CHESHIRE West and Chester Council has revealed an initial draft of its plans for post-coronavirus recovery.

It will go before CWAC’s pandemic response and recovery scrutiny committee next week, with members being asked to assess if the play is ‘sufficiently ambitious, robust and appropriate’.

Based on the scrutiny’s committee’s feedback, it will then progress to council cabinet next month.

The plan sets out a number of ideas the authority has on ‘renewal’ for the borough, with leader Cllr Louise Gittins saying using the report’s foreword to say: “This is an opportunity for a reset – a fundamental change and [the plan] will focus on a renewal of the way that society, the council and our economy works.”

Rooted in the council’s ‘play your part to thrive’ overall strategy, the plan focuses on a number of themes, including tackling the climate emergency, growing the borough’s economy, and improving long-term public health.

In terms of economic recovery, the council is working with the local enterprise partnership to deliver free online learning to help re-skill newly redundant residents, as well as support a series of job fairs.

Furthermore, it is pushing ahead with regeneration programmes for town centres, including Winsford and Ellesmere Port — but CWAC will also ‘review existing and proposed regeneration programmes for all geographies of the borough to ensure they address the latest challenges’.

There is also a promise to the rural economy of the borough through the creation of a ‘sub-regional partnership group’, which will be tasked to develop ‘business networks, the visitor economy, greater digital connectivity, more affordable housing, and transport’ in those areas.

Finally, CWAC says it has submitted a proposal to Homes England for consideration ‘to help accelerate development in suitable sites’ across the borough, with up to 17,000 new dwellings being proposed.

The plan will be discussed by the pandemic response and recovery scrutiny committee on Wednesday, October 14, at 6.00 pm.