Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority (CWCA) was formally established in February with devolved powers giving the region control over powers related to investment, transport, jobs and skills. A Mayor of Cheshire and Warrington will be elected next year.
The £3m, approved by the Combined Authority Board at its AGM today, June 22 is earmarked to provide investment in town centres, cultural activity and community assets as part of a pledge to engage with local communities and ensure residents and businesses benefit from devolution.
The community projects and places to benefit will be confirmed in the Autumn following a robust appraisal process. They are likely to support for cultural events, upgrades to vacant town centre shops and premises, transport improvements, plans to boost high street footfall and funding to breathe new life into much loved visitor attractions.
The package was announced as part of £10m investment programme designed to unlock future investment, accelerate strategic opportunities and support communities across the region.
CWCA leaders hailed the funding package as the first step in building a long-term investment platform for the region aimed at using Cheshire and Warrington’s £650 million, 30-year Mayoral Investment Fund settlement and local decision-making powers to create the conditions for economic growth and strengthen local places.
Alongside the community projects, millions of pounds will be channelled into a pipeline of investment-ready opportunities capable of attracting significant future public, private and international investment into Cheshire and Warrington.
The £10m programme will support the development work, business cases and investment propositions needed to bring forward major growth opportunities across Cheshire and Warrington
The AGM heard the investment was designed to boost communities, unlock growth, create jobs, improve transport and lever and identify major investment opportunities – building on the region’s national strengths in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, life sciences and innovation such as ORIGIN at Ellesmere Port — one of the UK’s most significant clean energy and industrial decarbonisation opportunities.
Cllr Louise Gittins, Chair of Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority, said:”Our £3m investment, with funding secured from Westminster, will celebrate our communities and back local culture and places. We want to use our powers to improve the lives of people in Cheshire and Warrington and they places they live.
“It is part of £10m package announced today which allows us to boost communities as well as developing the projects, opportunities and investment propositions that can unlock much greater levels of investment in the future, creating jobs and opportunity.
“This initial investment is part of our ambitious longer-term approach to the Mayoral Investment Fund which will look to drive growth in the region, by developing a pipeline of opportunities which will attract more investment to our region. Our decision today is about laying the foundations for the future whilst delivering benefits to local people that they can see and feel in their communities.”
Details on individual projects will be subject to scrutiny from an independent Investment Committee and brought forward to the Combined Authority Board for approval.
The Combined Authority also used the AGM meeting to discuss plans to strengthen Cheshire and Warrington’s international economic relationships and support businesses to access new trade and investment opportunities through participation in The Great North trade mission to India in October 2026, alongside Northern mayors and regions.
The mission forms part of the Combined Authority’s wider ambition to promote Cheshire and Warrington as a leading destination for investment, innovation and business growth, while helping local businesses access new international markets and opportunities.
India is already one of Cheshire and Warrington’s most significant international economic partners, with more than 50 India-linked businesses supporting over 4,000 jobs and generating more than £10 billion in annual turnover across the region.
Businesses with strong links to India include Essar, whose EET Fuels business forms part of the ORIGIN cluster; Sai Life Sciences at Alderley Park; Tata Chemicals in Northwich; and Bentley Motors in Crewe. To maximise the benefits of the trade mission, the Combined Authority is undertaking analysis of Cheshire and Warrington’s existing India-linked business footprint to develop a targeted proposition aligned to the region’s sector strengths and economic priorities.
The mission will be one of the first opportunities for Cheshire and Warrington to join other Northern regions in promoting the North of England internationally following the Government’s recent Free Trade Agreement with India.
