Cheshire East Council reaffirms its commitment to Northern Gateway

rachelbailey

Cheshire East Council has reaffirmed its commitment to the Northern Gateway Partnership which is a collaboration of seven local authorities – including Cheshire East Council, Cheshire and Warrington and Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs).

The Northern Gateway Partnership is working together across authority borders to maximise the potential benefits to its communities from HS2 high-speed rail – including a hub station at Crewe – through formation of a regional growth strategy.

The partnership, launched in autumn 2015, received £625,000 in funding in 2016 to progress development of the regional growth strategy and has recently had confirmation that a further £625,000 will be received in 2017, taking the total to £1.25m.

The partnership is keen to demonstrate that the region is 'open for business' and will target improving conditions for Northern Gateway residents and businesses, as well as attracting new communities and investors to the region.

The Northern Gateway spans Cheshire and North Staffordshire including the city of Stoke on Trent, Crewe, Stafford and the A500 corridor.

Councillor Rachel Bailey, leader of Cheshire East Council, said: "The partnership is an invaluable opportunity to work closely with our neighbours to create opportunities for good growth, which will create new and lasting connections between people, places and businesses.

"The growth strategy for the region will be sensitive to both the needs of our existing communities and new residents, enabling all our communities to contribute to and benefit from economic success across the region.

"The partnership is made up of a group of authorities who are all keen to lead ambitious plan-led, place-based change, capitalising on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity offered by HS2 to realise economic growth, which will contribute to a quality of place which is second to none.

"Our region's major selling point is our diversity – we seek to celebrate our distinctive places and communities. Through developing a regional growth strategy for the Northern Gateway, we seek to improve the prosperity, life chances and wellbeing of our existing and future communities."

She added: "We believe this innovative joint growth strategy will become a national exemplar of strategy-led regeneration and development to deliver really significant jobs and growth across the region."

The partnership will continue to work with central government to define the next stages of the growth strategy, due for submission in April, 2017.

Photo: Councillor Rachel Bailey, leader of Cheshire East Council.

Tags:
Cheshire East Council, Northern Gateway Partnership
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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Pete Taylor
Monday 13th February 2017 at 4:51 pm
What could possibly go wrong?
Julian Barlow
Thursday 16th February 2017 at 10:09 am
What a fantastic statement, every box is ticked! It's like tasting a fine wine , "Hmm, I'm getting diversity, with hints of strategy, growth and long, meaningless soundbites on the finish. This is a nonsensical wine that would go very well with a waffle."