Preston Brook
{{Short description|Village in Cheshire, England}}
{{distinguish|Preston Brooks}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox UK place
|country= England
|coordinates = {{coord|53.318|-2.654|display=inline,title}}
|official_name= Preston Brook
|static_image_name= The Bridgewater Canal, Preston Brook, looking north - geograph.org.uk - 6854415.jpg
|static_image_caption= Homes on the canal in Preston Brook
|population = 7,148
|population_ref =
|civil_parish = Preston Brook
|unitary_england= Halton
|lieutenancy_england= Cheshire
|region= North West England
|constituency_westminster= Runcorn and Helsby
|post_town= RUNCORN
|postcode_district= WA7
|postcode_area= WA
|dial_code= 01928
|os_grid_reference= SJ5881
}}
Preston Brook is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England. It is situated in the borough of Halton and is bordered by the M56 motorway to the north, Dutton to the east, and Runcorn to the south and west.
Overview
The village was formerly bordered to the east by the village of Preston on the Hill, which is now part of Preston Brook. The Bridgewater Canal runs from Manchester through Preston Brook, where it divides into two branches; one branch leads to Runcorn, where it used to join the Manchester Ship Canal and the River Mersey before that, while the second branch joins the Trent and Mersey Canal at the Preston Brook canal tunnel. Due to the Bridgewater Canal's dominance, many residents live on or own boathouses.
Many locals work at the Abbots Park industrial estate in Preston Brook, which was formerly used by ScottishPower and is now used by Capita, FirstGroup, Mammoet, Marks & Spencer, O2, Tesco Mobile, Wincanton Logistics. The community has a website and a bi-monthly newsletter.{{cite web |url=http://www.prestonbrookparishcouncil.gov.uk/preston-brook-village-news.html |title=Preston Brook Village Newsletter |publisher=Preston Brook Parish Council |access-date=20 September 2018}} It is home to {{nowrap|E-scape,}} the UK's first dedicated {{nowrap|off-roading}} track for electric vehicles.
Preston Brook is in the constituency of Runcorn and Helsby, which has been represented since the July 2024 election by Mike Amesbury, who was elected as a member of the Labour Party but became an independent following his February 2025 conviction for assaulting a man in October 2024.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/mike-amesbury-mp-jail-hmp-altcourse-b2704213.html|title=Jailed MP Mike Amesbury faces strip searches and two visits per month inside prison|date=25 February 2025|website=The Independent}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cx2rnp29p7xt|title=MP Mike Amesbury jailed for 10 weeks for punching constituent in street|website=BBC News}} He successfully appealed to have his sentence reduced on 27 February but failed to get it reduced to a non-custodial sentence, which would have avoided triggering a recall petition under the Recall of MPs Act 2015.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/mike-amesbury-jail-labour-mp-b2704055.html|title=Jailed ex-Labour MP receives £91,000 taxpayer-funded salary behind bars|date=25 February 2025|website=The Independent}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/02/24/labour-mp-mike-amesbury-jailed-punching-man-in-street/?msockid=104ea608639e6ea91a95b39662736f02|title=Labour MP jailed for punching man in street will receive full pay while in prison|first1=Amy|last1=Gibbons|first2=Will|last2=Bolton|date=24 February 2025|work=The Telegraph}}
Demographics
The population was 7,148 at the 2021 Census,https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/sources/census_2021/report up from 809 in 2011.{{NOMIS2011|id=E04000316|title=Preston Brook Parish|accessdate=26 May 2020}} 96.2% of the population was recorded as White and the remaining percentage was split between mixed or multiple ethnic groups (1.9%); Asian, Asian British, or Asian Welsh (1%); other (0.6%); and Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean, or African (0.2%). 52.9% of the population was recorded as Christian and 41.3% declared no religion whilst 4.5% declined to answer, with the remaining percentage split between 0.7% Muslim, 0.3% other, 0.2% Hindu, and 0.1% Buddhist, in addition to two Sikhs and one Jew.
Approximately 2,860 people were employed in the area as of 2021, with the most prevalent careers being in retail and motor repair (17.3%), human health and social work (16.7%), manufacturing (10.2%), transport and storage (7.9%), and administrative work (6.4%). 51.1% of the population drove to work whilst 24.2% worked mainly from home, with 7.6% walking to work and 7.1% taking public transport. Of the population aged 16 years and over, 25.2% had no qualifications and 19% had Level 4 qualifications{{efn|Corresponding to the first year of a bachelor's degree.}} or above whilst 18% had Level 3 qualifications{{efn|Corresponding to A-Levels.}} or above. 15.1% of the population was recorded as being considered disabled under the Equality Act 2010.
Gallery
File:Barker's Hollow Road - geograph.org.uk - 4802423.jpg|Barker's Hollow Road
File:Bridgewater canal towards Preston Brook Tunnel - geograph.org.uk - 7103008.jpg|Homes and houseboats on the canal
File:The Bridgewater Canal, north of Preston Brook tunnel - geograph.org.uk - 6854428.jpg|Further up the canal
File:Canalside housing at Preston Brook, Cheshire - geograph.org.uk - 2672891.jpg|Homes on the canal
File:Book share at Preston Brook - geograph.org.uk - 7103040.jpg|A free bookshare in Preston Brook
File:Chester Road roundabout and industrial estate - geograph.org.uk - 3211454.jpg|Abbots Park industrial estate
File:E-scape, the UK's first dedicated electric off road riding centre - geograph.org.uk - 5353276.jpg|Children riding Electric motorcycles and scooters at {{nowrap|E-scape}}
File:The Tunnel Top public house at Dutton - geograph.org.uk - 4266780.jpg|The Tunnel Top pub
See also
Notes
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References
{{Reflist}}
{{commons category|Preston Brook}}
{{Cheshire, Borough of Halton}}
{{Cheshire}}
{{authority control}}