Earlier this week, James Wharton was welcomed to the North West by LEP board member and music mogul Pete Waterman to discuss the key growth opportunities across Cheshire and Warrington including plans for HS2 and the major redevelopment of Crewe, as well as the assets along Cheshire's Science Corridor and the £300m regeneration project in Chester city centre.

He was also joined by representatives from the Lancashire, Cumbria and Liverpool LEPs to discuss the government's wider ambitions.

The trip included a visit to Birchwood Park to showcase the nuclear cluster at Warrington as well as a tour of the new facilities at the European Regional Development Fund-co-funded High Growth Centre at Thornton Science Park in Ellesmere Port, where the minister talked to several energy and advanced engineering small- and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups based at the site. The minister also had a tour of Jodrell Bank and visited Coleg Cambria in Deeside.

Dr Martin Ashcroft, Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership board member and managing director of TATA Chemicals, said: "The minister's visit has reinforced the importance of Cheshire and Warrington within the government's vision for the Northern Powerhouse. We will continue to explore the opportunities for devolved powers and will work closely with neighbouring LEPs to ensure that Cheshire and Warrington plays a key role in the future of the North."

Wharton said: "The North West has a major role to play in the success of the Northern Powerhouse and today's visit has shown just how much is happening on the ground.

"I have been really impressed with the level of close cooperation I have seen today between the private sector, councils and local enterprise partnerships, and I have seen at first hand some really impressive results which are already driving growth."