Lache Action Plan
The Backies FAQs
Further details of the plans and design can be found in our Backies Masterplan (PDF, 4MB).
A baseline habitat and biodiversity survey was undertaken over the summer of 2024 by Cheshire Wildlife Trust. Residents worked with ecology and landscaping teams to co-design options for The Backies as part of a task and finish group. This included volunteers, residents, ecology and landscape officers and Chester Zoo.
The resulting masterplan aims to transform the site into to a more accessible green–space amenity for local residents to enjoy and which will enhance local wildlife. The local Police, Community Safety Team and our Senior Access Officers were also consulted on the proposals.
The ambition, endorsed by the task and finish group of local residents, is to enhance biodiversity that already exists – so the main improvements focus on removal of fly-tipping and very overgrown areas to let rarer plants flourish and make the site more open and accessible for local people.
Works include:
- New circular gravel-bound paths – so people can access site all year – including disabled people, those with limited mobility and parents with prams
- Viewing platform – for people to sit or even exercise informally
- Enhancing green open spaces, creating nature meadow with some new tree planting
- Bird and bat boxes
- Seating
- Chainsaw carved wooden art features
- New bespoke entrance gate, including accessible ‘kissing-gate’
- Interpretation boards – showcasing what nature you can discover on-site
- Fly-tipping removal – end of December 25
- Creation of footpaths and tree planting – January/February 26
- Installation of new bespoke gate, seating, bird/bat boxes and interpretation boards and final works– February/March 26
- Opening event - March/April 2026 once all works are complete
Yes – work includes a new accessible gate, wide bound-gravel pathways and seating to allow people to rest at key spots. The designs were also reviewed and endorsed by our Senior Access Officer.
A key objective is to create a green-amenity to support resident’s wellbeing – as there is a proven health benefit of spending time in nature.
Over eight skips of fly tipping have been cleared from the site already – and the aim is to get rid of as much of it as possible.
Any future incidents of fly tipping will be managed through a collaborative effort between Cheshire West and Chester Council and Sanctuary Housing enforcement teams.
Sanctuary Housing will check all properties at the start and end of tenancies to ensure that no waste is left within or at the rear of their properties. Where this occurs, the full costs of removal and disposal will be recouped from tenants.
We are also going to take a more proactive approach to prosecution of fly tipping offenders so that the residents don’t have to suffer from this blight again.
Yes – a group of volunteers has come together, with support from ecologists and Chester Zoo, to support smaller habitat improvements and longer term care for the site. It’s a great way to meet new people, improve your health and wellbeing and do something positive to support nature and your community.
If you'd like to be a volunteer, or want to know any further details about the volunteer group, you can contact us by email: HealthRanger@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk.
During the engagement with residents on design, a couple of people asked about contamination from dumped materials and a drainage ditch on site turning an orange colour.
Extensive site investigations took place between 2006 and 2013, which found that there were no dangerous substances being emitted from the site. Ground and soils samples were collected by Environmental Health Protection team in 2025 in response to query about the drainage ditch and this found:
- the groundwater is high in dissolved iron which can turn the water orange
- some of this water is likely finding its way into the ditch during heavy rain
- iron rich water presents no hazard to site users, pets or wildlife
- no other harmful substances have been identified
These are bore-hole covers.
The Backies site currently has circa 30 metal bore holes, with caps which are about 0.5 metres in height, across its 8 hectares (19 acres). These boreholes were installed as part of site investigation works between 2006 and 2013, which found that there were no dangerous substances being emitted from the site.
It is normal practise for these boreholes and caps to remain in situ until such time as there is a firm proposal/end use agreed for a specific site. Now that the Backies is being taken forward as a local green-space amenity, our environmental health protection team are exploring their removal and subject to this process, this removal will take place in the Spring 26, once the new pathways have been created and fly tipping removal has taken place.
We take environmental health protection very seriously and are happy to engage with any resident and share the results of the site investigations in a transparent way. If you'd like to contact us about this, please email: EnvironmentalProtection@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk.
