Cheshire East is a unitary authority area with borough status in Cheshire, England. The local authority is Cheshire East Council, which is based in the town of Sandbach. Other towns within the area include Crewe, Macclesfield, Congleton, Wilmslow, Nantwich, Poynton, Knutsford, Alsager, Bollington and Handforth.

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. 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.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification, like most areas of the UK, the climate is classified as “oceanic” or "Cfb".

Demography

The population of Cheshire East was in.

Ethnicity

According to the 2021 Census, ethnic white groups account for 94.4% of the population (376,543 people), with 5.6% of the population (22,229 people) being in ethnic groups other than white (Asian, Black, Mixed, Other).

Religion

A breakdown of religious groups:

Administration

Wards

The 52 wards of Cheshire East are: • Alderley Edge • Alsager • Audlem • Bollington • Brereton Rural • Broken Cross and Upton • Bunbury • Chelford • Congleton East • Congleton West • Crewe Central • Crewe East • Crewe North • Crewe South • Crewe St Barnabas • Crewe West • Dane Valley • Disley • Gawsworth • Handforth • Haslington • High Legh • Knutsford • Leighton • Macclesfield Central • Macclesfield East • Macclesfield Hurdsfield • Macclesfield South • Macclesfield Tytherington • Macclesfield West and Ivy • Middlewich • Mobberley • Nantwich North and West • Nantwich South and Stapeley • Odd Rode • Poynton East and Pott Shrigley • Poynton West and Adlington • Prestbury • Sandbach Elworth • Sandbach Ettiley Heath and Wheelock • Sandbach Heath and East • Sandbach Town • Shavington • Sutton (Sutton Lane Ends) • Willaston and Rope • Wilmslow Dean Row • Wilmslow East • Wilmslow Lacey Green • Wilmslow West and Chorley • Wistaston • Wrenbury • Wybunbury

Members of Parliament

Elections

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. 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. 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. Cheshire East is an observer member of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities of Greater Manchester, which borders Cheshire to the north.

Media

Television

The area is served by BBC North West and ITV Granada with television signals received from the Winter Hill TV transmitter.

Radio

Radio stations for the area are:

Transport

Roads

Motorways and primary routes in the borough which are maintained by National Highways (trunk roads de jure) include the M6, M56 and the A556. Other primary routes are maintained by the council.

Major road projects

A556 Knutsford to Bowdon Improvement: A new 5 mi four-lane dual-carriageway bypass of Bucklow Hill and Mere Crossroads on the A556 has been by Highways England at a cost of between £165-£221 million. The new road contains the first 'green bridge' wildlife crossing in the United Kingdom. The existing road has been narrowed to one lane in each direction and re-designated as the B5569 under the maintenance of Cheshire East Council. 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. The scheme is expected to cost between £192-£274million. However, in Spring 2023 the Government abandoned all plans for further Smart Motorways to be constructed following concerns regarding their safety. 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 £26.5million. Cheshire East Council, for multiple years now, has been investing in LEDs (light emitting diodes).

Rail

Local sites of interest

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

Twin towns

The former borough of Macclesfield was twinned with Eckernförde, Germany. Congleton has been twinned with Trappes since 16 September 1962 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.