[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"authority-halton":3},{"authority":4,"scoredCount":14,"pillars":15,"ranks":53,"averages":59,"peers":62,"rankLine":77,"countyIsDistinct":21,"content":78,"contentMeta":110,"dataFrom":113,"dataTo":114,"dataChangedAt":115},{"slug":5,"name":6,"county":7,"regionName":8,"region":9,"councilName":10,"activeCompanies":11,"score":12,"halfRange":13},"halton","Halton","Cheshire","North West","north-west","Halton Council",5133,1080,30,361,[16,27,37,45],{"key":17,"name":18,"colourVar":19,"compositeWeight":20,"shown":21,"score":22,"halfRange":23,"rank":24,"rankOf":14,"outperforms":25,"topPercent":26},"innovation","Innovation","--pillar-innovation",0.3,true,1139,52,9,97.5,5,{"key":28,"name":29,"colourVar":30,"compositeWeight":20,"shown":21,"score":31,"halfRange":32,"rank":33,"rankOf":34,"outperforms":35,"topPercent":36},"scaling","Scaling","--pillar-scaling",1055,37,24,360,93.3,10,{"key":38,"name":39,"colourVar":40,"compositeWeight":20,"shown":21,"score":41,"halfRange":42,"rank":43,"rankOf":34,"outperforms":44,"topPercent":36},"investment","Investment","--pillar-investment",1045,49,28,92.2,{"key":46,"name":47,"colourVar":48,"compositeWeight":49,"shown":21,"score":50,"halfRange":32,"rank":42,"rankOf":14,"outperforms":51,"topPercent":52},"esg","ESG","--pillar-esg",0.1,1088,86.4,20,{"national":52,"region":54,"county":57},{"rank":55,"of":56},1,35,{"rank":55,"of":58},4,{"county":60,"region":61},998,973,[63,64,69,73],{"slug":5,"name":6,"score":12,"isCurrent":21},{"slug":65,"name":66,"score":67,"isCurrent":68},"cheshire-east","Cheshire East",1001,false,{"slug":70,"name":71,"score":72,"isCurrent":68},"cheshire-west-and-chester","Cheshire West and Chester",988,{"slug":74,"name":75,"score":76,"isCurrent":68},"warrington","Warrington",979,"20th of 361 authorities nationally",{"heroSummary":79,"intro":80,"pillarCommentary":84,"compareSummary":89,"faqs":90,"metaDescription":109},"Halton ranks 20th of 361 UK local authorities, with a composite score of 1,080, placing it 80 points above the UK benchmark. It leads both Cheshire and the North West region, finishing 1st in each. Innovation is its strongest pillar, ranking 9th nationally.",[81,82,83],"Halton's composite score is built from four pillars: Innovation, Scaling, Investment and ESG, weighted at 30%, 30%, 30% and 10% respectively.","The index measures the characteristics of active companies in each authority, with corporate groups counted once. Because every score is an average across those companies rather than a total, a smaller authority with highly active businesses can compare fairly against a much larger one.","The UK as a whole scores 1,000, so Halton's 1,080 places it 80 points above that benchmark across 5,133 active companies. The likely range of 1,050 to 1,110 shows how much the score could shift with a slightly different mix of companies, and the score is published because that range is narrow enough to rely on.",{"innovation":85,"scaling":86,"investment":87,"esg":88},"Innovation covers patents, academic spinouts, R&D grant value, innovative sector tags and IS-8 sector membership. At 1,139, Halton ranks 9th of 361 authorities, sitting 139 points above the UK benchmark and in the top 5% nationally, indicating that its companies show notably strong activity across these measures.","The Scaling pillar captures whether companies qualify as scaleups, their headcount growth over recent years, and accelerator participation. Halton scores 1,055, ranking 24th of 360 and placing it 55 points above the UK benchmark, within the top 10% of authorities, suggesting its companies are adding staff at a meaningfully faster rate than the national norm.","Investment reflects equity-raising activity: whether companies raised equity in the last five years, how much they raised, and whether they were first-time raisers. Halton's score of 1,045 puts it 45 points above the UK benchmark and 28th of 360 nationally, a result that points to solid equity activity relative to most authorities.","The ESG pillar looks at clean energy involvement, other green activity, environmental accolades, social and governance signals, and not-for-profit proxies. Halton scores 1,088, ranking 49th of 361 and 88 points above the UK benchmark. Although ESG is Halton's relatively lower-scoring pillar, it still places in the top 20% of all authorities.","The chart below compares Halton's composite score with those of neighbouring authorities across Cheshire and the wider North West.",[91,94,97,100,103,106],{"question":92,"answer":93},"What is Halton's Local Growth Index score?","Halton scores 1,080 on the UK Local Growth Index, placing it 80 points above the UK benchmark of 1,000. Its likely range of 1,050 to 1,110 is narrow enough for the score to be published with confidence.",{"question":95,"answer":96},"How does Halton rank among UK local authorities?","Halton ranks 20th of 361 UK local authorities, putting it in the top 10% nationally. It also ranks 1st in Cheshire and 1st across the 35 authorities of the North West region.",{"question":98,"answer":99},"Which pillar is strongest for Halton?","Innovation is Halton's strongest pillar, scoring 1,139 and ranking 9th of 361 authorities, 139 points above the UK benchmark. This places Halton in the top 5% of all authorities on Innovation.",{"question":101,"answer":102},"How does Halton compare to the rest of Cheshire?","Halton leads Cheshire, scoring 82 points above the county's average of 998. The next-highest authority in the county is Cheshire East, which scores 1,001.",{"question":104,"answer":105},"What does the UK Local Growth Index actually measure?","The index measures the characteristics of a place's active companies, covering innovation activity, business scaling, equity investment, and ESG factors. It does not measure economic output or GDP.",{"question":107,"answer":108},"How many companies are counted in Halton's score?","Halton's score is based on 5,133 active companies, with corporate groups counted once rather than as each of their registered entities.","Halton ranks 20th of 361 UK local authorities with a composite score of 1,080, leading both Cheshire and the North West on the UK Local Growth Index.",{"source":111,"cached":21,"generatedAt":112},"claude:claude-sonnet-4-6","2026-10-20 10:33:08",2021,2026,"2026-10-20"]