The council plans to hand 7.786 acres of open space by the River Weaver at Hartford back to the Canal & River Trust. Objections close on 23 November.

Cheshire West and Chester Council intends to give up 7.786 acres of open space next to the River Weaver at Hartford, near Northwich. Anyone who objects has until Monday 23 November to say so in writing.

The plan is set out in a formal notice under section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972, dated 26 October and printed in the Mid Cheshire Guardian. Councils must publish a notice like this before they dispose of land that forms part of an open space, and must consider any objections.

What the notice says

The council does not own the land. It holds a lease from the Canal & River Trust, which looks after the Weaver Navigation. The notice says:

  • the land is “7.786 acres of land adjacent to the River Weaver, Hartford, Northwich”
  • the disposal would happen by the council surrendering its lease to its landlord, the Canal & River Trust
  • the land is shown edged red on a plan
  • the council intends to go ahead once the objection period has ended

The notice does not give a reason for the surrender. It does not say what the trust plans to do with the land, or whether public access would change.

Is it the nature reserve?

The notice does not name the site. The plan that would show its boundary can only be seen in person, at Northwich Library.

The council’s Marshall’s Arm Local Nature Reserve lies on the Weaver at Hartford. The council describes woodland, meadows and the river’s old meanders, cut off when the river was straightened for the salt trade. It was designated in 1998.

Natural England’s register of Local Nature Reserves records Marshall’s Arm at 13.8 hectares, about 34 acres. If the land in the notice lies inside the reserve, 7.786 acres would be about 23% of it. We have not been able to confirm from the notice whether it does.

What it means for you

If you use the riverside at Hartford, the plan is worth seeing before the deadline.

  • See the plan: Northwich Library, at the Weaver Hall Museum and Workhouse, London Road, Northwich CW9 8AB, during normal opening hours.
  • Object in writing: to the Head of Legal Services and Council Companies, Cheshire West and Chester Council, The Portal, Wellington Road, Ellesmere Port CH65 0BA.
  • Deadline: objections must arrive by Monday 23 November 2026.

The reserve has a local management group and a friends group, according to the council. The council’s reserve page lists entrances off Stones Manor Lane in Hartford, Saxons Lane in Northwich, and the towpath from the “Blue bridge” off the A556.

We will report what the council decides once the objection period closes.