Council secures £13.3m to support Transformation of Ellesmere Port

Cheshire West and Chester Council have successfully secured £13.3m from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ Levelling Up Fund to support the transformation of Ellesmere Port market hall and to help bring forward empty and underused sites in the town centre for new housing.

The funding also includes proposals to make it safer and easier to walk into town.

Councillor Richard Beacham, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Growth, Economy & Regeneration said: “I am absolutely delighted that our plans for Ellesmere Port have received this funding. It was a very competitive process, but we made a strong case for the need to invest in the town centre, alongside the private sector investment in industry and housing in the wider area.”

The programme will now look at unlocking new housing sites around Coronation Road and Civic Way, which will make it a more attractive area and help bring new footfall to the town centre and exciting plans for updating the market hall. This includes transforming the flea market into a flexible space for specialist markets and events, creating an entrepreneurial start up space and importantly changing the fabric of the building so that it will be much more energy efficient and fit for the future. This includes new large windows to let the daylight flood in, new insulation, green walls and photovoltaic panels to generate clean energy.

It also includes providing new ‘changing place’ facilities for disabled customers and their carers. The plans will also improve pedestrian and cycle links with secure bike storage to make it safer and easier to walk or cycle into the heart of the town centre.

Councillor Beacham added: “Combined with £1.5 million invested by the Council, there is now £14.8 million secured for Ellesmere Port. I would like to thank everyone who helped shape the proposals and backed our submission. The detailed plans are still at an early stage, and over the coming months we will work closely with market traders, residents and businesses to progress these plans.”