FED-UP villagers at Culcheth have taken matters into their own hands, launching a community-led weeding and tidying blitz after growing tired of waiting for the local authority to clear “dreadful,” overgrown streets.
The grassroots “Clean Up Culcheth” campaign has seen local businesses and residents unite to transform the area, despite scorching temperatures and questions over where their Council Tax money is being spent.
The campaign was sparked after independent Culcheth & Glazebury parish councillors Bernie Kingston and Neil Johnson both received a wave of complaints from local residents regarding the heavily overgrown state of pavements, kerbs, and alleyways.
On June 9, Cllr Kingston contacted Warrington Borough Council (WBC) Highways department to report the issues. While WBC responded quickly—stating that their Woolston Depot and a Highways Inspector would handle the complaint—residents remained deeply unsatisfied with the broader lack of routine council maintenance.
Following a discussion on Cllr Kingston’s public Facebook group on June 10, locals voiced anger that the council frequently relies on “quick sprays” rather than proper, regular upkeep. Others flagged further issues, including overgrown hedges and trees blocking local pathways.
The turning point came on June 16, when a resident highlighted a corner at Lodge Drive and Common Lane on social media, describing it as “shabby and unloved.”Just two days later, the same resident spent an entire day single-handedly clearing the site. The massive effort resulted in 36 bags of waste being removed and taken to the local tip. The community momentum quickly escalated from there.
Cllr Kingston and four residents spent hours clearing weeds from pavements, kerbs, and around street bollards.Independent Councillor Neil Johnson joined the effort, personally clearing an overgrown alleyway.
Residents and businesses have now started clearing pavements, mowing unsightly grass verges, and planting sunflowers and bedding plants around road signs and lampposts.
An example of the issue
Glazebury Expansion
The campaign spread to the neighboring village of Glazebury, where residents launched their own localised cleanup operations this week.
While WBC recently mowed the main village green, residents noted that residential grass verges were left completely untouched, fueling the community’s drive to finish the job themselves.
“All this hugely improves the look of our villages and I’m truly grateful to all those who have joined in,” Cllr Kingston said, praising the community spirit during the extreme hot weather.However, the parish councillor concluded with a sharp reminder to the borough authority: “We shouldn’t have to do this ourselves, but we gave up waiting for WBC.”
Fellow independent Cllr. Johnson also expressed his delight after a successful initiative to Clean up Culcheth.
Cllr Johnson himself tackled the long-standing overgrown ginnel in Newchurch, which was reported to him by local residents. The weeds have been cleared altogether and the path is now much more accessible for local residents.
Cllr.Johnson has also turned his attention to weeds on Wellfield Road and has begun work to clear the footpath on Withins Road after further reports.
Cllr. Johnson says: “This is exactly the kind of community spirit that makes Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft one of the best places to live.
“I am really pleased that we have all come together as part of the ‘Clean Up Culcheth’ initiative. It is no secret that the Council has been extremely remiss in supporting our villages when it comes to our local environment. Weeds have been left to grow, the grass is untidy, and pavements are not attended to.
“So, as a village, we decided to do something about it ourselves. This great initiative is one that I cannot commend enough. I would like to thank all those residents who took part, as well as my fellow Independent parish councillor Bernie Kingston.
“There is always more to be done. As your Independent voices, you will often see us getting stuck in ourselves, rolling up our sleeves and helping out. I think we have made a real difference and I hope that we can do more of these Clean Up days in the future, across all three villages.
“The alleyway in Newchurch which I have cleared now looks a lot better. How on Earth could the Council have allowed it to grow out of control like that in the first place! I hope my fellow Parish and Borough Councillors will take part in these clean up days in the future and show the same community spirit.”
Warrington Borough Council directs residents wishing to report potholes or damage to roads, pavements, and footpaths to submit concerns directly through the official Warrington.gov.uk portal.
A before and after shot
