A business leader has thrown his hat in the ring to become the elected mayor for Cheshire and Warrington.

Three local councils - Cheshire West and Chester, Warrington and Cheshire East - all recently backed creation of a new combined authority (CA) which will be headed by a mayor who will be chosen at a vote, pencilled in for May, 2027.

Although each council will continue to operate business as usual, the new Cheshire and Warrington CA will be a separate but related organisation with a budget of £600m over the next 30 years.

The mayor will have control over things like transport, housing and employment and also act as the 'face' of the Cheshire and Warrington region, similar to the way Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram do in Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City Region respectively.

The Conservative candidate for the post has now been named as Ben Fletcher, who has worked as chief finance officer at The Very Group and has also held a senior position at Boots.

He said: "I know Cheshire and Warrington has the potential to punch above its weight and compete with other leading regions.

"But it's going to take leadership and proven experience to get there.

"I have sat in the boardrooms of major retailers raising investment and delivering plans. That's why I know I can bring people together, to just get stuff done."

Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council's Conservative Group, Cllr Adrian Waddelove, expressed his delight at Fletcher being named for the post, highlighting the importance of electing "the right person for the job."

He said: "Ben lives in Chester. He comes from a background in business having served on the boards of Boots, Clarks Shoes and The Very Group.

"He has also been a trustee of the National Literacy Trust for almost ten years and created schemes that helped children who had issues with their eyesight. As well as schemes providing support to victims of rape and sexual assault.

"And he's never held elected office before - this is a fresh start. I look forward to working with him to make the positive case for what a Conservative mayor can do between now and election day in May 2027."

Cheshire West and Chester along with Warrington Borough councils recently backed creation of the new CA; Cheshire East did so too, but narrowly with 36 for and 32 against.

It means the wheels are now in motion with a 'shadow board' consisting of the leaders and deputy leaders from each of the three councils due to provide interim strategic direction until the CA itself is up and running and a mayor is ready to take the helm.

Backers say devolution will help the area push its agenda on the world and national stage, critics say it is nothing more than costly, additional bureaucracy.