Town bids for £24m future city award

WARRINGTON looks set to bid for £24 million funding to deliver a project to help the town become a “city of the future.”
The Future Cities Demonstrator is a two stage competition launched by innovation agency the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) during the summer – and Warrington was one of 30 towns and cities selected to progress to the second stage.
This won the town £48,000 to cover costs associated with the bid.
Borough council chiefs now have to approve the second stage bid which will result in shortlisted authorities being interview next month. The winning authority will be notified in January.
Warrington’s bid involves a series of interwoven measures to address the town’s identified challenges, including the ageing population, transport, housing, and environmental issues and economic prosperity.
A report, to be presented to the borough council’s executive board by council leader Terry O’Neill (pictured), stresses that the measures proposed have been designed to stand alone as independent, fundable projects in the event of the bid being unsuccessful.
The aim is to develop an electronic information hub that will collect data from numerous sources, both existing and in the future.
Individuals and businesses will be able to access this data seamlessly via smartphones and similar handheld technology, via interactive TV services and via specialised technology targeted at older people.
This will help them to access council services and to obtain real-time information as required. It will also act to reduce dependence on council services in the future.
Underpinning the hub will be the rollout of universal superfast broadband and/or wireless connectivity across the town centre and areas currently without connection.
The hub would also be supported by a Warrington smartcard acting as a cashless payment system for various services and a Warrington loyalty card.
The bid requires no match funding from the council – and it successful will be 100 per cent funded by the TSB.
The report added: “This project prepares Warrington for a future where citizens are fully engaged and able to participate in decisions that will benefit their lives and the operation of the town.”