NWDA’s £6m for Widnes Waterfront site

THE North West Development Agency has bought a 40-acre site in Widnes in a strategic move on behalf of Halton Borough Council.

The £6.1m deal for the land and the remediation of the site, currently occupied by chemicals company Bayer Crop Science, will be a key location in the redevelopment by the council; of Widnes Waterfront.

The site is situated off Gorsey Lane, near to the site of the proposed new Mersey Gateway bridge and is one of the largest parcels of commercial land to go on sale in the borough for over 10 years.

Bayer Crop Science announced closure of the site in 2007 and is due to vacate the site by March 2011.

The council will begin a masterplan for the site this summer, and create a detailed plan by 2010. When complete the Widnes Waterfront will generate and safeguard over 1,000 jobs.

Tony McDermott, from Halton Borough Council, said: “This is a major step forward for the regeneration of the Widnes Waterfront. The sheer size of this piece of land offers unprecedented opportunities in terms of jobs and regeneration.

“Over the next eight months we will carry out extensive analysis into the potential uses for the site, and put together a strategic masterplan which will complement the diversity or the waterfront’s current commercial offering.”

Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the NWDA, said:  “This site is located in a key position within Widnes Waterfront and this investment will help to unlock its potential as a major new employment site for the area.

“The agency has already invested more than £6m to take forward the transformation of Widnes Waterfront into a prime business location, and this additional investment will support further commercial development within the site.”

BNP Paribas Real Estate acted for Bayer on the sale.