 'additional value' mowing work, in between the cuts that WBC are scheduled to do.
BTC mows the areas where WBC has given us permission to cut; working around Birchwood – Gorse Covert, Locking Stumps, Oakwood, Heathfield and Risley Village.
This provides a high frequency of grass cutting and helps to keep the area looking tidy.
The Town Council does not cut grass on Your Housing Group or privately owned land. This work is carried out by their contractors.
In February 2021, the Town Council considered the grass cutting regime in Birchwood and the impact it has on biodiversity.
After discussing the subject with WBC, it was agreed to trial the reduced mowing of some of the larger grass verges in Birchwood. The areas selected will have at least one mower's width cut around the outside edge with the remainder being left to look more natural encouraging the spread of native wildflowers.
These areas will be left in tandem with the designated wildflower meadows that BTC currently funds each year.
The Town Council understands that there will probably be a mix of reactions to the reduction in grass cutting in these areas, but hopes that residents will understand the reasons why this is being trialled.
WBC has also implemented the cessation of mowing some other areas of Warrington, instead strip-mowing around the edges, leaving the remaining grassy area to grow wild, with the hope that natural wildflowers will self-seed and grow.
Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill
At Birchwood Town Council’s July 2021 Meeting, Members considered a motion for the Town Council to Declare an Ecological Emergency, and Support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill, organised by the CEE Bill Alliance.
Our Council agreed that there now needs to be a push to garner support for the Bill from as many people as possible. To date we believe that around 118 MPs are officially supporting the Bill – one of the main aims of which is to try to keep a 1.5° maximum rise in global temperatures, as set by the Paris Agreement, which is enshrined in law.
Following discussions (which ironically took place during one of the worst thunderstorms and cloudbursts that we had experienced, possibly for decades) Birchwood Town Council unanimously resolved to Declare an Ecological Emergency and to support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill.
We have also written to Charlotte Nichols MP to ask for her support with the Bill.
Further details can be found at www.ceebill.uk
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