Wilmslow's 'Big Valley Clean Up'

Community organisations and residents in Wilmslow came together for a ‘Big Valley Clean Up’ along a tributary the River Dean, supported by the United Utilities Better Rivers Fund.  

Terry Burgess, Chair of CETRA (Coleshaw Estate Tenants and Residents Association) led the team in an operation along of mile of the stream at the bottom of Bankside Close on the Coleshaw Estate, removing tons of fly tipping such as mattresses and shopping trolleys and strimming back of overgrown areas of shrubbery and branches blocking all the footpaths.

River Ranger, Ashleigh Royds from United Utilities presented the group with timber for two footbridges, composite decking, hand tools and safety equipment and worked for two days helping the volunteers to clean up the area.

Terry said: ‘There’s been a fantastic response from the local community on the Coleshaw Estate but we’ve also had help from Hope Central Bitesize Church. I am grateful for the administrative and publicity support from Peter Ormiston from Bramhall Methodist Church. There’s been such a lot of camaraderie. It really has brought the community together and everyone has had such a great time.’

Reflecting on the next stage for the project Terry explained: ‘We are planning to change the name of CETRA to become the Friends of Coleshaw Valley, because I want us to continue to protect this green area of the estate. We want to make sure it’s nice for future generations. It’s important for the children and the young people who have helped us to see that we want to see this stream continue to be protected for wildlife and for nature.’

Emma Birch, Community Engagement Manager for Cheshire said, ‘It was a pleasure to support CETRA. Terry and the team have done an amazing job. This is exactly the sort of project that the Better Rivers Fund has been set up to support and we’re keen to encourage applications from similar local groups who care about the environment around their own local waterways.’