ORIGIN Ellesmere Port

ORIGIN - Driving the UK’s Green Industrial Revolution

ORIGIN was launched in May 2023. 

ORIGIN is one of the most important industrial and employment clusters in the UK, including 1,300 businesses employing 24,100 people. There are four distinctive development zones, which have attracted over £400 million investment to date including Regatta, Jaguar Land Rover / DHL, Westland Horticulture, ESSAR, Peel (Protos), URENCO, and the University of Chester (Thornton Science Park).

The Development and Infrastructure Investment Framework identifies the potential opportunity to increase to 1,463 businesses, employing 35,500 people by 2040 with a further £2bn investment forecast.

ORIGIN is at the forefront of advanced plans to respond to the Climate Emergency through several transformational projects. Most significant is HyNet, an industry-led initiative to develop world-leading Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS) and Hydrogen Power. Vertex Hydrogen, a key part of Essar Energy Transition is planning investment of nearly £500 million building a new production plant in Ellesmere Port.

It now presents a transformational economic growth opportunity and has the potential to both fast track the Council’s Climate Emergency Response Plan commitments and support the UK’s Green Industrial Revolution and Road to Net Zero ambitions.

Significantly, it is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the residents of Cheshire West and Chester and supports wider regeneration including for the town centre of Ellesmere Port, alongside supporting an Inclusive Economy in the borough.

ORIGIN vision

The vision for ORIGIN is ambitious and transformational and will require the support of businesses, government and investors to achieve – it’s six key strands are

1. Become one of the UK's first 'SuperPlaces' supporting the UK Government's 'Green Industrial Revolution' by delivering a network of world leading clean industry, power and transport companies innovating new solutions to tackle the Climate Emergency.
2. Deliver one of the world’s first Net Zero Carbon Industrial clusters, at the forefront of research, development and implementation of a new generation of industrial processes that helps us respond to the Climate Emergency. This will act as a global exemplar for how a range of low carbon and sustainable technologies can be delivered at an industrial scale and support the cleaning of heavy industrial practices.
3. Reinforce the area's role as the economic engine of Cheshire West and Chester and the wider region, boosting its profile nationally, safeguarding existing employers, allowing expansion and indigenous growth, and helping to foster a diverse range of job growth opportunities which will create a sustainable future economy and supporting the UK's 'Levelling Up' agenda.
4. Connect local people to jobs, skills and training opportunities in high value, innovative and growing employment sectors. Improving the connections between local people and opportunities through awareness raising as well as sustainable travel connections to the area.
5. Deliver a nationally leading brand and business environment that will attract inward investment. The area will deliver a high quality, professional, well maintained, and attractive business environment which businesses and workers will be proud to locate in.
6. Improve the quality of place, and quality of life for local people. The area will deliver an improved public realm; safe and sustainable connectivity; amenity; and enhanced and protected environmental assets. This will create an attractive place to live, work, visit and do business.