Blacon
Encyclopedia
Blacon is a large suburb near Chester
, in Cheshire
, England
, containing a mixture of private homes and substantial public council-built properties. At one time it contained one of the largest council housing estates in Europe, but this estate is now owned, run and maintained by the Chester And District Housing Trust in partnership with Cheshire West & Chester Council.
Blacon is situated adjacent to the Welsh
border and is located on a hill, one mile to the north-west of, and overlooking Chester. The village is built on what was previously farming land and is surrounded by open countryside. Blacon has views across to the city centre of Chester and to the Welsh hills some twenty miles to the west.
Other nearby places include Saughall
to the north, Newtown, Chester
to the north-east, Upton
and to the east, the village of Mollington
Blacon was originally known as Blakon Hill and was owned by the Marquess of Crewe
.
The Parish of Blacon cum Crabwall was formed in 1923, and on 1 April 1936, under the Cheshire County Review Order, 1936, most of the parish was transferred to Chester County Borough.
It was a small farming village community until major building work by Chester City Council began in the early 1950s. Most of the older and original estate, was built in the ten years to 1960; though further parts were added on the old army camp site in South Blacon, in the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. 'The Parade' Shops, built in 1954 in north Blacon, are an example of Chester City Council building.
' huts were occupied by soldiers until the late 1950s; and the army firing range was still in evidence until the Chester City Council 'tower block' buildings of the mid-1960s. This part of (South) Blacon is referred to as 'The Camp' by local residents.
round of Pathfinders and subsequently the Blacon community took part in many initiatives, led by the government's Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder Programme
, and a number of projects have been established by, and for, Blacon residents.
Progress to improve the estate continues apace, with work done by the Blacon Community Trust in partnership with the Chester and District Housing Trust forming 'The Blacon Alliance'.
in Blacon to cater for Christian and Asian/Muslim faiths.
There is a Shah Jalal Mosque to the south of the suburb.
Blacon station was served from Chester Northgate Station
, Newtown
, but was closed to passengers on 9 September 1968 as part of the 'Beeching Axe
' for the economic modernisation of the British railway network in the mid-1960s. Freight trains ran through Blacon until 20 April 1984, resuming as a single track line on 31 August 1986 before closing again in the early 1990s.
Although the old station and railway line have gone, they have been replaced with a tarmac
road surface, which now provides a cycle path, jogging track and a countryside walkway.
This amenity is accessed from the side of old Blacon station bridge; but its route can also be joined (just off) Chester's 'Fountain' roundabout, travelling via Blacon, and on to the North Wales countryside. Other joined routes can be accessed along the way.
In 2008 a volunteer group headed up by Stephen Perry in association with the Blacon Community Trust began to raise support for a major improvement of the Blacon Railway Station site. Improvements to date have included woodland sculptures, clearing and new planting of shrubs and trees and the planting of narcissi with much volunteer involvement from local schools and residents. The site is currently (Nov 2009) undergoing phase 2 of a major development to introduce pathways, fencing and special hard-landscaping features.
The Ryan Smith family sold the railway station in the early 90's to the British government. Then in 2010 the Smith family tried to reclaim the station after returning from Yorkshire, but the government had already turned it into a cycle track. Then Stephen Perry tried to tell the Smith family that it was to late, Stephen and the Smith family decided to put a some sort of monument there a big train wheel.
Chester City Council became defunct on 1 April 2009 due to the structural changes above.
Cheshire West and Chester
(CWAC) is the newly established unitary authority area with borough status, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire. It was established in April 2009 as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.
(For Information Only)
Blacon formerly consisted of two Chester City Council wards, each of which elected three Councillors.
, Conservative Party
.
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, containing a mixture of private homes and substantial public council-built properties. At one time it contained one of the largest council housing estates in Europe, but this estate is now owned, run and maintained by the Chester And District Housing Trust in partnership with Cheshire West & Chester Council.
Geography
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
border and is located on a hill, one mile to the north-west of, and overlooking Chester. The village is built on what was previously farming land and is surrounded by open countryside. Blacon has views across to the city centre of Chester and to the Welsh hills some twenty miles to the west.
Other nearby places include Saughall
Saughall
Saughall is a civil parish and village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated approximately north west of Chester and close to the Welsh border....
to the north, Newtown, Chester
Newtown, Chester
Newtown is an area of Chester, Cheshire, England.-History:left|thumb|1899 OS map of N.E. Chester showing Newtown. The Cathederal grounds of St. Werburgh can be seen to bottom left of the map...
to the north-east, Upton
Upton, Cheshire
Upton by Chester is a civil parish and a large suburb on the outskirts of Chester, in the Borough of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. It includes the villages of Upton and Upton Heath. At the 2001 Census the population was recorded as...
and to the east, the village of Mollington
Mollington, Cheshire
Mollington is a small village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, It is located two miles north of the city of Chester, with approximate boundaries formed by the A41 Liverpool-Chester trunk road and Shropshire Union...
North Blacon (Blacon Hall)
Marquess of Crewe
Marquess of Crewe was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1911 for the Liberal statesman Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Earl of Crewe. He had already been created Earl of Crewe, of Crewe in the County Palatine of Chester, in 1895 and was made Earl of Madeley, in the County of...
.
The Parish of Blacon cum Crabwall was formed in 1923, and on 1 April 1936, under the Cheshire County Review Order, 1936, most of the parish was transferred to Chester County Borough.
It was a small farming village community until major building work by Chester City Council began in the early 1950s. Most of the older and original estate, was built in the ten years to 1960; though further parts were added on the old army camp site in South Blacon, in the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. 'The Parade' Shops, built in 1954 in north Blacon, are an example of Chester City Council building.
Blacon Camp (Blacon Lodge)
The British army had maintained an army camp in south Blacon, from just before, to just after, the second world war. A mixture of wooden and 'NissenNissen hut
A Nissen hut is a prefabricated steel structure made from a half-cylindrical skin of corrugated steel, a variant of which was used extensively during World War II.-Description:...
' huts were occupied by soldiers until the late 1950s; and the army firing range was still in evidence until the Chester City Council 'tower block' buildings of the mid-1960s. This part of (South) Blacon is referred to as 'The Camp' by local residents.
Community initiatives
The Blacon Together Pathfinder was established in 2001 as part of the firstround of Pathfinders and subsequently the Blacon community took part in many initiatives, led by the government's Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder Programme
Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder Programme
The Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder Programme was a co-operative programme in England between residents and stakeholders such as the local authority, businesses etc aimed at improving specific deprived neighbourhoods....
, and a number of projects have been established by, and for, Blacon residents.
Progress to improve the estate continues apace, with work done by the Blacon Community Trust in partnership with the Chester and District Housing Trust forming 'The Blacon Alliance'.
Policing
Blacon is home to the new headquarters of the Western Division of the Cheshire ConstabularyCheshire Constabulary
Cheshire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the English unitary authorities of Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington. The force is responsible for policing an area of with a population of roughly 1 million.The Chief Constable of the...
Primary
- St. Theresa’s Catholic Primary School
- J H Godwin Primary School
- Dee Point Primary School
- Highfield Community Primary School
- The Arches Community Primary School
Secondary
- Blacon High School, a "specialist" school
- Building Young People's Potential (BYPP)- formerly: Blacon Young Peoples Project
Places of worship
There are several places of worshipPlace of worship
A place of worship or house of worship is an establishment or her location where a group of people comes to perform acts of religious study, honor, or devotion. The form and function of religious architecture has evolved over thousands of years for both changing beliefs and architectural style...
in Blacon to cater for Christian and Asian/Muslim faiths.
There is a Shah Jalal Mosque to the south of the suburb.
Blacon railway station
Blacon station was served from Chester Northgate Station
Chester Northgate railway station
Chester Northgate is a former railway station in Chester, Cheshire that was a terminus for the Cheshire Lines Committee and Great Central Railway...
, Newtown
Newtown
-Australia:*Newtown, New South Wales*Newtown, Queensland *Newtown, Queensland *Newtown, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong*Newtown, Victoria , a locality near Ballarat-Ireland:* Newtown, County Cork* Newtown, County Laois...
, but was closed to passengers on 9 September 1968 as part of the 'Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
' for the economic modernisation of the British railway network in the mid-1960s. Freight trains ran through Blacon until 20 April 1984, resuming as a single track line on 31 August 1986 before closing again in the early 1990s.
Although the old station and railway line have gone, they have been replaced with a tarmac
Tarmac
Tarmac is a type of road surface. Tarmac refers to a material patented by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901...
road surface, which now provides a cycle path, jogging track and a countryside walkway.
This amenity is accessed from the side of old Blacon station bridge; but its route can also be joined (just off) Chester's 'Fountain' roundabout, travelling via Blacon, and on to the North Wales countryside. Other joined routes can be accessed along the way.
In 2008 a volunteer group headed up by Stephen Perry in association with the Blacon Community Trust began to raise support for a major improvement of the Blacon Railway Station site. Improvements to date have included woodland sculptures, clearing and new planting of shrubs and trees and the planting of narcissi with much volunteer involvement from local schools and residents. The site is currently (Nov 2009) undergoing phase 2 of a major development to introduce pathways, fencing and special hard-landscaping features.
The Ryan Smith family sold the railway station in the early 90's to the British government. Then in 2010 the Smith family tried to reclaim the station after returning from Yorkshire, but the government had already turned it into a cycle track. Then Stephen Perry tried to tell the Smith family that it was to late, Stephen and the Smith family decided to put a some sort of monument there a big train wheel.
Local Government Changes, April 2009
Local Government2009 structural changes to local government in England
Structural changes to local government in England were effected on 1 April 2009, whereby a number of new unitary authorities were created in parts of the country which previously operated a 'two-tier' system of counties and districts...
Chester City Council became defunct on 1 April 2009 due to the structural changes above.
Cheshire West and Chester
Cheshire West and Chester
Cheshire West and Chester is a unitary authority area with borough status, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire. It was established in April 2009 as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health...
(CWAC) is the newly established unitary authority area with borough status, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire. It was established in April 2009 as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.
(For Information Only)
Blacon formerly consisted of two Chester City Council wards, each of which elected three Councillors.
Blacon Hall ward
Population 7,977 (2001 Census)- John Price, Deputy Leader of the Council, Labour
- Judith Stainthorp, Labour
- Norman Stainthorp, Labour
Blacon Lodge ward
Population 5,518 (2001 Census)- Reggie Jones, Labour
- Marie Nelson, Labour
- Ethel Price, Labour
Cheshire County Council
Blacon had Labour representation on the former Cheshire County Council.UK Parliament
Blacon, as part of the City of Chester constituency, is represented in the UK Parliament by Stephen MosleyStephen Mosley
Stephen James Mosley is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for the City of Chester since winning the seat at the 2010 general election.-Education:...
, Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
.
European Parliament
North West EnglandNorth West England (European Parliament constituency)
North West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. For the 2009 elections it elects 8 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.-Boundaries:...