Marketing Cheshire Location Profile Crewe March 2012

1. Marketing Cheshire Location Profile Crewe March 2012

2. Mickledore Ltd. Unit 2 Chapel House Barn Pillmoss Lane Lower Whitley Cheshire WA4 4DW Tel: 01925 837679 Tel: 07747 085400 Email: contact@regionaldevelopment.co.uk Web: www.regionaldevelopment.co.uk

3. Contents 3 Marketing Cheshire Location Reviews

4. Executive Summary • Crewe offers investors access to a large workforce. There are 365,000 people of working age within a 30 minute drive of the centre of Crewe. • Gaining an experienced and senior workforce is important to any investor. There are over 92,000 working age people experienced in working in senior, management or professional roles living within a 30 minute commute of Crewe. • Crewe has an unemployment rate in line with the regional average – nevertheless, with over 3,200 additional people made redundant in the catchment area in the last two years there is an opportunity for employers to draw on experienced staff. • Despite the strong skills base, Crewe is not an expensive location to hire staff. Wage rates for workers in the Local Authority area which contains Crewe are in line with the North West average and as a result can offer employers a cost advantage over the UK average wage costs. • The Crewe catchment area can provide an employer with the skills required and with the proportion of staff holding NVQ3 skills or above (A level or better) similar to the UK average, there are tremendous opportunities for employers to recruit a highly skilled workforce. School results for the area also outstrip the national average. • The area has access to a large number of Higher Education institutions both for graduate recruitment and collaborative research projects. Between Liverpool and Manchester there are approximately 160,000 higher education students – 14,600 of these are based at the University of Chester. Crewe also has a campus of Manchester Metropolitan University. • The catchment area of Crewe represents a broad variety of sectors. Financial and business services employ large numbers of people but the area also out-performs the UK in levels of employment based in higher value manufacturing activities. • Cheshire and Warrington has been recognised by international investors in business services, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and automotive assembly with a relatively high proportion of inward investment being undertaken in these sectors. • The strength of the location as a highly effective base for investment is underpinned by transport connectivity. Crewe is under 2 hours from London using rail, and virtually every UK city and several European cities can be visited on business with a return on the same day. With a large commuter population; higher skills than the national average; and strengths in both manufacturing and service sectors, Crewe can offer investors a compelling proposition. Marketing Cheshire Location Reviews

5. Introduction • The report has been constructed using published data sources but building a bespoke economic geography to reflect a 30 minute commuter area. • The 30 minute drive time area is calculated by mapping software and is illustrated in the map overleaf. • The 30 minute drive time allows the economy of the area to be understood from a prospective employer’s perspective reflecting the travelling characteristics of the resident population. • Where necessary the data has been supplemented from a local authority or regional perspective. • A detailed definition of the economic area used and the sources of the statistics are contained at the end of the profile. • Throughout this report we indicate any differences in data compared with regional and/or national averages. All differences reported are indicative only and are not necessarily statistically significant. Most of the analysis is provided on a 30 minute drive time area. The data is supplemented with Local Authority or regional statistics where this is more relevant / only available at this level. Marketing Cheshire Location Reviews

6. Catchment Area Crewe is an important town located within the Local Authority Area of Cheshire East. Crewe has a large catchment area supported by extensive motorway connections into the Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham city regions and beyond. Crewe 6 Marketing Cheshire Location Reviews

7. Population • The scale of the Crewe catchment area allows a total population of over 564,000 people to be reached in half an hour’s drive. • Companies have access to a working population of 365,000 in a half an hour commute time. Population in Absolute Numbers Crewe offers investors access to a huge workforce. There are 364,000 people of working age within a 30 minute drive of Crewe. Age Distribution in Numbers Age Distribution Proportion, UK Comparison Marketing Cheshire Location Reviews

8. Working Population Profile • Not only does Crewe have a large working age population within its catchment area but that workforce is more likely to be involved in skilled trades; process, plant and machine operations; and sales and customer service positions than across the UK as a whole. • There is a minimum of 29,000 working age people for every grade of employment providing employers with choice and the opportunity to recruit a balanced workforce. There are over 92,000 management and professional grade staff living within a 30 minute commute of Crewe. Working Age Population Occupation of Working Age Population Marketing Cheshire Location Reviews

9. Working Population Profile • Managers and senior officials make up one of the largest cohorts of the working age population catchment area. The Crewe catchment area does however provide a balance between all the different components of the workforce. • The characteristics of the workforce with a relatively high proportion of staff in manufacturing related employment and skilled trades reflect the production based activity of the town. The characteristics of the workforce do reflect the production based activities within the area. Proportion of Occupations , Crewe 30 Minute Drive Time Marketing Cheshire Location Reviews

10. Unemployment • The Crewe catchment area had a total claimant count of 16,800 in December 2011 and this had increased by almost 3,300 in two years. Whilst the national downturn has unfortunately affected the labour force, the untapped labour pool does now offer an opportunity to prospective employers. • Despite the growth in unemployment, the Crewe catchment area still records an unemployment rate in line with the regional average. Whilst the area has unfortunately been hit by the national downturn unemployment at 16,800 does at least represent an opportunity for employers. Claimant Count, Working Age Population, December 2011 Claimant Count, % of Working Age Population Marketing Cheshire Location Reviews

11. WageRates • Data on earnings is published at a Local Authority level and Crewe is within the Local Authority of Cheshire East. • Workplace earnings in Cheshire East are slightly higher than the North West average and offer a saving over the average for the UK. • Lower workplace earnings reflect the importance of Cheshire East as a commuter location for the city regions offering high quality residential locations for high earning individuals. Despite the wide access to skills, Crewe does not represent a high wage cost economy. The workplace wages in the Local Authority containing Crewe are lower than the national average. Average Annual Resident Earnings 2011 Average Annual Workplace Earnings 2011 Marketing Cheshire Location Reviews

12. Education& Skills • Crewe has access to a highly skilled workforce. With almost 46% of the working age population with NVQ4 or NVQ3 the area has access to skills in line with the UK average. • The education base supports the continuing development of the workforce. National data is available at a Local Authority level. Schools across Cheshire East out-performed the national average in both 2010 and 2011. With the proportion of the workforce skilled to NVQ3 or 4 in line with the UK average and with better education results than the national average, the Crewe catchment area can provide companies with a strong range of skills. Resident Population of Working Age by Highest Level of Qualification Achieved Percentage of Key Stage 4 pupils achieving 5 or more A*- C grades at GCSE or equivalent including English and Maths Marketing Cheshire Location Reviews

13. Education & Skills • The performance of schools and colleges in Cheshire East is not only better at GCSE level (previous page) but also at A level. Schools and colleges in Cheshire East demonstrate consistently stronger results than the national average. • The area is surrounded by Higher Education opportunities. In addition to the 14,600 students at the University of Chester, there are more than 140,000 students in the HEIs of Liverpool and Manchester. Crewe also has a campus of Manchester Metropolitan University. Skills are improved by the area consistently out-performing the national average for A-level performance, whilst the region also has a huge higher education student base. General and Applied A/AS or Equivalent Achievement, 2011 Number of Students – selected regional universities 2010 Marketing Cheshire Location Reviews

14. Sectors • Location quotients compare the proportion of employment by sector in a location against the average proportion of that employment for the UK as a whole. A score of 2 suggests that the area has double the proportion of employment compared to the average for the country as a whole. • The Cheshire East area has a particular strength in the manufacturing sectors of pharmaceuticals, automotive and paper whilst the area also has a strength in research and development. The economy of Cheshire East has strengths in pharmaceuticals, R&D, automotive and paper amongst other sectors. Top Sectors by Location Quotients Marketing Cheshire Location Reviews

15. Sectors Total Employment by Broad Industrial Groups Within 30 minutes of Crewe a broad range of sectors are represented. Manufacturing remains an important activity for the wider catchment area. Marketing Cheshire Location Reviews

16. Sectors • The catchment area employment data demonstrates not only the financial services skills of the area but also the presence of major employers such as Bentley Motors, Moy Park, Rymans, Bombardier and Mornflake Oats. • The employment of over 13,500 in financial services based activities demonstrating a depth of finance expertise in the region– this includes 5,300 people involved in supporting the industry. The catchment area contains a large number of people employed in different specialist manufacturing activities as well as strengths in the service sector. Employment by Selected Sectors,30 Minute Drive Time Marketing Cheshire Location Reviews

17. Investment Trends • The pie charts below demonstrate the attraction of foreign direct investment projects by sector for Cheshire and Warrington and the region more generally. • Cheshire and Warrington has secured a high percentage of its investment in chemicals, business services, pharmaceuticals and automotive assembly. • Cheshire and Warrington has a track record in the attraction of business services and software companies and these sectors have been the sectors most likely to generate foreign direct investment projects across Europe. Cheshire and Warrington has out-performed the North West region in securing chemical, business services, pharmaceutical and automotive assembly investment. Investment by Sector, Cheshire and Warrington, 1997-2010 Investment by Sector, North West England, 1997-2010 17 Marketing Cheshire Location Reviews

18. Investment Trends • The US represents the single most important source of inward investment for Cheshire and Warrington and this is no different for the region, or the country as a whole. • Investment trends into Cheshire and Warrington reflect the traditional trading partners for the UK and do not yet reflect the growing importance of the BRIC economies (Brazil, Russia, India and China) in generating investment although some significant Indian investment (in particular) has taken place. US projects remain the most important flow of investments into the UK and this situation is no different in Cheshire and Warrington. Origin of Investment, Cheshire and Warrington, 1997-2010 Origin of Investment, North West England, 1997-2010 Inward investment statistics from the Ernst & Young European Investment Monitor 18 Marketing Cheshire Location Reviews

19. Connectivity • With a central location, good rail links and with proximity to Liverpool and Manchester airports Crewe is extremely well connected for the business traveller (see map overleaf). • Almost every UK city could be visited for a day’s business by rail with a return the same day. Road, rail and air links allow virtually every UK city and many European locations to be visited for business with a return the same day. Distances from Crewe to Selected Cities Selected Direct Flights, Manchester Airport Marketing Cheshire Location Reviews

20. Connectivity • With a central location, good rail links and with proximity to Liverpool and Manchester airports Crewe is extremely well connected for the business traveller. Marketing Cheshire Location Reviews 20

21. House Prices • House prices in Cheshire East are below those of the UK average and during the property market downturn have declined in overall cost. • The size of the catchment area means that a huge variety of housing types and living environments can be selected within a commute of Crewe. A range of housing is available in an urban, suburban or a rural setting all at a price below the national average. Mean House Price Index on Property Sales, December 2011 5 bedrooms, detached, Wistaston: £375,000 2 bedroom apartment, Crewe £135,000 Marketing Cheshire Location Reviews

22. Methodologyand Sources • 2010 Population estimates taken from General ONS and NOMIS. • Working population percentages derived from Annual Population Survey applying Drive Time statistics and applying to actual population estimates. • Occupation data percentages derived from Annual Population Survey applying Drive Time statistics and applying to actual working age population estimates. • Qualifications data percentages derived from Annual Population Survey applying drive time statistics and applying to actual working age population estimates. • Industry data taken from Business Register 2010 and Employment Survey using small geographies from NOMIS. • Company data taken from FAME. • Wage data from Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings and Total Jobs website. • Drive times taken from AA Route Planner. • House prices taken from the Land Registry House Price Index, published December 2011 and www.rightmove.co.uk. 22 Marketing Cheshire Location Reviews

23. Statistical Annex 30 minutes drive time of Crewe has been defined using MS Map Point GIS mapping 30 minute area and matched to economic geography as shown below. The portions of the Local Authorities within the 30 minute drive time are shown as Middle Layer Super Output Areas in the table below:

24. Mickledore 2012