COUNCILLORS have been left as divided as the rest of the country after listening to the borough’s hopes and fears over Brexit.

Cheshire West and Chester Council’s post-Brexit policy commission met five times to discuss how Britain’s departure from the European Union could affect local government, the economy, funding opportunities, rules and regulations, and the borough’s workforce.

It has now drawn up 26 recommendations for the council to help ease residents and businesses through the Brexit process, before attempting to thrive outside of the bloc in the years ahead.

But while presenting the report to cabinet on Wednesday, councillors who took part in the project each had a different take on Brexit – with Parliament still yet to agree on a deal just days before the nation is due to leave by law on March 29.

Labour Cllr Karen Shore, chairman of the commission, said: “It is fair to say that we expected we would be in a position of knowing what the deal would be right now, but we are not.

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“I think it is fair to say that the majority of the risk is short to medium term by and large, and the opportunities that will be afforded are in the long term.

“We are doing all that we can to prepare with limited certainty and limited information. There is an officer working group [focused on Brexit] that continues to meet every week and even more so at this moment in time.”

Residents, businesses and public sector bodies were invited to share their views, concerns and how they have tried to prepare for Brexit at a meeting last month as part of the commission.

Throughout the exercise, CWAC spoke to representatives from the West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce, the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and the Local Government Association.

It also heard from the Countess of Chester NHS Trust, Peel, John Lennon Airport and West Cheshire Voluntary Action at a special public evidence meeting last month.

Cllr Lynn Riley, leader of CWAC’s Conservative opposition group, praised the ‘well run exercise’ and the way Cheshire’s employers have prepared for Brexit.

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Commenting on the ongoing wrangling in Westminster, she said: “I think we probably would all want to be in a different place to here but we are where we are – and I am encouraged and reassured that here in Cheshire the implications for Brexit are probably as well considered as they can be.

“I don’t think by any stretch of the imagination it is all doom and gloom. I speak to many businesses who are making very sizeable investments in their future to stay here and continue to operate across the world.

“Cheshire as a county always punches above its weight. We do lead the way in many sectors and this is a real opportunity for the council to support those enterprises and really put Cheshire on the world-wide map.”

But her optimism was not shared by Cllr Bob Rudd, Labour, who told cabinet that the commission had only made him more set in his thinking that Britain should remain in the EU.

He said: “I could see the issues that were out there that just were not being addressed and the awful consequences that could come post-March 29.

“We’ve got companies, voluntary organisations, the public sector – they are really going to face difficulties and whilst I might be OK when we leave, there will be lots of people out there who will be struggling.”

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Recommendations by the commission include:

  • Supporting the Cheshire Resilience Forum to prepare for a possible ‘no deal’ Brexit
  • Working with groups including the LEP to help support small businesses, upskill the workforce and attract investment
  • Developing a contingency fund for voluntary sector organisations impacted by Brexit and lobbying Government over funding schemes
  • Promoting the settled status scheme to EU nationals and working with other public sector bodies on a ‘grow your own’ approach to workforce training
  • Supporting farmers and the borough’s rural economy

Cllr Shore added that the commission could meet again in the next CWAC administration once the Brexit picture becomes clearer.