WARRINGTON is set to receive a £886,000 boost to its regeneration and cultural ambitions after the newly-established Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority announced more than £4 million of investment across the region.
The £4.082 million Mayoral Investment Fund package is the first major investment announcement since the Combined Authority was established in February, with £886,000 specifically allocated to projects in Warrington.
The investment includes £500,000 for Phase 2 of the Sankey Street regeneration scheme and £386,000 for a new Warrington Cultural Programme.
The Combined Authority says the investment is designed to support economic growth, regeneration, culture, communities, farming and the natural environment across Cheshire and Warrington.
For Warrington, the funding could provide a significant next step in the continuing efforts to transform the town centre.
£500,000 for Sankey Street
The £500,000 award for Sankey Street Phase 2 will fund further public realm and active travel improvements during the 2027/28 financial year.
It is intended to build on the first phase of work, creating what the council describes as a “high-quality gateway into Warrington town centre.”
The scheme is designed to make the area more attractive and easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle, while supporting local businesses, increasing footfall and contributing to the wider regeneration of the town centre.
Warrington Borough Council leader Cllr Hans Mundry welcomed the announcement, saying :“The investment will build on the success of Phase 1, enabling further improvements to the public realm and creating a high-quality gateway into Warrington town centre.”
He added that the funding represented “a strong vote of confidence in Warrington’s regeneration ambitions” and the council’s vision for a vibrant, sustainable and prosperous town centre.
£386,000 for Warrington’s cultural ambitions
A further £386,000 has been allocated to a coordinated year-round Warrington Cultural Programme.
The programme will include major events, community activity and marketing, with the aim of increasing town-centre footfall, visitor spending, participation and civic pride.
It could provide an important opportunity for Warrington to build on its increasingly ambitious cultural programme and use events and cultural activity as part of the wider town-centre regeneration strategy.
£4 million package across the region
In total, 15 projects are receiving funding through two programmes – Accelerating Strategic Growth and Celebrating Place: Culture, Communities and Renewal.
The awards comprise £1.859 million of revenue funding and £2.223 million of capital investment, with the Combined Authority expecting the projects to attract at least a further £1.71 million in match funding.
Other projects include regeneration work in Chester, Crewe and Ellesmere Port, investment in Winsford town centre, support for farming and nature recovery, community facilities and a new Cheshire and Warrington Film Office.
The new Screen Cheshire initiative will provide a single point of contact for filming enquiries, locations, permitting, suppliers and skills across the region.
The announcement is particularly significant because it represents one of the first tangible demonstrations of what the new devolved Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority could mean for Warrington.
The Combined Authority now has devolved powers relating to areas including investment, transport, jobs and skills, with an elected Mayor due to be chosen next year.
The Mayoral Investment Fund is intended to support projects capable of delivering economic growth and strengthening communities while helping develop larger schemes which could attract considerably greater investment in the future.
For Warrington, the immediate focus will be on whether the £886,000 investment can translate into increased town-centre activity, improved public spaces, greater visitor numbers and stronger support for the local economy.
The Sankey Street funding in particular comes as the council continues to pursue a wider programme of town-centre regeneration.
Cllr Louise Gittins, Chair of the Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority, said the investment demonstrated the ambition of the new authority and its determination to support communities across the region.
She said: “Devolution has to be about making a real difference to our economy, our places and our communities.”
She added that the programme would support regeneration, cultural and creative industries, farming, the natural environment, town centres and organisations providing support within communities.
The funding awards followed an appraisal process involving independent expert assessment by AMION Consulting and consideration by the Combined Authority’s Investment Committee.
For Warrington, the question now will be whether this initial investment can act as a catalyst for the much larger-scale regeneration and private investment needed to transform the town centre.
The £886,000 is relatively modest against the scale of Warrington’s regeneration ambitions – but it marks an early test of what the new Combined Authority can deliver locally.
