Cheshire West & Chester Council
Cheshire West and Chester (CWAC) is a unitary authority area with borough status, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire.
Established in 2009 as part of the structural changes to local government in England it features a total of 75 councillors across the authority. CWAC support the Chamber as an element of its support for the regions business community.
CWAC is taking the lead to change the way public services are delivered nationally, having been chosen as one of four areas selected to deliver its ‘responsive pilot ‘initiative to roll out Community Budgets; this effects not just councils, but health, police and fire, indeed everything that is funded from the public purse.
A genuine ‘opportunity economy’ is the goal for the benefit of all communities, partners have already been working together to make a difference on this issue by:
- Supporting local growth, two successful business improvement districts in Northwich and Winsford
- Four area based regeneration programmes, with strong private sector representation, delivering successful projects
- Freeing up of development land in Ellesmere Port, construction of Riversdale Bridge in Northwich, completion of a master plan for a central business district in Chester
- A flagship Marks and Spencer store, creating 350 new jobs
- 1,000 jobs are expected from developing the central business quarter in Chester
- Rural economies will particularly benefit from superfast broadband with a recent announcement of £3.24m to provide 100,613 premises with coverage, supporting the creation of 5,500 jobs in Cheshire and Warrington, with £197m in growth to the local economy year on year.