Elton, Cheshire


Elton is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated approximately to the northeast of Chester, between Helsby and Ellesmere Port, near to the River Mersey. Its proximity to the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal have contributed to its industrial character. The village is on the north-western edge of the Cheshire plain, approximately from Stanlow Refinery, a Shell facility and the seventh largest oil refinery in Europe. The refinery produces one-sixth of the United Kingdom's petrol.
At the time of the 2001 Census, the village of Elton had a population of 3,528, increasing to 3,586 at the 2011 Census.
Elton was briefly in the media spotlight in 1997 when one of its residents, Louise Woodward, went on trial for murder in the USA.
By 2007, 65 hectares of the former Ince Power Station site near the Mersey had been redeveloped as part of a large bottle production factory owned by Quinn Glass, containing two glass melting furnaces and 13 bottle production lines. It was estimated that £250 million was invested into this project and the factory outputs 1.2 billion bottles per year.
It has recently been proposed that a 95 kilowatt power station and various recycling plants be sited on a water meadow near Elton. The land is owned by Peel Holdings and the proposal is in its embryonic stage.

Governance

An electoral ward in the same name exists. This ward stretches to Little Stanney with a total population taken at the 2011 census of 4,557.

Transport

serves both Ince and Elton villages. There are infrequent Monday to Saturday services to Ellesmere Port, Stanlow & Thornton, Helsby, Liverpool Lime Street, and Warrington Bank Quay. The nearest station with better services and facilities is either Ellesmere Port or Helsby.
The number X2 bus visits Elton hourly in each direction, which runs between Chester via Ellesmere Port to Runcorn Halton Lea bus station. This service is operated by Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire. Elton also has a few morning and evening journeys on service DB8 to and from Chester Business Park.
sign indicating a railway station entrance
Public transport in Elton is supported by the North Cheshire Rail User Group. It campaigns for better rail services and improved public transport interchange.
The nearest motorways are the M56 and the M53, and the local road, the A5117, links Elton to North Wales.

Politics

Since 1983, Elton has formed part of the Ellesmere Port and Neston parliamentary constituency, presently represented by Justin Madders of the Labour Party.