Major infrastructure project will help Winsford Industrial Estate thrive and create jobs

Cheshire West and Chester Council and Public Sector Plc’s “Build & Thrive” partnership is celebrating the completion of the first phase of £5m infrastructure work to continue the expansion of the town’s successful Winsford Industrial Estate.

The works have been supported by £3.8m of grant funding from Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership and a further £1.2m of funding from the Council.

The improvements, which have included adding new roads and landscaping at the estate, open up the site for further development and the onward creation of new employment land, industrial and commercial buildings.

The first phase of works unlock land equivalent to the size of 50 football pitches to the north of the current estate and is expected to create around 600 full time equivalent jobs in the area.

The project is part of a five-year vision for Winsford Industrial Estate, which will create up to 1,260 jobs and deliver just over 460,000 sq ft of new commercial space on land next to the existing site.

Councillor Richard Beacham, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Growth, Economy and Regeneration, said: “As we come out of the pandemic and the jobs market continues to show signs of growth, it is important that there are more employment opportunities close to home for the people of Winsford and across our borough.

“The completion of phase one of Winsford Industrial Estate marks the end of the first part of our expansion plans. The estate is ideally located in the region, with access to the major road and rail network. This latest expansion will help it become an even more significant location for people looking for good jobs in emerging industries, now and in the future.”

Chair of Cheshire and Warrington LEP, Clare Hayward, said: “By investing in the expansion of Winsford Industrial Estate we are both helping to support the creation of good jobs for local people and also economic growth which will benefit all of Cheshire and Warrington.

“We are determined to use Local Growth Funding to produce sustainable growth and make a real difference to people and businesses here in Cheshire and Warrington. Supporting new infrastructure at the industrial estate will help to do this and I look forward to seeing this project thrive and continue to grow.”

Paul Brown, Chief Executive Officer at Public Sector Plc, said: “By unlocking new employment land in key strategic locations, we can help local authorities like Cheshire West & Chester to maximise the value and benefit of their land and property holdings.

“The agility and flexibility of our Build & Thrive partnership with the Council allows us to respond to the specific needs of a community and to deliver projects that truly support and promote local people and places. As a partner of local authorities, we passionately believe land and property can be used to help local communities and economies bounce back from the impact of the coronavirus.”

Kate Howe, Development Director at Public Sector Plc, said: “We are pleased to be working for the community of Cheshire West and Chester on this very important scheme, to further enhance the economic potential of the region.”

Public Sector Plc and the Council have been working on re-development of the industrial estate since 2017 and two years ago secured a deal which led to the expansion of the estate and the delivery of a new £22m state-of-the-art, energy efficient factory for Tiger Trailers.

Winsford Industrial Estate has grown rapidly over the years and is now home to more than 100 businesses and around 4,000 employees.

Pictured - Cheshire West and Chester councillors at Winsford Industrial Estate.