New bus interchange opens in Ellesmere Port

The first phase of development work in Ellesmere Port will be marked this week with the new bus interchange along Civic Way coming into use.

Buses will transfer to the new Civic Way bus interchange from Friday 20 November as work begins in earnest on the construction of the new public services hub. Civic Way will be limited to buses only from 20 November with no access from Whitby Road for any vehicles except buses. There will be no access along Civic Way from Wellington Road except for deliveries to Port Arcades. 

Building contractors Vinci Construction UK Limited constructed the new bus interchange on behalf of Cheshire West and Chester Council and now start work building a new hub building. Over the coming weeks live time information will be added and the remaining surfacing will be completed. 

Councillor Karen Shore, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Strategic Transport said: "Opening the new bus interchange is the first stage of a £16m investment into Ellesmere Port, part of a wider Masterplan for the town. 

“Thanks to the joint funding from the Governments Local Growth Fund, next year we will be seeing a new hub building providing local people with easy access to essential public services in a modern and energy efficient building.  The building will bring together a wide range of important public services including; community safety and crime prevention, housing support, employment, skills and learning guidance, welfare and benefits support.” 

Clare Hayward, chair of the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “The project is an important catalyst for the regeneration of Ellesmere Port and one of a range of initiatives that the LEP is supporting in the area. We are delighted to see these attractive new facilities taking shape and our investment in the town centre coming to fruition.” 

The Hub building is scheduled for completion by the end of 2021, the Government’s Local Growth Fund is funding half of the £16 million project through the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership.

Local Growth Fund:

Local Enterprise Partnerships are playing a vital role in driving forward economic growth across the country, helping to build a country that works for everyone. 

By 2021 Government will have invested over £12bn through the Local Growth Fund, allowing LEPs to use their local knowledge to get all areas of the country firing on all cylinders. 

Some additional key facts: 

There are 38 LEPs covering the whole of England

The government has awarded £9.1bn in three rounds of Growth Deals to local areas to drive economic growth. 

LEPs are investing in a wide range of projects including transport, skills, business support, broadband, innovation and flood defences.

Northern Powerhouse 

Some Northern Powerhouse key facts: 

The Northern Powerhouse is a key aspect of this Government’s approach to addressing the productivity gap in the North and ensuring a stronger, more sustainable economy for all parts of the UK.

The government has awarded £3.4bn in three rounds of Growth Deals across the Northern Powerhouse.