Cheshire East Council

Cheshire East Council, a unitary authority in the North West

Cheshire East Council is the local authority responsible for delivering public services to a population it puts at around 425,400 residents. In its own presentation, that figure makes it the third largest unitary authority in the North West of England. The council operates through a website organised around service areas and a set of contact channels for residents, businesses and other users.

Service areas published on the site

The council groups its activity into broad blocks that reflect the scope of its responsibilities. The main areas listed are:

• Bins, waste and recycling
• Planning and building control
• Council Tax
• Roads, parking and travel
• Schools and learning
• Libraries and leisure
• Business and consumer affairs
• Health and social care
• Council and democracy

Alongside these, the site highlights frequent tasks such as reporting a road issue, checking bin collection days, applying for an in-year school place, paying Council Tax and consulting current job vacancies at the council.

Current issues and consultations

The homepage carries a rotating set of featured items. At the time of this profile these included the council's formal objection to proposals by Peak Cluster Ltd for a carbon dioxide (CO₂) pipeline, a consultation on home to school travel assistance aimed at people who use, receive or may need that support, and the postponement of the launch of a food waste collection service, with the council stating a focus on improving bin collection reliability.

The news section records several recent decisions and appointments. On 16 October 2026 the council reported a vote to oppose the Peak Cluster proposals and the opening of the school travel assistance consultation. On 14 October 2026 it announced the appointment of Paul Walker as interim chief executive, joining on Monday 19 October, while recruitment of a permanent chief executive continued. On 9 October 2026 the council responded to a Department for Transport decision that removed the A500 scheme from the Government's Major Road Network programme.

Contact channels and access

The council directs enquiries through online forms on the relevant service pages, which can be submitted at any time, and states that phone numbers are published on its web pages for those who need help using a form. A general contact form is available for queries that do not fit a specific service.

For services without published contact details, or to reach a named member of staff, the council provides the Cheshire East Information Line. Callers from abroad can use the international number, and RELAY UK is offered for people who are hearing or speech impaired. Contact centre advisors can assist callers whose first language is not English through a telephone-based interpretation service, with the caller asked to state the required language once connected.

Emergency arrangements sit outside ordinary hours: the Emergency Control Centre handles out-of-hours emergencies, and a separate Social Care Out of Hours team covers social care emergencies. The council notes that 0300 numbers are reserved for public bodies and non-profit organisations and are charged at no more than the national rate.

In-person access and correspondence

Customer phones for contacting council services are available in the reception areas of Macclesfield Town Hall and Delamere House. Postal correspondence is directed to the council at Delamere House in Crewe. Some services invite users to appointments at corporate offices, and library staff at the council's libraries can help with a range of council services; the libraries named are Alderley Edge, Alsager, Bollington, Congleton, Crewe, Disley, Handforth, Holmes Chapel, Knutsford, Macclesfield, Middlewich, Nantwich, Poynton, Sandbach and Wilmslow.

Service standards and data handling

The council publishes a Customer Charter setting out the standards of service customers can expect. It also states that calls may be recorded for quality, training, auditing and complaint resolution, with recordings kept for 12 months, and that live monitoring of calls is occasionally carried out for the same purposes. Feedback may be requested through a customer satisfaction survey sent by email, which recipients can opt out of via the unsubscribe link. Email replies may be sent through the secure Egress system. The council also states a commitment to equality and diversity.

Website transition

The site is being changed in phases to make services easier to access online, so some sections may look different as the work progresses. The council provides accessibility, cookies and privacy information, and maintains accounts on several social platforms, which are listed separately.