Area key facts
A report commissioned by the partnership and prepared by GVA Grimley (West Cheshire / North East Wales Sub Regional Study 2004) recognised the key strengths of the area:
- A successful, prosperous and largely self-contained area, with low unemployment, increasing economic activity and rising average GDP and where 83% of all journeys begin and end within the sub-region
- A strong, stable ‘critical mass’ of population of 890,000, particularly those of working age (25-64)
- A diverse economy including aerospace, automotive, chemicals, financial services, food, engineering and tourism/retail
- A strong employment land supply, including Wrexham Industrial Estate, Chester Business Park and Deeside Industrial Park with further new developments proposed, including Wirral Waters and Northern Gateway on Deeside
- Well connected to national and global markets and part of a ‘dynamic growth corridor’ from Dublin to Sweden
- 203,992 dwellings in 2001, which represents an 8.8% rise in the housing stock on 1991. Housing growth exceeds the national level (7%)
- Well connected to the national and international motorway and trunk road networks including Euroroute 22, providing access to airports and ports, and rail accessibility to the main urban settlements.
- The City of Chester’s ‘gilt-edged profile’ in terms of economic and tourism offer, and Wrexham’s role as major regional retail centre and principal urban centre in North Wales
- High environmental quality of the sub-region including internationally significant nature conservation area at the Dee Estuary, with nationally important designations at the Mersey Estuary and Clwydian Range
(Based on a core study area of Chester, Ellesmere Port, Flintshire and Wrexham, with reference to a wider area of Denbighshire, Wirral, Halton, Warrington and the Helsby-Frodsham sub-area of Vale Royal.)