Halton Borough Council

Hatlon Council European and Regional Affairs Division

The division is placed within Halton Borough Council’s Chief Executive’s Directorate and is part of its Policy and Performance Department, emphasising the team’s key corporate role both within the Council and also externally with partner organisations.

Our immediate work priorities focus on:

-Maintaining an informed overview of national policy developments emanating from Central Government, as well as, emphasising the Council’s interface with the Local Government Association and similar bodies;

- Shaping and influencing regional policy and projects within the North West of England context, promoting strong sub-regional partnership arrangements; Taking a lead on European policy and the impact on projects and initiatives across the Council, and with partner organisations.

The Division is made up of the Head of European and Regional Affairs, European Officer, two European Programme Officers, an External Resources Officer and a Regional Resources Officer.

Achievements have included the attraction of £20m Objective 2 grant between 1987-2001 that enabled more than 10,000 beneficiaries to receive vocational training; assisted over 2,000 SMEs and created 3000 new jobs.

The 2000-2006 Objective 2 Programme delivered through Action Plans has committed a further £20m of grant to Halton. Schemes include:

-Economic Development Zone – a £79 million programme (£8 million ERDF) to transform a rundown industrial area into a high quality mixed commercial employment and tourism development.

-Daresbury Incubator (£500k ERDF) providing specialist business accommodation for new and emerging businesses
-enabling e-commerce (£300k) ERDF an award winning scheme to encourage SMEs to ‘enter’ the Information Society

- Halton People into jobs (£600k ERDF) aimed at achieving dramatic improvements in employment opportunities for residents in our most deprived wards.

Transnational initiatives have included Socrates, Leonardo, Youth for Europe, Twinning Grants, EU-China link and the Know How Fund.


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Wesley Rourke
Head of European & Regional Affairs
European and Regional Affairs Division
Halton Borough Council
Municipal Building
Kingsway
Widnes
Cheshire
WA8 7QF

Tel: 0151 471 7526
Fax: 0151 471 7301
Email: Wesley.Rourke@halton.gov.uk