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This is Halton An essential guide to working & living in Halton www.halton.gov.uk
Contents A brief history of Halton 4 Connectivity in Halton 6 Mersey Gateway 8 Housing in Halton 10 Education in Halton 12 Health in Halton 16 Lifestyle in Halton 20 Work in Halton 24 Connecting Cheshire 26 1 The Brindley Centre
www.halton.gov.uk 3
Hello & welcome
to Halton
Halton is a dynamic and achieving borough
Our busy town centres support a variety of International logistics operators love Halton
business and employment opportunities, plus because of our prime location for road, rail,
our excellent transport and communication sea and air transport links. Likewise, the
links help to make Halton a modern, area is a proving a haven for innovation and
progressive borough. enterprise with world-class science companies
and high-tech research and development
Quality parks, retail and leisure facilities, facilities flourishing here.
alongside a choice of housing and inspiring
places to learn, mean the borough is a great Looking to the future, further opportunities
place to live, learn and work – a place where for regeneration and employment will be
families and businesses can thrive and supported when in 2017 the Mersey Gateway
David Parr
achieve their full potential. is completed – a major scheme to build a new
Chief Executive
six-lane bridge over the River Mersey between
Halton Borough For those seeking to make Halton their home, the towns of Runcorn and Widnes and one of
Council we offer all the lifestyle facilities that you largest infrastructure initiatives in the UK over
would expect in an area that comprises the the coming years.
busy towns of Runcorn and Widnes plus the
picturesque villages of Daresbury, Hale, Moore The future is bright for Halton, as traditional
& Preston Brook. and modern come together, to create a
fabulous location.
Halton also boasts quite a few things that you
might not expect such as a snowsports centre, As you will see from this brochure, Halton has
ice rink, three canals and acres of open space. all the amenities required to sustain a happy
We value our heritage, such as our Grade and vibrant way of life. I hope you will find
1 listed Norman castle and Norton Priory, it useful and it will help you get to know the
which sits alongside our newer developments, borough.
including Catalyst Science Discovery Centre,
the Select Security Stadium, and The Brindley
arts centre and theatre.
For those looking for employment, Halton is
situated within the economic triangle formed
by Liverpool, Manchester and Chester, and
is now home to a vast array and expanding
number of small and medium businesses as
well as globally significant companies.
4 This is Halton An essential guide to working & living in Halton
A brief history
of Halton
Links between the two towns of Widnes and Runcorn
stretch back 900 years to the early 12th century when
land on both sides of the river formed part of the
Halton Barony
Citizens from the Widnes area had to The next landmark on the skyline is now
pay taxes at Halton Castle in Runcorn being built, the Mersey Gateway - a major
and a ferry service soon linked the two scheme to build a new six lane toll bridge
settlements. over the Mersey between the towns of
Runcorn and Widnes that will relieve
Around the mid-19th century, the British congestion, create new jobs, increase
chemical industry began in Widnes utilising journey time reliability and be the catalyst
Lancashire coal and Cheshire salt. Factories for regeneration. It is due to open in 2017.
developed on both sides of the river and
trade, labour and skills quickly became
interlinked. As a result of this, in 1868
the London to Liverpool railway opened,
followed in 1905 by a transporter bridge to
carry road traffic and pedestrians. These
constructions reinforced the links between
the two towns which were increased
even further when the borough’s current
major landmark, the Silver Jubilee Bridge,
opened in 1961. The bridge is listed for its
architectural importance and is reminiscent
of the Sydney Harbour Bridge!
www.halton.gov.uk 5
Halton is situated within
the economic triangle
formed by Liverpool,
Manchester and Chester
PRESTON
Our Location:
Halton Area
M6
M61
M58
M58
M6 M60
MANCHESTER
M60
M57
M62
LIVERPOOL M62
M62
M6
WIDNES WARRINGTON
M53 RUNCORN
Manchester
Liverpool M56 Airport
Airport
M56
Located within M56
M53
the M56 & M62
corridors, Halton is CHESTER
ideally situated at the
heart of the region’s
motorway network
formed by Liverpool,
Manchester & Chester
6 This is Halton An essential guide to working & living in Halton
Connectivity
in Halton
Runcorn & Widnes’ superb transport links make the
area easily accessible by road, rail, air and sea
Transport within the Borough is made There are also regular connections to The construction of the Mersey Gateway,
easy by the modern network of roads and Birmingham, Chester, Crewe, and North a major scheme to build a new six lane
expressways. Halton has a unique system Wales. toll bridge over the Mersey, is estimated
of 17km of dedicated Busway serving the to be complete by 2017. This landmark
major employment and residential areas. Halton is ideally located between structure, named as one of the world’s
Located within the M56 & M62 corridors, Manchester International Airport and most important infrastructure projects,
Halton is ideally situated at the heart of Liverpool John Lennon Airport, one will bring about much needed traffic relief
the region’s motorway network. of Europe’s fastest growing regional for the existing Silver Jubilee Bridge. It
airports. Plus its proximity to Liverpool and will also provide a major strategic new
Two railway stations, Runcorn Mainline & Birkenhead means that ferries to Ireland transport route linking the Liverpool City
Runcorn East, provide fast and frequent and the Isle of Man make those journeys Region, north Cheshire and the North
services throughout the UK. Commuters easily accessible. West to the rest of the country.
can be in Liverpool in 20 minutes,
Manchester in 40 minutes and London in Liverpool Cruise Terminal is fast earning a
less than 2 hours. reputation as a desirable embarkation point
for those who prefer travelling from closer
to home. An increasing number of cruise
lines now include the city as their UK
departure point.
Driving distance is around 45 miles
taking approximately 50 minutes
from Preston to Halton.
www.halton.gov.uk 7
Transport Links
Based on the current timetable, trains from
Leaving Preston Arrives in Warrington
Preston are 2 per hour, 17 minutes past and Journey Time Operator
between 2 and 3 an hour Bank Quay
57 minutes past the hour, aside from early
morning services at 5.33am and 6.00am. 5.33am 5.55am 22minutes Virgin
Commute time is between 56 minutes and
1hr 13 minutes, plus travelling time from
Widnes Station to site. (That does not Leaving
Arrives Widnes
take into account travelling from home to Warrington Central
Preston Station and return).
6.37am 6.46am 9minutes Northern Rail
There is a significant walk between
Warrington Bank Quay and Warrington
Leaving Preston Arrives Warrington
Central Station with a 42 minute wait Journey Time Operator
between 2 and 3 an hour Bank Quay
between connections. Widnes Station
is also a considerable distance from the 12.17pm 12.39pm 22minutes Virgin
employment site, and would involve either a
taxi ride or a 4 mile walk. However, the most
direct route is not walkable or even cycle- Leaving
Arrives Widnes
friendly as it is along a 70mph expressway, Warrington Central
with no pedestrian/cycle access. There is an
13.10pm 13.20pm 10minutes Northern Rail
alternative route through a residential area
which does increase the journey time. There
is a bus service from Widnes Station but it Latest return from Warrington Central is 22.58, arrives Preston 23.47 via Bank Quay
involves another change of bus to get to the
employment site. The train journey to Widnes would be:
Using a standard shift pattern of 6am –
2pm/2pm-10pm, the tables shown to the Warrington Warrington
right indicate journey times. Preston Widnes
Bank Quay Central
Driving distance is around 45 miles taking
approximately 50 minutes and options are
via 1) M6 and M58 or 2) M61 and M62.
Liverpool Lime Street Widnes (between 2 and 3 an hour)
Earliest train 5:50 arrives 6:18 | Latest return 22:58 arrives 23:30
Liverpool Lime Street Runcorn Mainline (between 2 and 3 an hour)
1 Runcorn Mainline
Earliest 5:26 arrives 5:42 | Latest return 23:15 arrives 23:39
1
Manchester Widnes (between 2 and 3 an hour)
First direct train is 6:19 arrives 7:06; the two earlier trains require
a change at either Liverpool or Warrington Central
Latest return 22:23 arrives Manchester Oxford Rd 23:13
Chester Widnes (between 1 and 4 an hour)
Trains from Chester require either one or two changes, involving Warrington or Liverpool
Earliest 5:38 arrives 6:46 via Warrington
Latest return 22:58 arrives 00:26 via Liverpool
(All train times based on October 2015 timetable so may be subject to change)
8 This is Halton An essential guide to working & living in Halton
Mersey
Gateway
Construction work has now started on the new Mersey
Gateway Bridge which will provide a crucial new road link
between Runcorn and Widnes
The Merseylink team started work in April
2014 and the new bridge should be open The project also includes or facilitates:
to traffic by autumn 2017. Both the new
Mersey Gateway Bridge and the existing • plans to develop and integrate public transport, cycle
Silver Jubilee Bridge will be tolled once the and pedestrian links across Halton
new bridge opens, but they will be free for • plans to kick start a major 20-year regeneration programme
Halton residents to cross*. for Halton
The Mersey Gateway Project is a major • improving regional transport links to encourage new and
scheme to build a new six-lane toll bridge inward investment
over the Mersey between the towns of
Runcorn and Widnes that will relieve the The new bridge will:
congested and ageing Silver Jubilee Bridge. • be over 70% funded by the private sector
• mean an estimated 4,640 new jobs through direct employment,
regeneration activity and inward investment
• generate an estimated £61.9 million a year in Gross Value
Added from the new jobs by 2030
• cross the river around 1.5km to the east of the Silver Jubilee Bridge
• have three lanes across the Mersey in each direction with
a speed limit of 60mph
• form the centerpiece of a new and improved high standard
link road (9.5km long) connecting the national motorway
network in north Cheshire with Merseyside
www.halton.gov.uk 9
1
A landmark design 2 3
The Mersey Gateway Bridge will be a
landmark structure that will be recognisable
throughout the North West and beyond.
The bridge design is based on a cable-stay
structure similar to the second Severn
Crossing but with three towers. It will be
2.3km long with a river span of 1km.
Three piers will cross the naturally occurring
deeper water channels of the river at either
bank. These will be supported by cable stays
attached to towers that rise to between 80
and 125 m above the river bed.
The new Mersey Gateway Visitor Centre is
based in Catalyst Science Discovery Centre
1 CGI of Mersey Gateway Bridge
in Widnes. It is staffed by Mersey Gateway 2 Mersey Gateway Construction
volunteers who are on hand to answer 3 Inside the South Cofferdam
questions on everything from local history
and heritage, environment and ecology, to
the bridge construction. They also host trips
to the rooftop observatory where visitors
can get a bird’s eye view of the work that is
taking place in the estuary.
For more information about the project visit
www.merseygateway.co.uk or follow on
Twitter @merseygateway
*Residents of Halton will still need to register
to use the bridges and there will be a small
charge for this.
10 This is Halton An essential guide to working & living in Halton
Housing
in Halton
The Borough offers an abundance of housing to
suit all budgets ranging from apartments and
smaller 2/3 bedroomed homes to new build providing
3 and 4 bedroom luxury detached houses
House prices in Halton are well below the Halton has a comprehensive social housing In 2003, the Homes and Communities
national average for England and also strategy with a number of Registered Social Agency (HCA) began working with Halton
beneath the average for the whole of the Landlords (RSL). Borough Council and two local housing
Northwest making Halton an attractive associations, Liverpool Housing Trust
proposition when buying a home. Halton Housing Trust (HHT) is the largest and Plus Dane Housing, to implement
RSL in the Borough. This forward thinking a comprehensive masterplan for the
The average price of a house overall in and dynamic not- for- profit housing redevelopment of the Castlefields estate.
Halton is £143,400, with the Council association owns and manages 6,400 The 10 year project, which has subsequently
ward of Riverside in Widnes providing the homes throughout Runcorn and Widnes. won a number of awards, included the
cheapest at an average of £68,300 for a It provides many different types of demolition of more than 1,000 deck-access
terraced house, and Birchfield ward, also in homes ranging from semi-detached flats to make way for at least 1,086 modern,
Widnes, providing the most expensive at houses, flats and maisonettes to more affordable, new homes.
an average of £268,700 for a detached. specialist bungalows specifically designed
for older people. The £175m scheme has also seen the
A buoyant rental market also exists starting development of a new Village Square
at around £400 per month for a 2 bedroom In April 2015, HHT started a massive £8.5m which incorporates shops, a health centre,
terrace house up to £800 per month for a investment programme of improvements. apartments and a community centre. There
family sized 3 bedroom semi-detached. Set to run to March 2016, homes and flat is also the stunning new £2.6m Phoenix
blocks throughout the borough are being Park, which includes a café, skateboard and
extensively refurbished. BMX area plus a climbing boulder.www.halton.gov.uk 11
1
1 View from Halton Castle 2
2 St Aidan’s Place, Widnes
Average House Prices
£300,00
£250,00
£200,00
£150,00
£100,00
England
£50,00
North West
£0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Halton12 This is Halton An essential guide to working & living in Halton
Education
in Halton
All age groups are well provided for within the
education system in Halton
There is a well-established pathway from Schools
youngsters taking their first steps into a
nursery environment through to college Halton excels at providing good
students deciding on their future careers. education for young people of all ages.
There are 22 primary schools, six high
Nurseries schools and three providers for the 16-18
age group.
Pre-schoolers are well provided for in
Halton with over 30 day nurseries spread Wade Deacon High School consistently
across Widnes and Runcorn. Of these features highly in school league tables for
nurseries, nine are Local Authority run. the whole of the Northwest.
There are also eight children’s centres
providing many different children and The majority of primary schools also
family services including activities for perform well above the national average
parents, parents-to-be, their babies, in the core subjects of English, Maths and
toddlers, young children and the rest of Reading with an average of 80% of all
the family. pupils achieving Level 4 or above.www.halton.gov.uk 13
80% of all pupils
in Halton achieved
Level 4 or above
1
Wade Deacon performance against local & national league tables
Percentage achieving 5+ A*-C GCSEs including English and Maths
80
70
60
50
2011 2012 2013 2014
School
LA
England – All Schools
Reforms introduced in 2013/14 have had varied impact on schools
results data, making figures for schools not directly comparable
between this year and previous years. More details on the reforms
can be found at www.education.gov.uk 1 Pre-school fun14 This is Halton An essential guide to working & living in Halton
Riverside College & Cronton College, Widnes
Riverside College is a highly successful In recent years, significant investment
further education college serving the has transformed both Colleges into truly
borough of Halton and the surrounding inspiring places of learning, providing the
areas. The College has this year been latest equipment and technologies in
ranked as the top performing College in order to prepare students for the modern
the country on all three of the Department workplace. Facilities include state of the art
of Education’s vocational performance theatres, studios, laboratories, sports hall
measures, following the achievement of and gym, and a brand new Engineering
100% vocational pass rates and 72% triple and Construction Skills Centre which was
distinctions results for its students. officially opened in 2015.
Cronton Sixth Form College’s A level results The College works with a wide range of local
also rank within the top 7% nationally with and national employers and universities to
a 99.2% pass rate and 80% high grades provide exceptional opportunities for its
achieved in the summer of 2014. students during their course such as work
experience, trips, visits and master classes.
Riverside College’s Kingsway Campus is This maximises opportunities for students
home to a wide range of full and part time to progress onto exciting degrees and
vocational courses and apprenticeships, careers.
from foundation to degree level study. At
Cronton Sixth Form College, students can
choose to study from a vast range of full
time A level and vocational programmes.
1 Students from Riverside College
1www.halton.gov.uk 15
School Performance League Tables 2014
Halton: Secondary School Performance 2014 (Key Stage 4)
School Pupils 5+ A*-C (Eng & Maths) English BACC Average Score
Wade Deacon High School 1509 77% 48% 335.1
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic College 1449 51% 31% 316.7
The Grange School 1130 47% 17% 305.1
The Bankfield School
698 45% 13% 288.7
Now known as Ormiston Chadwick Academy
Help for employers and employees
Halton Employment Partnership (HEP) HEP includes various Halton Borough
is a strategic level Partnership which Council departments, Job Centre Plus,
brings together expertise from various Riverside College, the Chamber of
employment, learning and skills Commerce, Local Housing Trust, private
development agencies in Halton and and voluntary sector training providers,
can support inward investors and local National Apprenticeship Service and Skills
businesses with a ‘complete employment Funding Agency.
offer’.
Contact:
One prime aim is to assist with recruitment Siobhan Saunders
and training and it offers tailored support HBC Divisional Manager
for large and small scale recruitment Employment, Learning & Skills
projects. It also has a brief to ensure that
Tel: 0151 511 8382
inward investors and local businesses have
E-mail: Siobhan.saunders@halton.gov.uk
a readily available and skilled workforce.
Additionally, entrepreneurs can be assisted
with business start-up support.
One example of the effectiveness of the Partnership is
the support given to Tesco Limited, when the company
recruited for its new chilled distribution centre at the
3MG site in Widnes and also a new build Widnes Tesco
Extra Store. Open days, a pre-employability programme
and support with the interview and appointment process
enabled 546 people to gain employment.16 This is Halton An essential guide to working & living in Halton
Health
in Halton
Halton is fortunate to be served by no less than
5 modern, state of the art hospitals
Halton General, Cheshire and Merseyside The Warrington and Halton NHS
Treatment Centre and Warrington NHS Foundation Trust has had extremely
Foundation Trust are the three that are positive feedback from patients and results
primarily used for Halton residents and form for the patient Friends and Family Test
Warrington and Halton NHS Foundation are amongst the highest in the country. It
Trust. Referrals are also made to Whiston was named best in the NHS in the Patient
Hospital at Rainhill and St Helens Hospital Led Assessment of the Care Environment
which are within six miles of Halton. (PLACE 2014) and its cancer services are
rated fourth best in the country (Macmillan
Cancer Support 2014).www.halton.gov.uk 17
1
Halton General Hospital, Runcorn
• General surgery, orthopaedic surgery, • Around 225 operations a week were • Endoscopy unit – a new £500k opened in
urology, minor injuries (not accident and carried out at Halton over the last year February 2015 allowing patients to have
emergency), endoscopy, step down care, gastrointestinal endoscopies locally
cancer care, programmed investigations • There are four specialist operating
unit, renal dialysis, chemotherapy and theatres at the hospital - and a further • Macmillan Delamere Unit – a £1 million
cancer support, genito-urinary medicine four orthopaedic surgery theatres at refurbishment has created a state-of-
and a full range of outpatient services CMTC the-art cancer support and information
centre
• Support services include: • A 24 bed intermediate care ward
Occupational therapy, physiotherapy, provides services for patients requiring • Renal dialysis unit – this provides 12
dietetics, outpatient services, diagnostic basic care and support before being sent dialysis stations for up to 60 local
services, radiology and a range of home from hospital patients
specialist nursing services
• Runcorn Urgent Care Centre – this • CANtreat cancer centre – the trust
• There are around 50 inpatient beds at replaced the existing Minor Injuries worked with the cancer charity CANtreat
Halton Hospital - and a further 40 beds unit in February 2015 and is open from to develop a new chemotherapy centre
at the Cheshire and Merseyside NHS 7.00am until 10.00pm, every day of that allows more local people to receive
Treatment Centre (CMTC) located on the the year. It is a single point of access to their care closer to home
hospital campus urgent care services, reducing the need
for some patients to travel to A&E. The • The hospital has been entirely free of
• Over 1,000 staff provide care from the aim is to initially assess more than 95% MRSA infection over the last six years
Halton site of patients in less than 15 minutes.
1 Cheshire and Merseyside Treatment Centre (CMTC)18 This is Halton An essential guide to working & living in Halton
Cheshire and Merseyside Warrington NHS Foundation Halton’s Clinics and
Treatment Centre (CMTC) Trust Hospital (Warrington) Walk-In Centres
• Home of orthopaedic surgery and • There are around 500 beds at • There are eight Clinics/Walk- In Centres
treatment services located just across Warrington Hospital (located less than located in Widnes with a similar number
from the main Halton General building 6 miles from Widnes) in Runcorn. Crow Wood Health Park
specialises in paediatric consultant
• The state-of-the-art centre provides • Around 3,000 staff work across the services for those living in Widnes.
surgery ranging from hand and foot wards and departments
operations through to spinal back Widnes – Health Care
surgery and hip replacement operations • It is a designated trauma unit and the
accident and emergency department
Resource Centre
and sports injuries
sees over 100,000 patients every year • This state of the art modern health
• Four operating theatres for hip, bone centre is home to several GP’s surgeries,
and joint surgery and treatments • Over 3,000 babies are born each year in physiotherapists, phlebotomists,
the maternity unit podiatrists and provides treatment of
• A 44 bed main ward in a mix of minor injuries and illnesses, facilitating
single-rooms and four-bedded bays • Infection rates have reduced by over referrals elsewhere as appropriate.
90% since 2007
• A day ward for day case surgery GP Surgeries
• Dementia care – the new £1 million
• Full outpatient clinic and specialist Forget Me Not ward opened in • There are over eight GP surgeries
physiotherapy centre May 2014 for patients who need expert in Widnes alone, most providing a
care services minimum of four, and in some cases, up
• MRI, CT, x-ray and ultrasound scanning to ten doctors available for consultation.
• Intensive care – this £7 million unit is
one of the most state-of-the-art in the • In addition to routine medical care, many
region and means that critical care and provide additional clinics and services;
high dependency care can be provided ante natal, diabetes, well person, sexual
for to up to 20 patients health and travel clinics. A similar
number exists in Runcorn supported by
• Labour Ward – redesigned in 2013, it two modern Health Centres; in the town
provides en-suite rooms, active birthing centre (St Pauls Health Centre) and at
rooms and an area where partners can Castlefields. Widnes also has four Health
stay overnight Centres and a modern Walk-In Centre.
• A&E – around £2 million has been
invested to create more capacity,
increased staffing levels and provision of
a full acute medical unit
The Warrington and Halton NHS Foundation Trust
Named
was named best in the NHS in the Patient Led
best in
Assessment of the Care Environment (PLACE 2014)
the NHS
and its cancer services are rated fourth best in the
country (Macmillan Cancer Support 2014).www.halton.gov.uk 19
1
2
1 Castlefields Health Centre 3
2 Health Shuttlebus
3 Staff at Warrington Hospital20 This is Halton An essential guide to working & living in Halton
Lifestyle
in Halton
Those who either live or work in Halton have amenities,
attractions and activities in abundance
From shopping parks to Green Flag award The picturesque villages of Hale and Shopping options are plentiful. There are big
winning parks, rugby to rambling, medieval Daresbury hold their own surprises; one brand names at Runcorn Shopping Centre
ruins to a state of the art theatre, there are of the thatched cottages in Hale was and Widnes Shopping Park and innumerable
certainly many diverse opportunities to be once home to England’s tallest man, 9 independent traders throughout both town
explored throughout the area. 3” John Middleton and Daresbury’s most centres. Runcorn has a weekly outdoor
famous resident was the famous children’s market and Widnes Market is renowned for
There is no need to go out of the borough author, Lewis Carroll. Both areas also offer its friendly atmosphere and variety of stalls,
to find ideas to fill valuable leisure time. scenic walks; ambling along the Mersey both indoor and out.
In Widnes, The Hive is a big success with coastline at Hale or wandering through
a brownfield site transformed into a high the lush Cheshire countryside surrounding Eating out is easy, with plenty of options
quality leisure park with a 5 screen cinema, Daresbury. for all ages, budgets and tastes. National
bowling alley, ice rink and restaurants. At chains such as Frankie & Benny’s, Nando’s
Select Security Stadium, rugby fans can Nature lovers are catered for with plenty and Brewer’s Fayre can be found at The
enjoy watching Widnes Vikings, a club with of bird watching locations, nature reserves Hive, with lots of smaller, independent cafes
a long and proud heritage in rugby league. and sites of special scientific interest (SSI’s) and restaurants dotted throughout Widnes
Over in Runcorn, there is a cinema, the on both sides of the bridge. Culture vultures & Runcorn town centres. The Brindley café,
award winning Brindley theatre and even a can wander in the footsteps of ancient for example, overlooks the Bridgewater
Snowsports Centre. abbots amongst the medieval ruins at Canal and is a great place to relax, enjoy
Norton Priory Museum and Gardens and a homemade cake and watch the boats
The two latest additions to Halton’s growing also experience the intricacies of science pass by. Many of the pubs, such as the
leisure offer are E-scape & Velocity. The at Catalyst Science Discovery Centre. The Ring O’Bells in Widnes and The Prospect in
UK’s first designated electric off road riding area offers endless opportunities to enjoy Runcorn, are renowned locally for their food
centre, E-scape, is located at Preston Brook, the outdoors, with three canals and miles of and regularly hold special themed nights
to the east of Runcorn. Recently opened in footpaths right on the doorstep. offering different cuisines.
Widnes, Velocity is one of the largest indoor
trampoline parks in the UK.www.halton.gov.uk 21
1 Widnes Vikings 2
2 Eating out in Halton
3 Silver Blades Ice Rink
4 Bridgewater Canal
5 Runcorn Shopping Centre
1
3 4
5
An active The area offers endless opportunities
Halton to enjoy the outdoors, with three
canals and miles of footpaths right on
the doorstep.22 This is Halton An essential guide to working & living in Halton
Find out more about
what Halton has to
offer at
www.visithalton.com
Nearby Chester Liverpool
For those who do want to venture further Chester is surrounded by its City Walls, With its unique attractions, exciting
afield, the stunning scenery of North Wales the oldest, longest and most complete in events, world class sport offerings,
and the Lake District is within one hour’s Britain with parts that are almost 2000 unrivalled musical heritage and some
drive. Chester, Liverpool, Warrington and years old. Its Amphitheatre is the largest of the best shopping in the North West,
Manchester can all be reached in half an Roman Amphitheatre in Britain and you Liverpool has something to cater for
hour and offer their own sporting, shopping can often see Roman centurions marching everyone’s taste.
and cultural opportunities. through the city leading tours and school
parties. With the largest collection of museums
and galleries anywhere outside of the
The city is renowned for its independent Capital, Liverpool’s culture and heritage
stores which sit alongside global brands. are at the very heart of the city. Boasting
Many are situated on The Rows which are a truly iconic, UNESCO world heritage
completely unique in the world to Chester. waterfront and skyline, what better way to
Continuous half-timbered galleries, experience it than aboard a Mersey Ferry?
reached by steps, form a second row of
shops above those at street level and The magnificent Albert Dock forms part
nobody is quite sure why they were built in of the UNESCO site and is one of Britain’s
this way. top heritage attractions. Apart from being
the UK’s largest group of Grade1 listed
Chester Zoo is the largest zoo in Britain and buildings, it is home to award winning visitor
the first in Britain to be built without cages attractions including the Beatles Story,
and bars. Its new £40m ‘Islands’ zone is the International Slavery Museum, Merseyside
“biggest and most ambitious” development Maritime Museum and Tate Liverpool.
in the history of UK zoos, enabling visitors to
explore the habitats of six exotic South East
Asian islands.www.halton.gov.uk 23
1
Warrington
Shoppers are spoilt for choice between The busy town of Warrington is only a 15 For culture lovers, Warrington Museum
gleaming new city-centre shopping minute drive from both Widnes & Runcorn & Art Gallery has over 200,000 objects
centres, boutique arcades, bohemian and there are also excellent train links. It is and pieces of art under one roof. Families
streets and farmers markets. currently undergoing huge redevelopment are catered for at their very own theme
around the town centre and waterfront park, Gulliver’s World, and Speedkarting
Liverpool ONE, right in the heart of the area, with plans for a new market hall, Warrington is the largest indoor go-karting
city, is the huge open-air shopping district a 2,000-seat multiplex cinema, a new circuit in the UK.
that is home to more than 160 famous council office and a public square.
high street and designer names, including Green Flag award winning Walton Gardens
the only Beauty Bazaar Harvey Nichols It has plenty of shopping opportunities is set around an Elizabethan style hall,
in the country. The exclusive Metquarter such as the Golden Square shopping often used as a film location. One of the
and the ultra-fashionable Cavern Walks centre which has all the big brand names park’s most popular attractions is the
are the place to find designer names such alongside smaller boutiques selling children’s free zoo which has a wide variety
as Armani and Vivienne Westwood. Bold everything from clothing to stationery. of friendly residents including chipmunks,
Street, with its eclectic independent stores, Warrington also has a traditional market. red squirrels and ponies.
has been rated by Lonely Planet as one of
the best shopping streets in the country. There is also a lively night-time economy
with lots of bars and restaurants in the
town centre.
1 Liverpool One 2 3
2 Chester Zoo
3 Warrington Golden Gates24 This is Halton An essential guide to working & living in Halton Work in Halton 7 good reasons why Halton is a dynamic place to work: • Mersey Multimodal Gateway (3MG) in Widnes is already one of the UK’s largest seaport, rail, road, storage and distribution hubs, with an anticipated 5,000+ jobs being created over the next 10 years • Sci-Tech Daresbury is recognised for leading-edge research and development and is home to the biggest super computer in Europe and also the Virtual Engineering Centre which works with Bentley cars, BAE Systems and Jaguar Land Rover • Sigmatex manufactures carbon fibre for Formula 1 racing cars, aircrafts, communication satellites and naval boats in its factory at Runcorn • Suttons, a well-respected global logistics company, specialising in the movement of high value, high consequence products, has its Headquarters in Widnes • Getronics delivers its high tech ICT solutions in over 90 countries and has its main UK Data Centre based in Runcorn • Héroux Devtek is the third largest landing gear company worldwide, supplying commercial and military sectors of the aerospace industry and has a manufacturing base in Runcorn • Daresbury Park has attracted a host of blue chip occupiers including BNFL, De Vere Group and ABB and provides many administrative opportunities
The future is bright for
Halton, as traditional
and modern come
together, to create a
fabulous location
1 The Deck accommodation26 This is Halton An essential guide to working & living in Halton
Connecting
Cheshire
As part of the Connecting Cheshire Partnership, Halton
along with Warrington, Cheshire East, Chester West and
Chester Councils, is working with BT to deliver Superfast
fibre broadband to areas hitherto outside the commercial
deployment of fibre broadband
Superfast broadband is not just about a By the end of 2015, over 90,000 Fibre broadband is the new generation of
faster internet experience or about doing additional premises across Cheshire will broadband - much faster, more reliable
one thing quicker. It’s about everyone be able to upgrade to fibre broadband. and it uses a different technology. Whilst
in the house being able to do their own This is great news for anyone with traditional broadband (known as ADSL) is
thing online, all at the same time. multiple devices all requiring internet delivered via copper telephone lines, fibre
access or for those running a business. broadband commonly uses fibre optic
With a slow internet connection you can You can work or play - smarter, faster, cable to link between the customer and
have problems doing more than one better – whether from your smartphone, the telephone exchange.
thing at a time online. With superfast TV, tablet or computer.
broadband your family can do the weekly Fibre broadband can be delivered in two
shopping from the kitchen table, watch The project is being funded by the ways - fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) and
Hollywood blockbusters and download European Regional Development Fund, fibre to the premises (FTTP).
new songs whenever they want and share BT, BDUK, and the four local authorities.
photos or play games with friends all over FTTC uses fibre-optic cables throughout
the world – all at the same time. the network right up to the street cabinet.
It then uses copper wires to connect the
cabinet to homes and businesses. FTTC
provides wholesale download speeds
For more information about the project visit up to 80Mbps and upload speeds up to
www.connectingcheshire.org.uk 20Mbps. FTTP means fibre-optic cables
run right to the door of each house or
see the Facebook page at business.
www.facebook.com/connectingcheshire
or on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/SFB_Cheshirewww.halton.gov.uk 27
1
2
1 Engineer connects cabinet
2 SFB upgrade in Runcorn
It provides wholesale download speeds There is also a video available that
up to 330Mbps and upload speeds up to explains the upgrading process and
30Mbps. one that explains the benefits of fibre
broadband. (Search You Tube for the
Check the Connecting Cheshire website Connecting Cheshire channel).
to see if your home or business can be
upgraded and then contact your Internet
Service Provider or shop around for the
best deal and order a fibre broadband
service - it doesn’t happen automatically
and you could make a saving compared
with your current broadband contract.
An additional 10,000 premises are also
98% expected to be reached by summer 2017,
bringing the total fibre coverage across
Cheshire to around 98%Whichever way you choose to get
in touch, our expert staff will be
there to help
They are fully trained to help with business rates queries and
payments, benefits advice, street lighting repairs, pest control,
waste management enquiries and much, much more.
If they cannot help you directly themselves they will ensure your
query is passed on to the correct person and that you receive a
prompt response.
In Person
If you would like to speak to one of our expert advisors face-to-
face you can visit us at Halton Direct Link. You will find us at:
Runcorn Shopping Centre: Concourse Level, Rutland House,
Runcorn Shopping Centre, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 2ES
Runcorn: Granville Street, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 1NE
Widnes: 7 Brook Street, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 6NB
Ditton: Ditton Library, Queens Avenue, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 8HR
Call us
If it is more convenient for you to use the telephone, then just call
our contact centre on 0303 333 4300 we are open 8am - 6pm,
Monday to Friday
Find us online
Don’t forget that our website www.halton.gov.uk has lots of
useful information about council services, our borough, facts and
figures, what’s on and other local news. You may also want to
follow us on:
Twitter @HaltonBC
Facebook www.facebook.com/haltonbcYou can also read
