Cheshire and Warrington names £4m Mayoral Investment Fund winners
Chester Gateway, Chester Northgate, Origin at Ellesmere Port, Crewe’s ongoing regeneration, the revitalising of Winsford town centre, and improvements to Warrington’s Sankey Street are just some of the projects due to benefit from the first round of awards.
Money for the £4m Mayoral Investment Fund represents £1.9m of revenue funding and £2.2m of capital investment. Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority estimate another £1.7m will be secured through match funding.
“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,” said CWCA chair Cllr Louise Gittins, who is also the Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council.
She added later: “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.”
CWCA has divided the funding awards into two categories: accelerating strategic growth and celebrating place. The projects receiving financial support range from largescale regeneration frameworks to a programme to bring vacant properties in Macclesfield back into use.
CWCA has described the winning 15 projects as follows:
Accelerating Strategic Growth
- 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.
READ MORE: Cheshire’s £3.6bn Origin will transform the North
Celebrating Place: Culture, Communities and Renewal
- 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.
Warrington Council Leader Cllr Hans Mundry was especially pleased to see the second phase of infrastructure works on Sankey Street in the borough secured £500,000 from MIF. He noted that the support will mean the project can be delivered during the 2027-28 financial year.
“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,” Mundry said.
“This funding is a strong vote of confidence in Warrington’s regeneration ambitions and our vision for a vibrant, sustainable and prosperous town centre.”
