Manley Road Copse looks set to receive a makeover as Frodsham Town Council arrange for maintenance work to be carried out on the site.

At an extraordinary Amenities Committee meeting yesterday (Wednesday 17 March), Councillors agreed that a contractor would be hired to cut the sides and top of the front hedge, remove brambles, ivy and unwanted vegetation and pick up any litter.

Unsightly or damaged small trees will be felled or tended, and any resulting timber will be stacked into habitat piles to attract wildlife to the area.

Finally, woodchip is to be spread along the Copse's existing footpaths to prevent them from growing muddy.

The initial work, estimated to cost £1,200, will be followed up with chemical treatments on the site's weeds, aimed at inhibited their growth.

Manley Road Copse, which is situated opposite Hillcrest Care Home, has been the subject of renewed attention in the past few months, after being 'neglected' in recent years.

The space was allotted £2,000 in the Town Council's 2021 Budget, and there are plans to create a 'Friends of Manley Road Copse' group, which would be similar in structure to the existing Hob Hey Wood Friends Group.

During yesterday's meeting, joint president of Frodsham WI, Vivien Shaw, suggested that her organisation could perhaps take charge of the Copse's maintenance.

"We've had lots of new members over the lockdown and they all love the idea of having somewhere [like Manley Road Copse]," she said, thanking Councillors for their efforts in relation to the site's upkeep.

"It's really nice to see it being used. I'm sure once it's looking all lovely and spruced that the WI ladies will be interested in managing it."

A Brief History of Manley Road Copse

Manley Road Copse was gifted in 1988 to FTC, who maintained it with the support of Tom Blundell and Joe Beswick, who were non-voting members of the Environment Committee.

In 2017 Manley Road Copse suffered considerable damage at the hands of Storm Doris, after which many mature trees had to be felled.

Since then, maintenance works have been carried out in the copse when required, with Frodsham WI leading a tree-planting project there to mark the centenary of their Cheshire branch in 2019.

However, since the Storm Doris episode in the copse's history, it has been noted that "the long-term maintenance of the area needs to be considered," as the Councillors and residents who initially took an interest in the Copse no longer play as active a role in its upkeep.