Mid Cheshire: 'This area has massive untapped potential'
Despite Mid Cheshire boasting a proud heritage, some of its residents think it has often been overlooked and overshadowed by the likes of Chester, Liverpool and Manchester.Now its councils are going to promote Mid Cheshire in an attempt to encourage more business investment in the area and lure more tourists.The region comprises the three salt towns of Middlewich, Northwich and Winsford - where the commodity has been extracted since prehistoric times - and the surrounding countryside.But what's included in the plan, what could it mean for the area, and what do residents want to see?
"A bold and ambitious 15-year vision," is how the new plan for Mid Cheshire was described by Cheshire West and Chester Council at a recent meeting.It covers areas including business investment, skills and infrastructure, and will also include the creation of a business-led board named the Mid-Cheshire Partnership."It's about tying together the areas in Mid Cheshire that have a shared history and a shared heritage, as well as having strong economic ties," said the council's deputy leader Karen Shore.The local authority is keen to emphasise that the plan will not be led by the council.Rather, it is designed to be a collaboration with businesses, community groups and others.Opposition councillors are not convinced.Conservative Lynn Gibbon said that while the plan offered a "compelling vision" for the area, she had concerns."Vision without delivery is just a story and right now the Mid Cheshire Plan has serious weaknesses in its foundations especially when it comes to growing our rural economy," she told the meeting where it was ultimately approved."I support the ambition but I challenge you to sharpen the evidence, cost the actions and get serious about rural delivery because we can't afford another strategy that sounds good but delivers little."
Andrew Cooper is the first MP for Mid Cheshire for more than 100 years.The previous Mid Cheshire seat was abolished in the 19th Century.Before it was reinstated in 2024 as a result of a boundary review, all three of Mid Cheshire's major towns were in different parliamentary constituencies.Middlewich was part of the Congleton seat, Northwich was included in Weaver Vale, while Winsford fell within the Eddisbury constituency.And while the Mid Cheshire plan was approved by Cheshire West and Chester Council, Middlewich is actually part of the neighbouring Cheshire East Council.As a result, the plan includes the two councils working closely together."Something that I've pushed for a lot - for a long time - is trying to eliminate this idea of 'borderland thinking'," said Labour MP Cooper."So we have an arbitrary line that goes between Cheshire West and Cheshire East, sort of skirting around the outside of Middlewich."But the economies of Northwich, Winsford and Middlewich? They're not separate entities, they're interdependent, they're integrated into one another."I've felt for a long time that the councils need to work more closely together and need more of a strategic vision about how you make the economy of Mid Cheshire work."
But what do people in the area think? And what do the want to see?On Witton Street in the heart of Northwich, Paul Esling told me that while he believes the town has a lot to offer, it sometimes gets "overlooked".He would like to see the return of free parking and a reduction of business rates to encourage more independent and artisan shops."I think we get a bit lost," said Mr Esling, "because we're sandwiched by Chester, Liverpool, Manchester."You've got towns like Alderley Edge and Knutsford that are seen to be quite salubrious and I think we can [also] get overlooked in that respect."But he said annual events, such as the Pina Colada Festival and the River Festival, certainly helped."If they can do more of this here, the traders would have a better chance."But also it brings people in who wouldn't normally be here and then they come along and think 'this is alright, actually'."
'A bit run-down'
Viv Powell lives in Winsford and regularly visits her daughter and grandchild in Northwich.She told me she wanted to see more investment in local high streets to encourage people to stay in the area."I think they should spend a bit of money, because there are a lot of people who live in this area that would do a lot more shopping here," said Ms Powell."But if you go to Chester there's no point in coming back into Northwich to buy a loaf."That's what they should be encouraging people, saying you don't have to go far to have a good time. Stay in your local area."Shelia Forrest lives in the village of Hartford, which is about two miles (3km) southwest of Northwich and only about six or seven miles from Winsford and Middlewich.She would loved to see more cultural activities in the area, as she currently often heads to Knutsford or Chester."Maybe a bit more art-centred things here to see," she said.Ms Forrest praised Northwich's cinema and theatre but said she'd like to see more exhibitions in the town.She also said Mid Cheshire's town centres could use a little TLC."It's a little bit run-down," she explained. "The area's nice where they built the cinema but I think they could have probably done a bit more."I think they could improve the centre, clean it up. If you go out to Knutsford, it isn't like that, it's nice. If you go to Chester, it's nice."You don't want people going out of area so I think this would improve it."
The Mid Cheshire plan was approved in May and is still at an early stage.No funding has yet been secured, although Cheshire West and Cheshire Council believes the plan's mere existence will help with bids for investment.And MP Andrew Cooper is very optimistic."I genuinely believe that Mid Cheshire has massive amounts of untapped potential," he said."I hope people from Middlewich, Northwich and Winsford will see that their concerns about how much attention, how much economic planning goes into the development of the places where they live, [have] been taken seriously, it's happening and people are on it."
Read more stories from Cheshire on the BBC and follow BBC North West on X. For more local politics coverage, BBC Politics North West is on BBC One on Sunday at 10:00am and on BBC iPlayer.
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