CHRISTINE Gaskell, the chair of Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), has received an award in the 2019 New Year’s Honours list.

Christine has been made a CBE for her services to business and the community, recognising the achievements of the LEP which she leads.

Christine said: “I am delighted to be recognised in this way and while this is a great personal honour, it is really a true testament to the work of the staff at the Cheshire and Warrington LEP and the success we have been enjoying for a number of years.

“I am highly appreciative of the work of all my colleagues, they are committed and passionate in driving our region forward and quite simply it is a pleasure to work with them.

“While much has been achieved I am certain that we can go further in promoting Cheshire and Warrington as an outstanding place to live, work, study, invest and visit.”

Christine, who was appointed the partnership’s first chair in 2011, was previously awarded an MBE in the 2012 New Year’s Honours for services to training and apprenticeships.

During her time at the Cheshire and Warrington LEP she has overseen £0.5 billion funding programme for economic and regeneration projects and the creation of the Cheshire Science Corridor.

She has led on the Strategic Economic Plan which details the ambition of doubling the size of Cheshire and Warrington’s economy to £50 billion by 2040.

In 2018 she became vice-chair of the Government-funded board called the ‘NP11’, comprising the chairs of the 11 Northern LEPs.

She has been appointed as a member of the Prime Minister’s Industrial Strategy Council, an independent body set up to assess the Government’s progress on the commitments made in its modern Industrial Strategy, led by the Chief Economist of the Bank of England, Andy Haldane.