Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority unveils £4m investment package to drive growth and strengthen communities

Fifteen projects supporting economic growth, regeneration, culture, communities, farming and the natural environment across Cheshire and Warrington are to receive more than £4 million from the Combined Authority.

Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority has announced £4.082 million from its Mayoral Investment Fund for projects across the region.

Projects include:

Work to accelerate major regeneration opportunities in Chester, Crewe and Ellesmere Port

Investment in Warrington and Winsford town centres

Support for the region's cultural and creative economy through a new Cheshire and Warrington Film Office and Warrington cultural programme

Investment in farming, nature recovery, community facilities and the voluntary and community sector

This is first set of major investment announcements since the new Combined Authority was 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 Mayoral Investment Fund is designed to secure investment into the region to support sustained economic growth, improve productivity and back local priorities across Cheshire and Warrington.

The funding will support projects that help to strengthen important sectors of the regional economy, accelerate major development opportunities and invest in thriving places and communities.

A total of 15 projects will receive 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.

The investment is also expected to leverage at least £1.71 million of additional match funding, with the potential for this to increase as the projects progress.

The first year of the Mayoral Investment Fund is a transitional programme, enabling the Combined Authority to maintain momentum behind important projects, develop schemes so they are ready for future investment and make targeted investment in projects capable of delivering benefits for communities.

Cllr Louise Gittins, Chair of Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority and Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, said:

“This is an exciting moment for Cheshire and Warrington and one of the first major investment decisions we have taken as a new Combined Authority. It shows the scale of our ambition for the region.

“Devolution has to be about making a real difference to our economy, our places and our communities. This investment shows what that can mean in practice and secure growth in every postcode.

“We are building from strength by supporting regeneration and new investment, our cultural and creative economy, farming and the natural environment, our town centres and the organisations which provide vital support within our communities.

“What particularly excites me is the breadth of the programme. Some of these investments will deliver visible improvements now, while others will help us get major projects into a position where they can attract significantly greater investment in the future.

“Together they demonstrate the ambition we have for the Combined Authority and our determination to use our new funding and powers to create opportunities right across the region.”

 Hans Mundry, leader of Warrington Borough Council said: “We’re delighted that Sankey Street Phase 2 has been awarded £500,000 of Mayoral Investment Fund (MIF) funding, which will help us deliver this important scheme during the 2027/28 financial year.

“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.
 “The scheme will create a more attractive place, making it easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle when accessing local businesses, while supporting increased footfall and helping the town centre thrive. This funding is a strong vote of confidence in Warrington's regeneration ambitions and our vision for a vibrant, sustainable and prosperous town centre."

Projects were considered through the Combined Authority's agreed appraisal process, including independent expert assessment by AMION Consulting and consideration by the CWCA Investment Committee. The process considered issues including project deliverability, milestones, risks and anticipated outcomes.

 Mayoral Investment Fund awards – Projects At A Glance

Accelerating Strategic Growth - £615,000

Chester Station Gateway – £115,000: Feasibility work to support partner engagement and planning and accelerate development of proposals for the Chester Gateway project.

Blue Green Crewe – £175,000: Development of an early-stage vision and regeneration framework to guide site review, infrastructure planning and the development of future opportunities in Crewe.

Chester Cultural Anchor – £135,000: Feasibility work to test the viability and deliverability of a proposed landmark cultural and visitor destination in Chester city centre as part of the Northgate 2 development.

Nature Investment Vehicle – £70,000: Development of a business case for a pan-Cheshire mechanism capable of attracting investment into nature recovery, ecosystem management and water resilience.

Origin Ellesmere Port – £120,000: Development of a Growth Vision, Investment Plan and delivery route map to support jobs, investment and business growth in the Origin industrial area of Ellesmere Port.

Celebrating Place: Culture, Communities and Renewal - £3.467 million

Lache Community Centre – £500,000: Refurbishment and extension of the community centre to create new and improved facilities for youth activities, learning, wellbeing support and community services.

Cheshire and Warrington Film Office – £110,000: Creation of Screen Cheshire, providing a single point of contact for filming enquiries, locations, permitting, suppliers and skills across Cheshire and Warrington, alongside development of a longer-term investment case.

Winsford Town Centre – £643,000: A package of public realm, cultural and feasibility projects including improvements to Winsford Market, temporary food and drink trading, exploration of co-locating public services within the library and a year-round cultural programme.

Warrington Cultural Programme – £386,000: A coordinated year-round programme of major events, community activity and marketing designed to increase town-centre footfall, visitor spending, participation and civic pride.

Ellesmere Port Events – £79,000: Four seasonal events around the refurbished Ellesmere Port Market and Flea Market, supporting traders, increasing footfall and showcasing local culture and community organisations.

Sankey Street, Warrington – £500,000: Public realm and active travel improvements to Sankey Street.

Lion Salt Works – £53,000: New interpretation and interactive exhibits, developed with local communities, to improve accessibility, the visitor experience and the attraction's local relevance.

Future Farming Group – £75,000: Farmer-led pilot and demonstration projects testing profitable approaches to land management and nature recovery, with benefits including productivity, soil health, water quality, biodiversity and flood resilience.

VCFSE Grant Programme – £650,000: A Cheshire and Warrington-wide programme supporting voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations, including improvements to community buildings, energy efficiency, wellbeing, volunteering and routes towards employment.

Open in Cheshire – £471,000: Extension of the Open in Crewe programme to Macclesfield, helping businesses occupy vacant town-centre premises through grants, property matching and targeted support.