Charles Fifield is married to Vickie and they have 3 sons, all born in Chester. Charles was born in Crewe and has lived in Cheshire and worked in the North West all his life.
He works in Commercial Property as a Chartered Surveyor for his family firm Fifield Glyn, which has offices in London, Manchester & Cheshire, employing 30 people. He was a Director from 2003 to 2022 and now has a part time role the Company Secretary. He is a Registered Valuer and also arranged commercial property lettings, mainly to SME businesses. In 2023 Charles started part time a role as Policy & Engagement Officer at the Almshouse Association.
Locally, Charles was a Cheshire West & Chester Borough Councillor for Weaver & Cuddington ward from 2011-2023 working hard with residents, Parish Councils, fellow Borough Councillors, Police / PCSOs and community groups, on local issues such as potholes, fly-tipping, speed enforcement, including helping to find funding for local community projects, often in partnership with the Parish Councils.
His involvement in politics began in 2002 when he joined the Conservative Party and became an active member of his constituency Association Weaver Vale, where he has been Vice President since 2018, prior to his he served as Deputy Chairman of Weaver Vale in 2005, Campaign Director in 2009 and Chairman 2010 to 2013, during which time we took the seat in the 2010 General Election from Labour with a 8.16% swing to elect Graham Evans.
He has also been actively involved with Cheshire & Wirral Area, before concentrating on West Cheshire following his election as a Councillor in 2011. In 2017 he was the parliamentary candidate for Bootle, a safe Labour seat, coming second which the Conservatives last achieved in 1997 and getting over 6,000 votes, the highest Conservative total since 1992.
He first stood for election in 2007 to Vale Royal Borough Council, in a safe Labour ward to demonstrate Conservatives should always be prepared to stand, whilst Labour kept the seat, they would subsequently lose the new CWC ward which replaced it in 2008 following local government re-organisation.
He stood for election in 2011 to Cheshire West and Chester Council for Weaver and Cuddington ward, topping the poll in this 3 member ward, which saw a clean sweep to the Conservatives despite a strong LibDem challenge. He was re-elected in 2015 and 2019 but decided not to stand again in 2023, after 12 years service. In December 2023, in recognition of his prior long service, he was created an Hon Alderman of the Borough of Cheshire West & Chester.
His service on Cheshire West & Chester Council included Chair of Places Scrutiny 2016-17, Chair of Corporate Scrutiny Committee from May 2014-2015, he served as an Assistant Executive Member, Chairing the Executive Policy Commission on Ageing Well from 2013-2014 and between 2012-13 he served as Chair of Appeals Committee. He was Opposition Group Whip 2022-23 and also served on Local Working Scrutiny, Community Governance Review, Events & Festivals Commissioning Board, Cheshire Brine Subsidence Compensation Board and Planning Committee.
He was also Chair of the Town & City Centres Working Group in 2013-14, which looked at issues affecting our larger settlements such as Chester, Ellesmere Port, Northwich and Winsford, together with general market trends and smaller market towns such as Frodsham and Neston.
Recognising the continuing change in Retail, he repeatedly called for the Council to reform this Group from 2018, it finally met again during the Covid-19 pandemic, Charles served as its Deputy Chair and it delivered its report in November 2020.
Charles has FSH muscular dystrophy, whilst he can still walk unaided, he increasingly uses a wheelchair as he needs to be careful not to stand for too long.
He is very interested in disability issues, and helped establish Cheshire West & Chester Council’s Corporate Disability Access Forum in 2013, which he served as Chair until 2015 and then Vice-Chair until 2023. CDAF won the Accessible Britain Challenge Awards in 2015 and Charles narrated the Council’s CDAF 2015 submission. CDAF’s work was also an important factor in Chester winning the European Access City Award in European Access City 2016. Charles took a Motion to Council in 2017, which to Cheshire West & Chester Council signing the Motor Nuerone Disease "MND" Charter in 2018.
Charles is a member of Ability: RE which looks at disability and inclusivity issues within the Real Estate and Built Environment sectors.
Charles is involved with the Conservative Disability Group, a member of its Executive and has been a panel at their fringe events at the 2022, 2021, 2019 and 2018 Party Conferences. In 2018 he also spoke on the main Conference Platform on disability issues:
Charles has also appeared on other discussion panels at Conference including The Tax Payers’ Alliance panel on “Why does Council tax only go up?” within the 2021 Think Tent and “How can local councils deliver front line services without making cuts or increasing council tax?” in 2019.
Between 2013-15 Charles worked hard within the Council to ensure the popular “Round Tower” landmark at the A556 in Cuddington & Sandiway was rebuilt following a car accident in 2013 and he was proud to be able to see it rebuilt and back in place in 2015.
Charles’s interest in Europe was primarily in relation to Trade and Business, he was keen to ensure this became the primary focus of the European Union. Charles wanted a reformed EU but that was not on offer and so he voted to Leave in the 2016 Referendum.
Whilst he works in Commercial Property, he is also interested in rural issues as he has lived in the country all his life in Cheshire. He studied Rural Land Management at the Royal Agricultural College (now RA University) in Cirencester 1992-95, where he met his wife Vickie and he did his degree dissertation on the dairy industry following Vesting Day 1994.
Outside of politics, Charles also is keen on voluntary work. Charles is an active fundraiser for his local Church, Christ Church Crowton, organizing their Annual Raffle since 2004 which raises around £1,500 per annum. Also since 2004 he has been a member of his village community association in Acton Bridge where he has lived all his life. He was elected to Acton Bridge Parish Council in May 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and 2023, becoming Vice Chairman.
In his professional body, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, he was involved in the “young surveyors” of RICS matrics becoming Greater Manchester Chairman in 2002 and UK National Chairman in 2007 representing 30,000 members. He became a Fellow of the RICS in 2009 in recognition of the work he had done for the RICS over many years. He is a member of the 1913 Wilderness Club, the Chartered Surveyors (1938) Club and the Manchester Society of Land Agents & Surveyors.
In 2002, as part of his role as RICS matrics Chairman in Manchester he organized a Charity Ball which raised £6,050 for the NeuroMuscular Centre in Winsford, where Charles has physiotherapy. In 2007/8 he oversaw the second year of the “Chairman’s Challenge” which through coordinated efforts across the UK raised over £86,000 for Charity between 2006/8.
Charles’ other interests include Military & Political history, science fiction, social media, F1 racing, cricket, BBQ’s and beer. He has served as Archivist of the Cheshire Pitt Club since 2008.
Charles is a keen “tweeter” on X-Twitter and can be found @charlesfifield often giving historical facts for the day.