ONE WARRINGTON: ONE FUTURE
WHERE EVERYONE MATTERS
A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY STRATEGY
FOR WARRINGTON 2009 TO 2030PROSPEROUS AND VIBRANT
A place where people benefit from being part of a successful and dynamic economy with vibrant town and district centres.
Key strengths
Warrington has one of the strongest economies in the country worth around £4billion with over 5,920 businesses employing 111,800 people. Key to this success is its location. It is in the centre of the economic corridor between Cheshire and South Manchester, which is the strongest economic hub outside of the South East. It is easily accessible by major road and rail routes and airports.
The Centre for Cities Report 2008 placed Warrington in the top ten for employment growth between 1995 and 2005. Although employment growth has tailed off since then, the borough still has the 12th highest employment rate in the country and this is a big contributing factor in choosing where to live. Research by the Sunday Times cites Warrington as the 20th best place to buy residential property in the UK with only York, Chester and Edinburgh in the north higher placed on the list.
Warrington has developed a thriving mixed economy with a forecast Gross Value Added (GVA) growth rate at 2.7% per annum (pa) for the period 2004-19. This compares to a North West growth rate of 2.3% pa and a UK growth rate of 2.6% pa for the same period (2004-19)5. There is wide variation in Warrington’s economic base which means we are not reliant on one major sector or employer for our employment needs.
Over time the economy has made the shift from the more traditional manufacturing and skilled trades towards more service related businesses and professional occupations with employment levels in these sectors significantly higher than the North West and Great Britain. Despite the shift in the nature of employment, unemployment remains low in Warrington. Only 3,613 (3.0%) of the resident working age population were claiming unemployment related benefits as at December 2008 compared to 3.5% in the North West and 3.0% nationally (GB). The go-ahead has been given for the first two phases of the new 226 hectare Omega site, a former airfield adjacent to the M62 motorway. It will be the biggest business investment site in Western Europe and a major focus for regional commercial development and employment, creating 9,000 jobs within the next 15 years. Demand for labour in Warrington will therefore remain strong due to this and the other regeneration developments planned and supported by the council and the North West Development Agency in and around the town centre.
Warrington town centre has seen significant change over recent years. We now have an enviable retail centre with the recent major expansion of Golden Square. This has improved Warrington’s retail competitiveness, moving up from 96th in 2006 to 53rd nationally in the town centre retail rankings. In addition, Warrington is highlighted as potentially the third biggest retail growth area in the North West over the next 10 years with a forecast 25% increase in retail expenditure during this period.
Employee jobs (2007) Warrington
(employee jobs)Warrington (%)
North West (%)
Great Britain (%)
Employee jobs by industry Agriculture and fishing 200
0.2%
0.5%
0.9%
Energy and water 2,400
2.1%
0.4%
0.7%
Manufacturing 9,200
8.2%
12.4%
10.6%
Construction 7,500
6.7%
5.1%
4.9%
Distribution, hotels and restaurants 27,200
24.4%
23.7%
23.3%
Transport and communications 9,200
8.2%
5.6%
5.9%
Banking, finance and insurance 28,800
25.8%
19.4%
21.7%
Public admin, education and health 23,400
20.9%
28.2%
26.9%
Other services 3,800
3.4%
4.6%
5.2%
Challenges and opportunities
The current state of the local economy, the scale of the retail offer and the opportunities that exist from Omega and the major regeneration projects should provide strength in the longer term and ensure that Warrington has a prosperous and sustainable future.
The comparatively low overall unemployment rate masks a much poorer picture in some areas of the borough and for some specific groups of people. Unemployment in the most disadvantaged wards is around twice the Warrington average, with the disadvantage most prevalent in the inner wards, although there are pockets elsewhere in the borough. The variation between wards ranged from 0.8% to 6.2% unemployed in December 2008. The map below shows the distribution of employment disadvantage.
We must therefore continue our efforts to help those who are unemployed back to the labour market. We must also continue the work we have begun to remove the barriers to work for people with disabilities and mental health problems, young people not in education, employment or training, lone parents and older people.
Jobs created in the future in Warrington are anticipated to range from research and development, pharmaceutical, information technology, bio-technology, telecommunications and tourism to office based jobs in the service sectors. It is anticipated that few of these future job opportunities will be for unskilled people with at least 30% of jobs requiring a degree or higher degree. With unemployment levels significantly lower than the regional and national average the challenge for Warrington is to harness the opportunities that a successful economy provides and help those with lower skill levels and other disadvantages to improve their skills and access employment opportunities.
Patterns of industrial change within the region and nationally may also affect job opportunities and skills requirements for businesses located in Warrington. The decline of the manufacturing sector and increase in the hotel and restaurant, transport and communications, health and education sectors in the region will influence future skills development plans.
Warrington employers have a strong culture of workforce development on which to build, as shown by a relatively high level of employers with formal training plans in comparison to the national average. However if the future opportunities are to be met and skills gaps minimised, continued investment and development in training by employers needs to be encouraged. There is potential for more employers to sign the Skills Pledge as a statement of their commitment to skills and to make full use of the Train to Gain service.
Ensuring that the local workforce has the skills needed by employers in the future will not just benefit the local economy. Congestion is a major issue in Warrington and a contributing factor is the number of commuter journeys, both into and out of the borough. If more jobs can be filled by the local workforce, this will help to reduce both the number and the length of commuter trips.
The success of the economy will be dependent on improved transport networks which efficiently link people to jobs and services. Recent improvements such as the new town centre bus interchange will need to be built upon to provide a high quality public transport system over the coming years. Greater integration of planning and transport policies is also essential to deliver employment opportunities which are easily accessible by public transport, on foot or by bicycle.
The town centre has the potential to be a successful employment and residential area, making it a place for wide ranging social interaction. Fulfilling this potential requires the provision of a variety of shopping, eating, entertainment and cultural activities that are expected of a centre of this scale and importance. A new Regeneration Framework sets out a vision and programme for accelerated growth and development around the wider town centre as well as established growth locations.
The success of the recent town centre retail development has introduced further challenges. With the main retailing areas drifting north, drawn by Golden Square and other anchors, the town centre has become more detached from the river. Opening up the river quarter and considering other disconnected parts of the town centre in a more holistic way (such as the Town Hall, Halliwell Jones stadium and the Palmyra Square area), would bring the opportunity to inject new vitality into the town centre, whilst retaining its market town feel and most importantly creating an asset usable by all residents at all times. The River Mersey has potential to act as a renewed focal point in the Lower Bridge Street and Bridgefoot areas.
Our priorities for action
Priority
Things we will do
Safeguard and enhance Warrington's position as a key UK economic centre
- Promote and market Warrington at regional, national and international levels
- Use new technology to develop a business support infrastructure such as broadband access and development of business clusters
- Work with other economic centres in the region to ensure we are able to influence central government and European planningEncourage local enterprise
- Exploit new market opporunities, particularly around businesses linked to climate change and green initiatives
- Explore ways to encourage and harness innovation
- Support the development of social enterprisesMaintain the town centre as a successful retail destination and increase the variety and mix of uses to enhance the leisure and cultural offering
- Develop and implement the plans for regeneration of the southern quarter of the town centre and waterfront
- Develop neighbourhood management for the town centre area
- Connect together disparate parts of the town centre
- Improve public transport, walking and cycle access to and around the town centreIncrease the employment rate of key groups
- Tackle barriers to work
- Increase business sector involvement in schools and colleges
- Develop new pathways into work for disadvantaged groups
- Create employment opportunities for looked-after and disabled young people
- Expand opportunities for flexible working
Our long-term targetsGross value added (GVA) per head will increase by faster than the national average between 2008 and 2030.
Closing the gaps
By 2030, no SOAs will be in the worst 10% nationally on the employment deprivation index.
By 2030, no SOAs will be in the most 20% deprived nationally on the older people’s income deprivation index.
By 2030, no SOAs will be in the most 20% deprived nationally on the children’s income deprivation index.
How will we know we are making progress?
The following indicators will help us keep track of overall progress:
- Employment rates in each ward of the borough*
- Employment rates of disadvantaged groups*
- Accessibility by bus to employment sites*
- GVA growth rate in comparison to the North West and UK
- Public perception of the town centre
- Satisfaction with Warrington as a place to live and work (residents’ and employers’ surveys).*
* will also be monitored at area/neighbourhood level to focus our improvements on ‘closing the gaps’.
Project and action plans relevant to this ambition include:
- Warrington Regeneration Framework and Programme
- Town Centre Renaissance Programme
- Maximising Opportunities Programme
- Routeways to Employment programme
- Children and Young People’s Plan
- Strategy for an Ageing Population
- Health Inequality Strategy
- Local Development Framework.
How you can help
- Shop locally and use local businesses
- Ask for advice if you’re thinking of setting up your own business
- If you are a local employer: create more opportunities for local people
- consider how you could employ more people from disadvantaged communities
- implement flexible working schemes and address the needs of an ageing workforce.