Opportunity in a fair local economy:

“Supporting small businesses would benefit everybody” Join the conversation respondent

The opportunity

Our economy supports many of the factors that lead to a good quality of life. Good work, excellent local employers across a range of strong sectors, decent incomes and strong prospects is the experience for many local people. We have higher rates of employment skills, earning and productivity compared to many areas. But this is not the case for all. Recent years have seen slowing productivity coupled with rising levels of inequality – raising questions around the sustainability and fairness of a growth model that has failed to increase the living standards of all. We know that social inequality is the main cause of health inequalities and, as a part of the Cheshire and Merseyside Marmot community, we have committed to address these issues. We have a comprehensive plan to ensure that the economy for the future creates and rewards good work, creating prosperity and security for all. We will work alongside businesses to make this happen.

What success will look like

High levels of employment

Increased earnings

Greater awareness of the employment opportunities available locally and pathways to access them

An increase in businesses being created and surviving

More timely assessments and decision making

Being a popular destination for learners, visitors, investors and those relocating

How we will make a difference

We will continue to build on our work zone approach and promote a combined offer around adult education, skills, careers and employment support to help people gain the skills they need throughout their lives. We will also establish a commission to consider how to best increase youth social mobility.
We will review all our services to support businesses to make sure it is easier to start and grow a local company. This will include attracting inward investment and supporting and promoting different forms of business such as social enterprises and cooperatives and growing our strong base of small and medium sized enterprises.
We will work collaboratively to connect those places and communities that would otherwise be left behind.
We will work with local communities to develop and deliver a local transport plan that will reimagine a local transport system that is sustainable, affordable, adaptable and accessible to everyone, facilitating excellent quality of life, attractive neighbourhoods, thriving business and inclusive prosperity. We will improve highways maintenance and use our Bus Service Improvement Plan funding to improve the bus services across the borough.
We have a compelling vision to deliver regeneration across west Cheshire - this will mean working with residents and businesses to revive our town centres, using empty shops as communal working spaces and create flourishing places for good employment and leisure opportunities
Local regeneration

At the heart of local regeneration plans is an ambition to have a positive impact on our environment, heritage and culture. Through our investments, our aim is to boost business, create jobs and increase skills, whilst delivering new housing, supporting digital connectivity, increasing inclusion, and enhancing pride in our town and city centres. Working together with the public and private sectors, our projects will grow footfall, increase spend and spread vitality across our borough, bringing underused spaces back to life and making our communities exciting places to live, work, learn and visit.

Chester

The refreshed One City Plan is a blueprint for enabling joint working and civic participation in Chester. Through 45 actions, the One City Plan sets out a new vision for how the public, private and community sector can work together to make Chester a fairer, stronger, and greener city by 2045. In late 2022 the new Northgate development opened across the road from Storyhouse. 2023 saw the launch of the Workspace Project, piloted in Chester, to provide small businesses with co[1]working spaces and to bring more people into the city centre. The future focus will be to encourage and support more people to live within the city centre. Over the last four years, we have been delivering the Chester Rows Heritage Action Zone which has repaired over 106 properties, including balustrade, railings and stallboards, decoration and new lighting and will be shortly installing a new fire protection system. The project has also supported a wide range of activities to boost footfall and support businesses, add vitality to the high street and help promote understanding of this unique heritage of our city – works have included funding choir, characters in historic dress who meet and interact with visitors, creating family trail, five heritage films and lots of work with young people to engage them in heritage through a range of creative mediums. In Lache, we have been working with local residents to agree four priorities for the ward, including investing in new and inclusive children’s play equipment which will be installed in spring 2024. Future projects focus on creating a new wildlife area in a former landfill site, refurbishing the community centre and making it safer and easier to walk and cycle.

Ellesmere Port

The Council has successfully secured over £13million from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities' Levelling Up Fund to support the transformation of Ellesmere Port town centre. The project has three core elements that will bring increased footfall, living and accessibility to the town centre. • Transformation of Ellesmere Port market hall • Improved walking, wheeling and cycling links • Bring forward sites for new housing ORIGIN, just outside Ellesmere Port, is at the forefront of plans to respond to the Climate Emergency with a green industrial revolution. It presents a transformational economic growth opportunity and is one of the most important industrial and employment clusters in the UK. Already home to 1,300 businesses employing 24,100 people it has the potential to increase to 1,463 businesses, employing 35,500 people by 2040, with a further £2billion investment forecast.

Market Towns

The rural area and market towns are symbolic of Cheshire and are a distinctive mosaic of wonderful countryside and vibrant market towns. They accommodate a significant resident population and a substantial part of the Cheshire economy in agriculture, agri-tech, food and drink sectors and visitor economy, but also a thriving small business community. Projects such as Frodsham Leisure Centre and ‘Reimagining Neston’ are opportunities to recognise each of these places as a distinctive destination in its own right, where the quality of the environment and built heritage is conserved and managed as part of a balanced approach to maximising its unique potential and fundamental role in the very fabric of west Cheshire.

Northwich

Northwich is an exciting and vibrant place to live, work, play and visit, with a set of ambitious projects and developments planned as part of the Council’s vision for the town. Regenerating areas of the town centre to unlock economic opportunities, renovating much-loved traditional town landmarks and architecture, developing leisure facilities, and improving road links and accessibility are all vital parts of the future for Northwich. The Council’s overall vision for the town is detailed in the recently approved Northwich Development Framework with Weaver Square as the next significant project, delivering town centre housing for rent and purchase.

Winsford

Winsford is a thriving and vibrant place to live, work, learn and play. The Council has committed funding to ambitious projects and developments as part of its vision for the town. Redevelopment of Winsford town centre to unlock economic opportunities for existing and new businesses, creating a thriving waterfront area with access to leisure and nature, and residential development are all vital parts of the future for Winsford that the Council is working hard to deliver. The first phase of the Council’s ambitious regeneration of Winsford town centre is underway. The £22.5 million project is funded by the Council and the Government’s Future High Street Fund. It is the biggest investment in the town centre shopping area since the 1960s, made possible by the Council’s acquisition of the site in 2018. The scheme will bring new businesses to Winsford and create new and exciting public spaces, giving the people of Winsford a town centre they can be proud of.
The role of culture is important in our ambitions and key to enriching people’s lives and supporting the local economy. We will work with our local Cultural Partnership Board to develop and implement a cultural manifesto that builds on opportunities such as Theatre Porto, Winsford Creates, Storyhouse, NOW Northwich, Cheshire Dance in Winsford, the Chester Contemporary arts festival and the rural touring arts programme to ensure that all our communities remain distinctive, vibrant and great places to be.
“Keeping our libraries, green spaces and cultural centres alive are important as once these facilities are gone, they will be impossible to bring back.” Join the conversation respondent
We have the vision, insight and relationships to develop a thriving and inclusive local economy. We believe that we could move further and faster if Government transferred more powers and funding to support local growth. Working with our neighbouring councils in Cheshire East and Warrington we will press for a devolution deal.

Play your part case studies

How we can all play our part

The right skills to secure good employment:

Supporting our businesses of today and the future.

Improving digital connectivity.

Connecting to opportunity

Putting people are the heart of regeneration plans for our rural communities, town and city centres

Making culture and heritage a front-line service

Our part

Your part

Take advantage of training opportunities: A wide range of training and support is available to help you to develop new skills and potentially change career.

Have your say: When we consult on plans to improve our communities. Your insight and ideas are hugely value.

Start a business. Speak to the Let’s Talk Business team about starting your own business, co-operative, or social enterprise.

Shop local. Use and support your local shops, farms, services and amenities.

If you are an employer, find out more about plans to create a Fair Employment Charter for Cheshire and Warrington

Volunteer within your community. Whether you are doing it to help those in need, build your CV, or simply for your own wellbeing, there are a range of opportunities on the volunteering portal