1 Cheshire West and Chester profile
1.1 Cheshire West and Chester is a highly desirable place to live, work and visit and is one of the most affluent areas in the North West.
1.2 The borough was formed in 2009 with the creation of a new unitary authority through the amalgamation of Chester City, Ellesmere Port and Neston and Vale Royal Councils with the western part of Cheshire County Council. Cheshire West and Chester covers a large geographic and demographically diverse area and is the fourth largest authority in the North West. The north western part of the borough has particularly strong links with north east Wales and Merseyside which is reflected in levels of cross-commuting. To the east the borough borders Cheshire East and has particularly strong links with the town of Middlewich that is surrounded on three sides by Cheshire West and Chester. There are also links to Warrington, Greater Manchester and Shropshire.
1.3 Over 329,000 people live in Cheshire West with over 160,000 people working in the borough. The area is characterised by attractive countryside, varied landscapes and diverse settlements ranging from the historic city of Chester to small rural hamlets. Chester, Ellesmere Port and Northwich dominate the northern part of the borough and sit within or adjoining the North Cheshire Green Belt which covers 42 percent of the borough's land area. Three of the larger rural settlements, Neston, Frodsham and Helsby, are also located in the Green Belt in the more urbanised north of the borough.
1.4 The borough benefits from a high quality natural environment with a number of internationally and nationally important sites for wildlife, including the Dee and Mersey estuaries, as well as having a rich architectural heritage with a high number of conservation areas, listed buildings and scheduled monuments. Ease of access to the countryside provides a significant recreational resource as does the access to the borough's waterways and leisure facilities. A key priority is to deliver development to meet future housing and employment needs whilst protecting the quality of the natural environment that gives Cheshire West and Chester its special and valued character.
1.5 Cheshire West and Chester is part of the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership and the Mersey Dee Alliance, but the borough does not cover a single economic geography. In economic and geographic terms, the borough lies between the urban centres of Manchester and Liverpool and the boundary of the spheres of influence of these economic centres runs through the area. The view that Cheshire West and Chester is not at the centre of its own economic geography is supported by the fact that residents can, on average, earn more by out-commuting than working within the borough.
1.6 The key long term economic issue for Cheshire West and Chester is an ageing population and a decline in the working age population. As increasing numbers of residents reach retirement age there will be implications for total disposable income, retail and service sector vitality and future labour supply which may deter future investment.
1.7 The population has high levels of economic activity, strong skills and is likely to be employed in managerial and professional employment although there are some areas of deprivation in the borough. There are pockets of deprivation concentrated in Ellesmere Port, Chester, Winsford and Northwich. Where there is unemployment, the age profile of those affected, the duration of unemployment and the level of vacancy rates compare favourably to national averages.
1.8 In comparison to the wider North West area, Cheshire West and Chester is an area where house prices are high and when considered alongside income levels are relatively unaffordable. Given that workplace earnings are not particularly high compared to neighbouring authorities, it is likely that average house prices are being maintained by those who value the living environment and education opportunities offered within the area but who out-commute for employment.
1.9 The distribution of employment opportunities across Cheshire West and Chester leads to a high proportion of car use for commuter journeys across the area. There is a low level of public transport use in some communities and there is a strong correlation between public transport use and those areas where deprivation is highest. Partly influenced by the use of private cars, and perhaps influenced by the scale of the economy and concentration of industry in Ellesmere Port, the area has a poor record in CO2 emissions with an Air Quality Management Area in place at A5032 Whitby Road/Station Road area.
1.10 Cheshire West and Chester has considerable minerals resources and a significant salt mining history. The area's mineral resources are supplied to both the local and wider national markets. In particular salt extraction is essential for both the local and national economies and forms the basis for a substantial part of the borough's chemical industry. Sand extraction is also very important to the construction industry supplying sand for concrete, mortar and as general fill material.
1.11 Whilst recycling levels for household waste have increased dramatically, a large proportion of Cheshire West and Chester’s waste continues to be landfilled. With only one landfill site operating and legislative and fiscal charges requiring the diversion of waste away from landfill, new types of waste management facilities will be required. Hazardous waste facilities already operating in the borough serve a national market area.
Chester
1.12 The city of Chester is the borough’s largest settlement with over 81,000 residents and is a key centre for employment, retail, education and tourism as well as being a main transport interchange and gateway, with direct routes to London, Manchester, Merseyside and North Wales. The city is internationally renowned as a historic city with unique heritage assets particularly Roman remains, the City Walls and medieval Rows. The role of the city as a destination for shoppers has weakened due to increased competition not only from larger centres such as Liverpool but at a local level from the significant expansion and changing retail offer from out of centre retail parks and out of town shopping centres, in particular Cheshire Oaks.
1.13 Chester is the only part of the borough with a significant level of in-commuting which reflects the job opportunities available in the city particularly at the successful Chester Business Park. There is a strong financial service sector in the city as well as a high level of service sector jobs linked to leisure and tourism. However, many of the higher earning Chester residents in higher managerial and professional occupations commute to jobs outside Cheshire West and Chester.
1.14 The city has a successful university and Further Education establishment at the University of Chester and West Cheshire College. Both establishments provide both learning and employment opportunities, although accommodating and integrating student accommodation in the city has presented challenges.
Ellesmere Port
1.15 Ellesmere Port is the second largest settlement with over 60,000 residents and the most industrialised part of the borough and was a major centre for manufacturing. The town has suffered a sharp decline in employment and there has been a 50 percent reduction in manufacturing employment leaving a legacy of derelict brownfield sites and some contamination issues. The industrial legacy and the presence of the M53 motorway cutting through the town has led to image and perception problems.
1.16 However, the area provides a major employment land resource for the borough and has become increasingly successful in attracting new employment opportunities. Wages are higher than in the rest of the borough, albeit workers rather than residents are the beneficiaries reflecting the presence of high value manufacturing in automotives and chemicals. There are pockets of high deprivation particularly in northern parts of the town. The presence of the Manchester Ship Canal, ease of access to the national motorway network and availability of land provides considerable opportunities for improving the economy of the town and the borough as a whole.
1.17 Ellesmere Port town centre serves as a local shopping centre and provides access to wider facilities and services.
Northwich
1.18 The town of Northwich and adjoining settlements of Anderton, Barnton, Davenham, Hartford, Lostock Gralam, Lower Marston, Lower Wincham, Rudheath and Weaverham combine to form the third biggest urban area in Cheshire West and Chester. The area has benefited from the stabilisation of former salt mines that had prevented large areas of the town coming forward for redevelopment. In particular, land stabilisation has enabled proposals to come forward that will significantly improve the town centre of Northwich and help enhance the town's role as a major retail and leisure destination.
1.19 Northwich has good links to the wider countryside and significant heritage assets, including the distinctive black and white buildings of the town centre. The waterways of Northwich are a particular asset although parts of the town have flooding issues. The presence of chemical industries in the town has reduced, leaving a significant brownfield land resource. There are however, a high proportion of service sector jobs. Northwich has net out-commuting which reflects its central location to other urban areas and access to the mid-Cheshire railway line that serves Greater Manchester and Chester.
Winsford
1.20 The smallest of the four key urban areas with a population of 30,000, Winsford is nationally renowned for the mining of rock salt. Winsford was expanded as an ‘overspill’ town in the 1960s, with new residents arriving from Manchester and Liverpool. More recently, Winsford and the surrounding area has seen new housing development and dedicated employment sites being created in the town, including Winsford Industrial Estate and Woodford Park, which have attracted new industry and business to the area. Whilst the town has a good supply of industrial and distribution land, there is no established office market, reducing the range of employment opportunities available.
1.21 The town faces challenges associated with a declining town centre and poor transport links between employment and residential areas as well as between the railway station and the rest of the town. There are pockets of deprivation in the town where average household incomes are amongst the lowest in the borough. There are relatively high unemployment rates which has led to the town having a poorer perception than other areas. House prices are generally more affordable for first time buyers and the town has the potential to improve on access and links to the River Weaver, the Flashes and surrounding countryside.
Rural area
1.22 A third of the borough’s residents live in the rural area that runs from Neston in the north, which borders Wirral, to the boundary with Shropshire in the south. The rural area in the south is more sparsely populated and many of the settlements, especially in the north, are effectively dormitory settlements that are dependent on larger towns for employment opportunities. Car use is generally very high and isolation and access to services is an issue for some rural residents. The rural area is generally affluent with higher than average household incomes and higher levels of academic qualifications.
1.23 Although agriculture employs few people, it makes a very significant contribution to the character of the borough, habitats and the environment. The character of the rural area is also defined by the network of settlements that provide rural residents with services and facilities. The population in the rural area is generally older than other parts of Cheshire West and house prices are higher.