Cheshire and Warrington Combined authority approves £3m funding to unlock growth

Cheshire and Warrington Combined authority has approved £3m funding to back culture, high streets and communities as part of multi-million pipeline to unlock growth and attract future investment

Culture and community projects across the region will benefit from a £3m investment as part of a Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority (CWCA) pledge to use its devolved powers and Mayoral Investment Funding to improve the lives of residents and the places they live.

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.

Representing Cheshire and Warrington on the world stage

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.

About the Year One approach to MIF:

The first Mayoral Investment Fund programme has been designed to deliver visible benefits for communities across Cheshire and Warrington and unlock future investment opportunities.

The Year One programme includes investment to support strategic growth opportunities and community-focused projects across the region. Individual project awards remain subject to appraisal, scrutiny and approval processes.

Robust investment process:

Individual investment awards will not be approved automatically.

All proposals will be subject to independent appraisal and assessment through the Combined Authority's investment framework to ensure resources are targeted at projects capable of delivering meaningful economic, social and environmental benefits.

A dedicated Investment Committee will review project proposals, assess value for money, deliverability and strategic fit, and make recommendations before any investment decisions are confirmed.

The role of the Investment Committee will be to ensure resources are directed towards the strongest opportunities — projects that demonstrate clear benefits, strong value for money and the potential to unlock wider impacts for Cheshire and Warrington.

This approach will help build a credible pipeline of future investments while ensuring public money is invested transparently, responsibly and in line with the Combined Authority's long-term ambitions.

The programme will:

• Unlock major growth opportunities by funding the development work needed to bring forward regeneration, infrastructure, housing, employment and clean energy projects.
• Build a pipeline of future investments by developing robust business cases, feasibility studies and investment propositions capable of attracting future public and private sector funding into Cheshire and Warrington.
• Accelerate clean growth and industrial innovation by supporting the planning and development work needed to advance opportunities linked to hydrogen, carbon capture, advanced manufacturing and the energy transition.
• Support town centres and high streets by helping bring vacant premises back into use, improving public spaces and creating the conditions for increased footfall and local economic growth.
• Back culture, tourism and the visitor economy through events, cultural activity and place-based initiatives that attract visitors, strengthen local identity and support local businesses.
• Invest in community assets and neighbourhoods through improvements to community facilities, flexible local spaces and projects that support health, wellbeing and community resilience.
• Create better places through environmental improvements, sustainability measures and projects that enhance the quality and attractiveness of towns and neighbourhoods across Cheshire and Warrington.

Building a pipeline for the future

The Year One pipeline has been deliberately designed to help build a pipeline of investment-ready opportunities ahead of the region's first Mayoral election.

By supporting project development now, the Combined Authority will help ensure that future Mayoral Investment Fund decisions are informed by robust evidence, strong business cases and a clear understanding of where investment can have the greatest impact.

About the Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority

Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority (CWCA) brings together leaders, businesses, partners and communities to make our region a better place to live, work and invest.

We are bringing powers, funding and decision-making from Whitehall closer to local people.

The Combined Authority will be led by a Mayor, who will be directly elected in May 2027. Until then, it is led by Chair Councillor Louise Gittins and the Combined Authority Board.