Cheshire East

Cheshire East is a unitary authority area with borough status in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The local authority is Cheshire East Council.

Cheshire East
Borough and Unitary authority
Coat of arms
Cheshire East shown within Cheshire
Coordinates: 53°08′46″N 2°22′01″W
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Constituent country England
RegionNorth West England
Ceremonial county Cheshire
Established1 April 2009
Administrative HQSandbach (Westfields)
Government
 • TypeUnitary authority
 • BodyCheshire East Council
 • LeadershipLeader and cabinet
 • ExecutiveLabour and Independent coalition
 • LeaderSam Cocoran
 • MayorBarry Burkhill
 • Chief ExecutiveLorraine O'Donnell[1]
Area
 • Total450 sq mi (1,166 km2)
Area rank22nd
Population
 (mid-2019 est.)
 • Total384,152
 • Rank16th
 • Density840/sq mi (326/km2)
 • Ethnicity
96.7% white
Time zoneUTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
Postcode areas
CW (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12)
SK (9, 10, 11, 12, 23)
ST (7)
SY (14)
WA ( 13,14, 15, 16)
Dialling codes01260 (Congleton)
01270 (Crewe)
01477 (Holmes Chapel)
01565 (Knutsford)
01606 (Northwich)
01625 (Macclesfield)
01829 (Tarporley)
01948 (Whitchurch)
GSS codeE06000049
NUTS 3 codeUKD62
ONS code00EQ
MPsFiona Bruce (C)
Kieran Mullan (C)
Edward Timpson (C)
David Rutley (C)
Esther McVey (C)
European ParliamentNorth West England
Police areaCheshire
Fire serviceCheshire
Ambulance serviceNorth West
Websitehttp://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk

History

The borough council was established in April 2009 as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.[2] It is an amalgamation of the former boroughs of Macclesfield, Congleton and Crewe and Nantwich, and includes the functions of the former Cheshire County Council. The residual part of the disaggregated former County Council, together with the other three former Cheshire borough councils (Chester City, Ellesmere Port & Neston and Vale Royal) were, similarly, amalgamated to create the new unitary council of Cheshire West and Chester.

Cheshire East has historic links to textile mills of the industrial revolution, such as seen at Quarry Bank Mill. It is also home to Tatton Park, a historic estate that hosts RHS Show Tatton Park.

Geography

Cheshire East lies within North West England. It borders Cheshire West and Chester to the west, Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east as well as Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. It is home to the Cheshire Plain and the southern hills of the Pennines. The local geology is mostly glacial clay, as well as glacial sands and gravel.

Demography
Historical population
YearPop.±%
1981 328,500—    
1986 331,700+1.0%
1991 340,500+2.7%
1996 349,900+2.8%
2001 352,100+0.6%
2006 362,000+2.8%
2011 370,700+2.4%
All totals rounded to nearest hundred
Source: NOMIS

According to the United Kingdom Census 2011 Cheshire East has a population of 370,127 people.[3]

Ethnicity

According to the 2011 Census, ethnic white groups (British, Irish, Other) account for 96.7% of the population (357,940 people), with 3.3% of the population (12,187 people) being in ethnic groups other than white (Asian, Black, Other).[3]

Religion

A breakdown of religious groups and denominations:

  • Christian: 68.9% (254,940 people)
  • Buddhist: 0.2% (882 people)
  • Hindu: 0.4% (1,328 people)
  • Jewish: 0.2% (581 people)
  • Muslim: 0.7% (2,438 people)
  • Sikh: 0.1% (279 people)
  • Other religions: 0.3% (1,065 people)
  • No religion: 22.7% (83,973 people)
  • Religion not stated: 6.7% (24,641 people)[3]

Administration

Wards

The 52 wards of Cheshire East are:[4]

  1. Agden-parish of
  2. Alderley Edge
  3. Alsager
  4. Audlem
  5. Bollington
  6. Brereton Rural
  7. Broken Cross and Upton
  8. Bunbury
  9. Chelford
  10. Congleton East
  11. Congleton West
  12. Crewe Central
  13. Crewe East
  14. Crewe North
  15. Crewe South
  16. Crewe St Barnabas
  17. Crewe West
  18. Dane Valley
  19. Disley
  20. Gawsworth
  21. Handforth
  22. Haslington
  23. High Legh
  24. Knutsford
  25. Leighton
  26. Macclesfield Central
  27. Macclesfield East
  28. Macclesfield Hurdsfield
  29. Macclesfield South
  30. Macclesfield Tytherington
  31. Macclesfield West and Ivy
  32. Middlewich
  33. Mobberley
  34. Nantwich North and West
  35. Nantwich South and Stapeley
  36. Odd Rode
  37. Poynton East and Pott Shrigley
  38. Poynton West and Adlington
  39. Prestbury
  40. Sandbach Elworth
  41. Sandbach Ettiley Heath and Wheelock
  42. Sandbach Heath and East
  43. Sandbach Town
  44. Shavington
  45. Sutton (Sutton Lane Ends)
  46. Willaston and Rope
  47. Wilmslow Dean Row
  48. Wilmslow East
  49. Wilmslow Lacey Green
  50. Wilmslow West and Chorley
  51. Wistaston
  52. Wrenbury
  53. Wybunbury
Ward Civil parishes[Note 1]
and unparished areas		 House of Commons
constituency
Alderley Edge Alderley Edge Tatton
Alsager Alsager Congleton
Audlem Audlem Eddisbury
Austerson
Baddington
Broomhall
Buerton
Coole Pilate
Dodcott cum Wilkesley
Hankelow
Newhall
Sound
Bollington Bollington Macclesfield
Higher Hurdsfield
Brereton Rural Arclid Congleton
Betchton
Bradwall
Brereton
Hassall
Hulme Walfield
Moston
Smallwood
Somerford
Somerford Booths
Swettenham
Warmingham Crewe and Nantwich
Broken Cross and Upton Macclesfield Macclesfield
Bunbury Acton Eddisbury
Alpraham
Aston juxta Mondrum
Bunbury
Calveley
Cholmondeston
Church Minshull
Henhull
Hurleston
Minshull Vernon
Poole
Stoke
Wardle
Wettenhall
Worleston
Chelford Bexton Tatton
Chelford
Marthall
Nether Alderley
Ollerton
Peover Inferior
Peover Superior
Plumley
Snelson
Toft
Congleton East Congleton Congleton
Congleton West Congleton
Crewe Central Crewe Crewe and Nantwich
Crewe East Crewe
Crewe North Crewe
Crewe South Crewe
Shavington cum Gresty
Crewe St Barnabas Crewe
Crewe West Crewe
Haslington Barthomley
Basford
Crewe Green
Haslington
Weston
Knutsford Knutsford Tatton
Leighton Crewe Crewe and Nantwich
Leighton
Leighton Eddisbury
Macclesfield Central Macclesfield Macclesfield
Macclesfield East Macclesfield
Macclesfield Hurdsfield Macclesfield
Macclesfield South Macclesfield
Macclesfield Tytherington Macclesfield
Macclesfield West and Ivy Macclesfield
Middlewich Middlewich Congleton
Nantwich North and West Nantwich Crewe and Nantwich
Nantwich South and Stapeley Batherton
Nantwich
Stapeley
Prestbury Mottram St Andrew Macclesfield
Over Alderley
Prestbury
Sandbach Elworth Sandbach Congleton
Sandbach Ettiley Heath and Wheelock Sandbach
Sandbach Heath and East Sandbach
Sandbach Town Sandbach
Shavington Shavington cum Gresty Crewe and Nantwich
Willaston and Rope Rope
Willaston
Wilmslow Dean Row Wilmslow Tatton
Wilmslow East Wilmslow
Wilmslow Lacey Green Styal
Wilmslow
Wilmslow West and Chorley Chorley
Wilmslow
Wistaston Willaston Crewe and Nantwich
Wistaston
Woolstanwood
Wrenbury Baddiley Eddisbury
Bickerton
Brindley
Bulkeley
Burland
Cholmondley
Chorley
Edleston
Egerton
Faddiley
Haughton
Marbury cum Quoisley
Norbury
Peckforton
Ridley
Spurstow
Wirswall
Wrenbury cum Frith
Wybunbury Blakenhall Crewe and Nantwich
Bridgemere
Checkley cum Wrinehill
Chorlton
Doddington
Hatherton
Hough
Hunsterson
Lea
Walgherton
Weston
Wybunbury
Notes
  1. ^
    1: Civil parishes highlighted in bold have unilaterally declared town status under section 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

Members of Parliament
Constituency Member of Parliament Political party Year first elected Notes Website Parliamentary profile
Congleton Fiona Bruce Conservative Party 2010 Website Profile
Crewe and Nantwich Kieran Mullan 2019 Website Profile
Eddisbury Antoinette Sandbach 2019 Website Profile
Macclesfield David Rutley 2010 Lord Commissioner of the Treasury Website Profile
Tatton The Rt Hon. Esther McVey 2017 Website Profile
MPs in Cheshire East, 2008 onwards[Note 2]
Election 2008 2010 2015 2017 2019
Congleton Ann Winterton Fiona Bruce
Crewe and Nantwich Edward Timpson Laura Smith Kieran Mullan
Eddisbury Stephen O'Brien Antoinette Sandbach
Macclesfield Sir Nicholas Winterton David Rutley
Tatton George Osborne Esther McVey
Notes
  1. ^
    2: From the last election before the borough of Cheshire East was established.

Members of the European Parliament

Cheshire East forms part of the North West England constituency, which elects eight members to the European Parliament using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.

Constituency Member of the European Parliament National political party European political party European Parliament group Year first elected[Note 2] Website Parliamentary profile
North West England Jane Brophy Liberal Democrats Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party Renew Europe 2019 Website Profile
David Bull Brexit Party None Non-Inscrits 2019 Website Profile
Chris Davies Liberal Democrats Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party Renew Europe 1999
[Note 1]		 Profile
Gina Dowding Green Party of England and Wales European Green Party The Greens - European Free Alliance 2019 Profile
Claire Fox Brexit Party None Non-Inscrits 2019 Profile
Theresa Griffin Labour Party Party of European Socialists Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats 2014 Website Profile
Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen Brexit Party None Non-Inscrits 2019 Profile
Julie Ward Labour Party Party of European Socialists Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats 2014 Website Profile
Notes
  1. ^
    1: Defeated in 2014, re-elected in 2019.
Main article: 2019 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom

Elections
Mayor of Cheshire East, Councillor Mrs Margaret Simon, at Sandbach Transport Festival

At the last Cheshire County Council election in 2005 there were 15 Conservative controlled wards, 6 Labour controlled wards, 5 Liberal Democrat controlled wards and 1 ward controlled by an independent within the unitary authority boundaries.[5]

The first elections for Cheshire East Council took place on 1 May 2008, with the Conservative Party taking overall control. The Conservatives took 59 of the 81 seats with the others being held by the Liberal Democrats (12), Labour (6), 3 members of Middlewich First and one Independent.[6] The first leader of the authority was Wesley Fitzgerald who was elected at Cheshire East's inaugural meeting on 13 May 2008. Wesley Fitzgerald is a Councillor for the Wilmslow South ward. Having decided in February 2012 to step down, a leadership contest was triggered. Michael Jones – a relatively new councillor having been elected in the May 2011 elections – was elected as the Leader of the Conservative Group on 17 March 2012.

The administrative centre for Cheshire East Council is Westfields in Sandbach, the former Headquarters of Congleton Borough Council.[7] The site could be expanded if needed as there is space around the newly built centre.[8] Cheshire East is an observer member of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities of Greater Manchester, which borders Cheshire to the north.

Transport

Roads

Motorways and primary routes in the borough which are maintained by Highways England (trunk roads de jure) include the M6, M56 and the A556. Other primary routes which are maintained by the council (principal roads de jure) include the A6, A34, A49, A50, A51, A54, A56, A500, A523, A525, A530, A534, A536, A537, A538, A555, A556, A5020 and A5033.

Major road projects

A556 Knutsford to Bowdon Improvement: A new five-mile four-lane dual-carriageway bypass of Bucklow Hill and Mere Crossroads on the A556 is currently under construction by Highways England at a cost of between £165-£221 million. The new road will also contain the first 'green bridge' wildlife crossing in the United Kingdom. The existing road will be narrowed to one lane in each direction and re-designated as the B5569 under the maintenance of Cheshire East Council.[9][10]

M6 Junctions 16-19: Smart Motorway: Highways England are preparing to convert the hard shoulder to a permanent running lane and introduce a variable speed limit along this section of the M6, meaning that it will become the first smart motorway in Cheshire. The scheme is expected to cost between £192-£274 million.[11]

Crewe Green Link Road South: A dual-carriageway extension of Crewe Green Link Road is being constructed between the A5020 and Weston Gate Roundabout on the A500 by Cheshire East Council at a cost of £26.5 million.[12]

LED improvements: The Cheshire East Council, for multiple years now, has been investing in LEDs (light emitting diodes) as they are energy-efficient lights that are more likely to avoid sleepiness on the road as of their blue tint.

Rail
Location of railway stations in Cheshire East.
White: East Midlands Railway stations; Blue: Northern stations; Red: Virgin Trains West Coast stations; Green: Transport for Wales stations

Local sites of interest

The area is home to a large number of sites of public interest:

  • Tatton Park is the venue for a variety of events: classical concerts; fireworks displays; classic car shows; open-air theatre and the Country Show (massed pipes and drums, sheepdog trials, competitions, crafts fair, and dancing).[13]
  • the Tatton Estate is privately owned with over 1,000 people living and working on it in town (Knutsford), in villages such as Rostherne and Ashley, and in the rural parishes surrounding. The new Ashley Hall Showground and Event Centre hosts events such as the Cheshire Ploughing and Hedge Laying Competition, the Ashley Hall Traction Engine Rally and charity barn dances.[14]
  • Gawsworth Hall is a half-timbered hall, and possibly once home to Shakespeare's 'Dark Lady'. Concerts are held in the grounds, and each summer there is an open-air theatre season, featuring Shakespearean classics and light opera, comedy, jazz, and drama.[15]
  • Cuckooland Museum is a reputed museum which exhibits the world's largest and finest collection of antique cuckoo clocks.[16]
  • Arley Hall is a Victorian-Jacobean Grade II listed country house, sometimes used as locations for filming. There has been two Coronation Street weddings filmed here.[17]
  • Quarry Bank Mill is set in the village of Styal and is a working water-mill and living museum.[18]
  • Capesthorne Hall is a Jacobean-style stately home which plays host to a variety of events.[19]
  • Alderley Edge is a great sandstone escarpment that overlooks the Cheshire plain.[20] The Edge itself has been mined for copper since at least the time of the Roman invasion, and is the centre of the legend of the Wizard of Alderley,[21] made famous by local author Alan Garner's books The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and The Moon of Gomrath. Nowadays it is said that the Wizard was Merlin, but this is an addition that only appeared over the past thirty years. Tours of the mines are available, but should not be attempted without an experienced guide – the Edge is riddled with mineshafts.
  • St James' and St Paul's Church, Marton is a 14th-century house of worship which lies on an artificial mound or earthwork.[22]
  • Knutsford is best known as the site where King Canute forded the Lily Stream, and as the home of Victorian author Elizabeth Gaskell, and the town holds a May Day parade and festival every year.[23]
  • Lyme Park is an estate and park located near Disley. Lyme Hall is the principal feature of the park.[24]
  • Little Moreton Hall is one of the country's best-preserved half-timbered and moated manor houses.[25]
  • Sandbach Crosses are two Anglo-Saxon stone crosses now erected in the market place in the town of Sandbach, Cheshire, England .[26] They are recognised as a Grade I listed building[27] and a scheduled monument.[28]
  • Old Hall Hotel is a Grade I listed building.[29] The Hall is on English Heritage's Buildings at Risk Register as priority A, this is the highest grading.[30]
  • Jodrell Bank Observatory is home to a number of significant radio telescopes including the Lovell Telescope; and is involved in a range of international research projects such as MERLIN.

Twin towns

The former borough of Macclesfield was twinned with Eckernförde, Germany.[31]

Twinning remains active in the Crewe and Nantwich area. The town of Crewe began twinning with the town of Mâcon in France in 1957. This continued when the borough of Crewe and Nantwich was formed in 1974. The borough added the town of Bischofsheim in Germany in 1991. In 2003 the administration of twinning was passed to CANTA, the Crewe and Nantwich Twinning Association, a voluntary association supported by the borough. The association immediately added Dzierżoniów in Poland as a Friendship Town. The association has received continuing support from Cheshire East after the borough became part of the new authority.[32]

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gollark: Rust has this, actually.

References
  1. "Executive Leadership Team". Cheshire East Council. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  2. Cheshire (Structural Changes) Order 2008 Archived 17 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  3. UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Cheshire East (1946157071)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  4. "Ward Profiles". Cheshire East Council. Archived from the original on 9 March 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  5. Cheshire county council elections 2005. Archived 7 July 2013 at Archive.today Retrieved 9 August 2007.
  6. "Council and Democracy". Cheshire East Council. Archived from the original on 18 August 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  7. Wilmslow Express Archived 28 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine Council's seat of power is Sandbach
  8. "Westfields to be extended". www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 August 2008. Retrieved 24 July 2008.
  9. "A556 Knutsford to Bowdon Improvement". Highways England. Archived from the original on 6 December 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  10. "B5569". The SABRE Wiki. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  11. "M6 Junctions 16-19: Smart Motorway". Highways England. Archived from the original on 13 December 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  12. "Crewe Green Link Road South". Cheshire East Council Highways Service. Archived from the original on 20 December 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  13. Tatton Park website. Archived 29 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 1 September 2007.
  14. Tatton Estate website. Archived 12 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  15. Gawsworth Hall website. Archived 11 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 1 September 2007.
  16. "The Times & The Sunday Times". thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  17. Arley Hall and Gardens website. Archived 28 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 1 September 2007.
  18. Quarry Bank Mill website. Archived 7 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 1 September 2007.
  19. Capesthorne Hall website. Archived 25 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 1 September 2007.
  20. Information site about Alderley Edge. Archived 9 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 1 September 2007.
  21. Wizard of Alderley information. Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 1 September 2007.
  22. St James' and St Paul's Church, Marton information. Archived 9 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 1 September 2007.
  23. History of Knutsford. Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine Virtual Knutsford website. Retrieved 1 September 2007.
  24. Lyme Park Information. Archived 9 August 2005 at the Wayback Machine National Trust website. Retrieved 1 September 2007.
  25. "Little Moreton Hall". The National Trust. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
  26. Revealing Cheshire's Past: Saxon places to visit, Cheshire County Council, archived from the original on 10 July 2007, retrieved 12 October 2007
  27. Historic England, "Sandbach crosses (1159937)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 17 July 2007
  28. Revealing Cheshire's Past:Sandbach Crosses, Cheshire County Council, archived from the original on 5 March 2012, retrieved 4 April 2009
  29. Historic England, "Old Hall Hotel, Sandbach (1310849)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 27 March 2008
  30. Don't let old hall crumble, crewe chronicle, 17 June 2008, archived from the original on 23 July 2011, retrieved 25 August 2008
  31. Details of twinning arrangements. Archived 13 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine Macclesfield Borough Official Website. Retrieved 25 September 2007.
  32. "association". www.canta.org.uk. Archived from the original on 9 January 2014.
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