Councillors Katrina Kerr and Ben Walker were elected in May representing Chester City and the Garden Quarter. Councillor Paul Chamberlain was unable to attend due to work commitments

Ben Walker and Katrina Kerr

What is being done to help the homeless?

Katrina Kerr: There really is no reason why anyone needs to be homeless in Chester. Chester is a very compassionate city and there are many agencies working together to help people who, unfortunately have fallen into homelessness. However there are some people where they are not at the stage where they feel they can work with the agencies involved. We have to try , day in day out to persuade them that they would better off working with us. In short, a lot is being done but there is always people that do not want to engage and we hope that in the future they will. I would like to praise the work of Soul Kitchen, Share Chester Aid to the Homeless, the Police and all of the people that have come together to help these people, some of whom have serious mental health problems , or addiction problems or have just been very unfortunate. The city has a diverted giving scheme, which makes sure the money goes to the right place and I would encourage people to give via the contactless payment terminals.

What is being done about anti social behaviour – if people are moved outof the city to neighbouting areas this also causes problems?

Ben Walker: There’s not enough police and we have to work with less. The government rightly asserts there’s more police in Cheshire but you need to bear in mind there’s also more people living here. The number of police officers per person is still not at a good enough level. The police have limited resources and they have to use it effectively and that requires cooperation with residents. Its no good having a whinge on social media if you’re not going to report it. If its not reported, its not sorted. Sometimes it takes a day, sometimes it takes a month, but at least the council and police will be aware and allocate their resources accordingly. Police patrols go where the police know where the trouble is, but if residents aren’t reporting it, there’s not much that can be done. Councillors, residents and community leaders have got to be vigilant. The other week we met with Sgt Collinson and mentioned there were drug deals happening and he noted it down, some of it he knew and some he didn’t. Laising, talking, informing – making sure the resources are in the right place is the best and right now only thing we can do .

KK: On the dispersal orders we are following a programme that was quite successful in the City of London, which has an escalating scale of sanctions. Its called Operation Luscombe and we are experimenting with that here. It does move the problem to other places temporarily but it also helps us to identify repeat offenders.

What would you say to people who don’t feel safe in the city centre due to ASB?

Ben Walker: We have to do more. The street pastors who were canned during Covid are being proposed to come back. We need a safe space for the night-time economy. We need opportunities for people to “level” themselves and calm down if needs be. It can be done.

KK: I’m sorry that people don’t feel safe but I feel that compared to other places Chester is a safe place. I think we have a perception problem rather than an actual problem, because if you look at the number of crimes reported Chester is still quite low

What can be done about fly tipping in the Garden quarter?

KK: If you don’t report it if will not get picked up, if for some reason its not acted on, you must tell us and we will escalate it. Please take photos of it and let us know.

BW: In Newtown there is a successful monthly litter pick and gardening programme, organised by the local church, residents, and Friends of the Earth Chester and District. They tend to the flowerbeds and the gardens. I attended my first one the other month to see 10 to 15 people out and it’s something I’d hope to see similar in the Garden Quarter. But that requires resident cooperation and organisation. Watch this space!

KK: We do have to demonise fly tipping, we e can’t have most people obeying the rules and one or two people having a laugh. People will eventually get fined , its a minimum £400 fine and it can go up to a lot more if you’re a repeat offender.

Will the Sealand Road park and ride reopen?

KK: Good question but its not in our ward. Something needs to happen but its for the Blacon councillors and the Cabinet Member to answer.

What is happening with the collapsed wall on Liverpool road , down since 2018?

KK: The wall collapse was not caused by the council or on council property. It’s complicated but obviously everyone shares the objective of getting the footpath reopened and the council is constantly pushing the several parties involved for a resolution.  Meanwhile there are crossings either side for people to use  

Are there any plans to make bike access easier and safer through the city centre?

BW: The proposed Gateway project will be a definite positive, from the Greenway to the Railway Station. In the inner city it’s a tough ask – I dare say there’s a long-term goal to pedestrianise more of the city centre. I don’t think there’s anything concrete yet, however…

KK: There is a very active Active Travel Group, we’ve had the AT Fest recently and I assume the group have their own ideas they can feed into the Council. The biggest chance is the Gateway project.

BW: The money isn’t there yet for the project. To anyone reading this is your chance to suggest ideas.

KK: There is a huge bike store in the new Northgate car park.

Are there plans to expand the 20mph speed limit ?

KK Clearly there are areas where that may be something that residents want, but I dont think there are any plans. We have had lots of emails about it .

BW:  A fellow councillor asked this to full council last week and it got shot down. As I understand it, everywhere that has been turned into a 20mph zone already is pretty much what the council has been content to do. I’m not quite sure whether that’ll change down the line…

When will the closed section of bridge street row reopen?

Awaiting a written answer to this question

Are there plans to plant more trees to provide shelter against predicted hot weather?

BW: We do recognise that our streets need more trees. I walk all the time (I don’t drive) and honestly I’m sometimes sweating like a pig down the less hospitable roads in summers like these! It doesn’t have to be that way. The council are completely on side on this – they have the money and time to get the trees in, but they need the land for it. And this is a call out for all residents and businesses: if you have the land to host saplings/tree plantings/whatever, then get in touch, because the council can help get it done for you. We can do top-down planting along our roads, but we also need residents to offer their land too.

What can the council do to encourage use of large empty units eg BHS?? /Are there plans to encourage residential use of empty properties?

KK: Ideally any empty unit that has a potential to be converted to redient ial use we would be every keen to encourage . Other units that are currently empty, many of them are in the Grosvenor shopping centre /Debenahms, and we assume that the new owner will want to fill them as soon as possible. Vacancies in Chester are not much higher than the national average

BW: We need more homes, and for the city centre we want more above the shop conversions. The high street is never going to go back to what it was. We need to get used to that. It needs to be – and in time, it will be – a more hybrid, a more “lived-in” type high street. But we need to get the developers with the money in to come and do it for us (if only councils had bigger budgets, eh?). When it comes to more homes, we also should not forget infrastructural considerations. We may need to talk to Stagecoach about putting more bus routes in for where people will be living and going. And Park & Ride could do more to help students – note that over 50% commute to the city. Sorting out housing and our empty units will demand us to sort out the infrastructure, too.

KK: We very much welcome the Reliving the Rows project that Tony Swindells is leading on. It gives a template for people to do something which has been perceived as being quite difficult. The bottom line is there are 4 or 5 things that would improve economic activity – city centre conferencing, hotels, the university in the centre of the city and more premium office space but probably the most important is more people living in the city centre- in whatever type of accommodation we can get, whether it’s a conversion, a new build or repurposing an old office block, all of that.

What would you say to critics of the Market who complain it is a food hall ?

BW: Visit it. Support it. Look at the stalls that do produce and do good. Those stalls are there and they need supporting, and it helps no one to whine on the sidelines. I ask all who value the city to come and support the city. Like all new projects, though, there are teething troubles, and the market is no exception to that. I’m now part of the Northgate Working Party, and would welcome all views on this from traders and regulars. We can do better – of course we can. But it helps no one to whinge and whine or bang on about the city declining, while doing nothing to support it at the same time. It helps everyone – our economy, our traders, our residents – to see it thrive and grow into something bigger and better.

KK: I would say that people have voted with their feet, but its clear that there are a large number of people that like the fact its a value for money offering and it has a great vibe. Im sure that we haven’t seen the final evolution of the Marker yet. Im glad that we have other markets around it like the Makers Market , artisan markets, and it will find its own level. I’ve noticed the Zoo has come in and that s not food!

Any plans for electric car charge points? Maybe at uni or garden lane car park etc. that residents in terraced housing could use?

BW: It’s a toughie with terraced at homes. So the law stipulates that no wire should cross the footpath, but I’ve seen instances of it happening anyway. It just needs better enforcement (through better reporting on our part, really). The current infrastructural situation isn’t great. We need more funding, and government policy needs to catch up with these new realities.

KK: Its good to see Waitrose car park having some in, and the Northgate car park.

What is it like being three brand new Councillors in this ward? How much training have you had to do? What new approaches do you bring to the ward?

KK: I do feel that we are in a period of history where a lot of people have a lot of concerns about things, and we are people to whom they can express them to. This ranges from people being terrorised by pigeons in high rise flats, to fly tipping, and also people who are really struggling. Sometimes I feel the weight of the world, other times I visit somewhere like Kids Bank and you see just how amazingly people in Chester try to help other people , and its very heart-warming. The Council have provided a huge amount of training to help us understand how local government fits together . Barack Obama said his main advice was to “Learn how to get things done” . I got selected on the basis that I would get stuff done and I’d very unhappy If I couldn’t achieve this over the 4 years, and there is a lot of stuff in Chester that needs to be done. Post Covid, Chester is in a good position with lots of attributes, but we need to keep everything moving along. I’m an open and forthright person but I think you have to be honest and say when you can help someone and when you can’t because something is a national policy or its simply unaffordable.

BW: It’s a lot of meetings about meetings. Sometimes you feel you are a bit impotent because you’re up against well-established system of long-set orthodoxies, but I’ve learnt you’ve got to be hard-headed! You’ve got to work with everyone around you, and push and push and push. I recognise also that sometimes it’s personality that can push things and make things. Our system is awfully personality-led, at times. 

The reason I wanted to stand for election (I was selected back in April 2022) was because I felt incensed by everything going on around me. Just this weekend I went to someone’s flat, linked to a housing association, who has had a serious mould issue that has not been sorted for months. I understand the housing association have known about the leak in the flat above the property since 2018 or thereabouts and they’ve only got round to sorting it now. I’ve lived in half a dozen homes in Chester – most of them student – and one of them had mould so bad I was getting ill every single month, without fail. And little was being done to sort it out for me, despite repeated complaints and calls. That can radicalise you. That can make you feel like the system is against you. The rules that we live by – sometimes they don’t feel like they work for us. I wanted to do this so I can see why it’s happening, what’s going wrng, and whether we can change all that. I haven’t been a Labour party member or supporter for all my adult life – I come from a background where apathy was the weather of the day. But I’m proud at being part of a decent team of good people. 

Let’s not forget, though, that we got voted in on 52% of the vote, on a turnout of 30%. There’s a lot of people that have been left behind, who don’t feel spoken for, and who don’t vote – like my parents. We have to bring this city together. We need to push and encourage and support more community events. We need to see a more successful market. We need more stuff that gets you back into this city, old and all. We need cleaner streets – we need to sort out the basics and the rest will follow. For far too long we have had parts of our city ignored because the people that live there can’t be bothered to engage with the systems that stand. This is why we door knock. And this is what I hope to change.

Are there any plans to tidy up the Cop park? – reports of drug dealing here

BW: So I met with Dig the Quarter in the COP recently – a wonderful team, who took a section of the COP and turned what was a dumping ground into something a lot more habitable and pleasant on the eye. And they’re volunteers! I know more is coming, both from them and the council. But we can’t say much quite yet…

KK: There are plans to redevelop The Water Tower Garden and the Cop in the pipeline, subject to consultation.

What do you propose re: pavement parking?

BW: As I understand it, the coppers don’t always have the time to enforce it and the enforcement officers are concentrating on more important things. Nevertheless, it’s an annoyance for most, a serious issue for those with accessibility. It should be punished. Too many people are taking liberties on our narrow streets. But let’s not forget: those streets weren’t made for gas-guzzling four-by-fours, either…

KK : The fact is you must leave enough space for a pushchair or a wheelchair and if you don’t do that its indefensible. If you ever have to walk in the road then its wrong.

How can parking provision for residents/ city centre workers be improved?

KK; There is plenty of parking in Chester, parking is free in Tesco if you do spend £15. If you’re only coming in for a minute theres a one hour on lower Watergate street, Stanley Place. 30 minutes- Bridge street. If you’re coming in every day you’ve got the Park and Ride. The Roodee is £6 a day, Linenhall is £5. We need to give people their options before they arrive, a new parking app could do that. The Park and Ride could be better promoted with better stops, the one from the Zoo could stop at the hospital and the university, taking a lot of people out of the system. Compared to other cities, parking is not expensive

BW: I think we could improve signage when people come into the city. There’s no awareness of where the spaces are.

Will CWaC follow the lead of a number of other councils and start taking the survival of wildlife and flora seriously with the introduction of a glysophate ban?

KK: Personally I’m not in favour but I accept that the Council does occasionally use chemicals.

What plans do you have in place to improve and encourage positive interactions between local Councillors and the public ?

BW: we door knock, we speak to 1000s of people.

KK: From the autumn we will offer surgeries, Our names and addresses and phone numbers are on the council website, you can contact us at any time and have a face to face meeting. We are available ! Most people email.

Why cant a payment scheme be introduced for garden bin waste instead of the full fee upfront? Could residents pay for one off collections?

BW: The System costs a lot to run, one bin collection triggers a costly sequence of events. Get in touch and we can investigate payment schemes.

KK: 50 % of our residents live in flats and they don’t have a garden and they shouldn’t be subsidising it.

Where do Cllrs want young people to spend time in the evening – are the needs of residents being met in this area?

BW: I’m a trustee for the Heath Youth Club in Upton. We do lack youth clubs, with a great many closed owing to funding cuts since 2010… Nevertheless, charities and churches and other community groups are coming together and in some parts it’s working. When it comes to The Heath, have 2 staff members employed, a venue for the club and we are launching in September. Youth clubs don’t get the money from central Government anymore, so we have to rely on charities, on councillor support, on and “bidding” for taxpayer-funded cash. I only hope The Heath succeeds.

KK: Storyhouse have an extensive Young Storyhouse Programme- theres lots of opportunities for young people there, and we expect opportunities to grow in the future.

Data in the city centre is quite poor and network mast applications get rejected. Will there be a cooperation to ensure better connectivity?

BW: We need the 5G masts, but the locations this far proposed haven’t been the best places. But I understand what’s happening: the initial applications are for the easiest places – council-owned land – but they’re unsightly places, too. In the long term the applications will come back and I suspect they will come back with better locations in mind…

If you could improve the city in one way what would it be?

KK: Get the cinema open! It will unlock conferencing, provide cheaper entertainment, and generate footfall throughout the day. Young people deserve it

BW: Fix the walls. That’s it. Its contentious because people think we’re dragging our feet over it. It’s humiliating that we using part of the highways budget to maintain our walls, with some bits getting done faster than others. The bit on the ring road is going to be done soon. We’ve done the new steps at the back of King Charles Tower. And when it comes to the collapsed section by the Eastgate, there is a legal process going on and we have to let it happen. As an former Roman Tour Guide who used to take the tours down there, I can appreciate how frustrating this is. And it is. But I’d rather let the lawyers sort it than have people shout from the side-lines, getting everyone annoyed, and sorting nothing.  I think there may be an argument for central government ringfencing money for heritage cities.

Will there be an improvement to public toilet provision?

BW: We need more toilets, but there are a lot of funding considerations . Do we work with certain businesses to free up their toilets for public use ? We need to have a debate on clean/free toilets- do we need a charge? We have to think about it seriously.