In recognition of its position as a valued and experienced European player, Chester will welcome representatives from over 100 European cities and regions when it hosts European Week from 25-30 June. In the past decade, over £7.9 million of European money has been committed directly to the Chester district to deliver a range of projects. With support from the city council’s external funding team, Chester has built up an excellent reputation with the EU Commission, which has helped to secure a number of grants to address economic, social and environmental challenges on a local and international scale.
European Week will showcase some of Chester’s most successful projects and partnerships involving other European organisations and also highlight its commitment to pursuing further opportunities in the future. Amongst other improvements, investment from Europe has provided architectural lighting for the city’s historic Rows, development guidelines for historic walled towns, environmental improvements to the riverside and Chester’s successful twinning arrangement with Sens in France, Lörrach in Germany and Senigallia in Italy.
European grants have also helped to develop a number of community projects in different areas of the district. Amongst the organisations to have benefited are local disability charity Dial House, Chester Credit Union and the Blacon Community Trust, formerly known as the Blacon Project, which works with local people to find solutions to local problems. In addition to this, rural areas of Chester have received grants to help improve local quality of life and economic prosperity as part of a European Union initiative for assisting rural communities.
As hundreds of European delegates descend upon the city, the Lord Mayor of Chester, Councillor Jim Latham, will officially open the latest European-funded success story. The new Riverside Promenade joining the Groves to the Old Port was made possible thanks to £600,000 from the Interreg IIIB ‘Water in Historic City Centres’ programme. The new promenade will allow people to enjoy parts of the River Dee which were previously inaccessible and provide an environmentally-friendly and scenic travel route for walkers and cyclists.
Councillor Margaret Parker, Leader of Chester City Council, is proud that Chester is hosting one of this year’s largest European conferences. She explained: “This is the ideal location for colleagues from all over Europe to share experiences and develop new links. European funding has helped to deliver significant benefits to Chester through new developments, community projects and strong partnerships with other countries so I am delighted that everyone is coming together to celebrate these achievements.
“The new Riverside Promenade is an excellent example of how European investment has helped us to make improvements for residents and visitors so it is extremely fitting that the official opening is taking place during European Week.”
More information about European Week in Chester
