Cheshire West and Chester Council has voted to take action for cleaner, healthier rivers and seas — becoming the latest UK council to pass the Motion for the Ocean.
BSAC launched the Motion for the Ocean initiative at the Go Diving Show in March 2025, which encourages members to contact their local councillors and pass a motion to commit to cleaner waters.
Debbie Powell, BSAC Head of Community contacted her local council in Cheshire following the Motion for the Ocean process. She received a positive response from her local councillor, who even invited her to speak at a Council meeting on 17 July in front of more than 60 councillors of all parties.
Councillors were united in backing the motion — a powerful declaration recognising that every community, whether coastal or inland, has a part to play in tackling the growing crisis facing our blue spaces.
Speaking after the vote, Debbie said:
I’ve seen both the wonders and the damage to our waterways — but you don’t have to be a diver or swimmer to care. Our rivers and seas belong to everyone, and this motion gives communities like ours a real way to make a difference. It’s brilliant to see my local council stepping up.
Debbie was supported on the day by members of local branch Chester Sub-Aqua Club, who attended to add extra weight to the issue and as a demonstration that local residents will stand up for clean waterways in the places where we live and play.
About Motion for the Ocean
The Motion for the Ocean is a national initiative developed by ocean experts to give councils a clear, practical path to supporting marine recovery — from cutting pollution and improving water quality to making ocean health part of local planning.
With this vote, Cheshire West and Chester (CWAC) becomes the 35th UK council to pass the motion, joining a growing number of local authorities, both inland and coastal, committed to taking local action on a global issue.
Emily Cunningham MBE, marine biologist and co-founder of the Motion for the Ocean initiative, praised the Council’s leadership:
This is a brilliant result. It shows that communities in Cheshire recognise just how connected we all are to the ocean — even miles from the coast. Inland areas send water downstream, and that water carries litter, chemicals and nutrients that impact marine life and coastal economies. CWAC has shown real environmental leadership.
The Motion for the Ocean is already creating real change across England, by supporting better wastewater policies, to encouraging local education and citizen science initiatives, and has captured international interest when recently presented at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice.
Now, CWAC joins those communities in working with residents, partners and others to put the motion into action.
Anyone can get involved — diver, snorkeller, and even friends and family!
BSAC is encouraging people across the UK to take part, whether you're a diver, swimmer, paddleboarder, dog walker — or just someone who wants cleaner rivers and seas. You don't need to go on a march, or make a speech, or write a dissertation... you simply need to contact your local councillor and ask them to propose a motion for the ocean.
Get involved, add your voice and help make real change in our communities to protect the environment we love.
To find out how you or your council can take action, visit:
