'You need belief!' Britons living in one of UK's most thriving towns reveal secrets to success

Now, GB News has heard from Warringtonians who revealed the area was thriving due to its location in the north of England, its appeal as a trade hub, and its strong sense of community.

Positioned along the M62 corridor, as well as on the West Coast Main Line, Warrington sits in a unique position between Manchester and Liverpool, making it attractive to everyone from young professionals to working-age families.

And while the Cheshire town brings in rugby league fans for Warrington Wolves matches, as well as tourists visiting the Grade II-listed Walton Hall and Gardens, it has equally become a prime destination for investors.

Andy Ward, 67, manager of Warrington Market, has seen multiple iterations of the town centre. However, Mr Ward stressed he wanted the 770-year-old site to be his "legacy" and was "proud" of the progress made in recent years.

Thanks to a £142million retail and leisure regeneration project across Warrington, the market has grown exponentially with a bustling food court and around 60 independent traders, with a waiting list to hire out vacant units.

Mr Ward told the People's Channel: "The old market was a maintenance time bomb. It was filled with antisocial behaviour and the roof leaked like a sieve. The council was considering flattening it and paying traders off and we convinced them to keep the market. I think the key to success for places like Warrington is you've got to believe in the town."

Between 2013 and 2023 – despite periodic recessions and Government cuts – Warrington's average household disposable income grew by 5.3 per cent to nearly £45,000. By contrast, cities nationwide saw disposable income increase by just 2.4 per cent over that same time period.

Andrew Carter, the Chief Executive of Centre for Cities, said: "In places like Warrington... economic growth has translated into higher household incomes and less deprivation. That isn’t accidental. It is shaped by policy choices on skills, transport, housing and support for businesses."

Nuclear energy giants Cavendish and Nuvia, and the European headquarters of sportswear brand New Balance, are based within a five-mile radius of Warrington, as is the engineering and administrative hub for the Sellafield decommissioning programme.

On the ground, businessmen agreed the council's "high-risk" investment strategy in property, energy and infrastructure had rejuvenated Warrington's fortunes.

Paul Moran, from AM to PM café, who has worked in Warrington for the past 14 years, said the town had "a bright future", adding there was "a lot of support" from locals who desire to maintain a thriving environment.

Meanwhile, Andrew Leicester, an award-winning fishmonger who has worked in the town since he was 15, commented: "Warrington was always a prosperous town. It still is, really. Being so close to Manchester and Liverpool does help.

"I've been working in the town since I was 15, and the one thing I would note is the council backed us. I think they had a lot of belief in the businesses in Warrington. You've got a lot of non-believers too, but we feel supported."

Steve White, 43, of Moran's Of Warrington, told how his repair shop had its claim to fame when he was approached to make shoes for Queen guitarist Sir Brian May's appearance at the Platinum Jubilee.

He said: "We got a phone call a couple of weeks before the Jubilee.

"They didn't name him, obviously, but they said they wanted a 'custom job' of some silver Stella McCartney Stan Smith Adidas trainers. Obviously, I had to be vegan, as Brian is vegan. It was honestly incredible seeing the shoes on the telly."

When asked what other towns could learn from Warrington, he said: "It's two things: speculate and accumulate. That's what happened here. It takes a while, but you have that trust in people."

One person who has seen Warrington change for the better over the years is Margaret Price, who has worked in the town centre for half a century.

The boss of Yates Greer & Co butchers, 78, stated: "I see the comments for people who say they preferred the old market and the old town centre. You just can't live in the past. You have to change with the times.

Stephen Fitzsimmons, of the Warrington Chamber of Commerce, told Britain's News Channel: "Warrington is well connected (and) affordable, with good schools — that’s why people are choosing to move here. We’re quite lucky — we’ve got the right ingredients, from connectivity to high-value industries."

However, he was quick to point out the disparity, adding areas to the south of Warrington were very affluent compared to those closer to the middle of town.

He said: "There's a lot of work to help those inner areas within a 10-minute walk of the town centre. When you get over the Mersey and the Ship Canal into South Warrington, which used to be (in) Cheshire, then that is very affluent.

"Our challenge is to make sure everyone in Warrington feels part of that success. There’s real opportunity here—but we need to make sure it reaches every part of the borough."

This sentiment was echoed by shopper Aaron Davies, who said: "There's nice parts of the town and there's parts a bit more poor. I think that's the same everywhere."

While the centre of Warrington was something to be proud of, Alan Atherton, 48, who runs the Eastern Point restaurant, said it can often bring complications.

Mr Atherton said: "It can often seem like a bit of a double-edged sword at times. Yes, we're getting a lot of people in, but it is harder to fight for everybody's pound. As a tradesman, you have to be proactive.

"Warrington's biggest selling point is the variety. That's what's needed in other places."

Mr Atherton also suggested Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's administration was not helping, saying: "I think the Government are so out of touch with real life. They're all entitled. They all need to come down here and do a 50 to 60-hour working week. Walk in our shoes."

It is not the first time Downing Street has been accused of targeting the hospitality sector.

Recent measures from Chancellor Rachel Reeves, such as minimum wage and National Insurance hikes, have pummelled businesses with high costs, resulting in 1,000 job cuts in 2025.

Meanwhile, patients at Warrington Hospital continue to experience the worst A&E waits in the country due to extreme overcrowding, according to league tables published by the Department for Health last summer.

It has not all been plain sailing for the council either. Thanks to its ambitious spending plans, Warrington had built up some of the highest levels of debt out of any area in England, with BBC research indicating the council had around £1.4billion of debt, down from last year's peak of £1.9billion.

What is more, the local authority said it currently spends 80p in every £1 on services for vulnerable people.

Some of the services provided by the council include adult social care, children's services and accommodation for those at risk of homelessness.

As a result, Whitehall permitted the local authority to hike council tax by 7.48 per cent for the 2026/2027 financial year.

Yet despite its issues, Warrington has a strong sense of civic pride that encourages citizens to engage in community-led initiatives, such as the annual Walking Day and Warrington Arts Festival.

There is also RAF Burtonwood, which was once the largest US Air Force base in Europe during World War Two and has since been transformed into a volunteer-run heritage centre.

That collective mindset was perfectly demonstrated during the 2025 floods, when locals offered free food and opened their doors as shelter to those forced out of their homes around Warrington and surrounding villages.

So amid its recent successes and challenges, Mrs Price said UK towns could learn an important lesson from Warrington: "People are really friendly here.

"People look out for each other. People down south could learn from us and how we treat each other."

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