GVA takes Cheshire’s message to City

Around 80 investment managers attended an event in London organised by GVA to promote the Cheshire and Warrington economy.

GVA hosted the seminar in the One Moorgate Place in the City, supported by Cheshire and Warrington local authorities and inward investment teams.

The event raised the profile of a £22 billion North-West economy in the lead-up to the Chancellor's Autumn Statement on 5 December. It provided a focus on new investment and development opportunities triggered by the growth in occupier demand in advanced engineering, financial services and distribution/logistics across the region.

GVA was joined by central and regional government leaders and major North-West based businesses.

Among the speakers were Christine Gaskell, director of Bentley Motors and chairman of Cheshire & Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, and David Mowat, MP for Warrington South and Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Treasury Support Group. They were joined on a panel by senior local government representatives from Warrington and Cheshire and from Automotive Alliance, National Nuclear Laboratory, Aerospace Alliance and Goodman UK Logistics.

Gaskell said: "This event has allowed us to inform key decision-makers about all the region has to offer and why it is such a great place to invest, visit, live, study and meet.

"We have the right leadership, infrastructure, skills, transport links and development opportunities in place to realise our ambitions to grow our economy even further and develop Cheshire and Warrington's position as the most productive economy in the North of England."

GVA is working on a range of projects across Cheshire and Warrington including the Chester One City Plan for Cheshire West & Chester Council, Muse's Chester Business Quarter, Cheshire East's 'All Change for Crewe' development plan, the Warrington Bridge Street redevelopment with Muse and is involved with the LEP's Growing Places Fund.

David Sayer, director in GVA's Liverpool office, said: "By bringing together leading figures from Cheshire and Warrington regional authorities, national government, and business leaders, the seminar will no doubt result in a heightened interest in the region among outside investors. We're confident that by generating interest and discussion about the opportunities that exist will lead to further economic prosperity for Cheshire and Warrington."

The event explored business growth prospects in key sectors, strategic development sites and the timetable for release, and funding opportunities with councils.