Plans in for £9m first phase of industrial park that could support hundreds of jobs
Manchester property group Peel L&P has submitted plans for the £9m first phase of a specialist Wirral waterside logistics and manufacturing campus.
The development will target priority sectors for Wirral and the Liverpool City Region and could support hundreds of jobs at the Wirral Waters site.
The application submitted to Wirral Council is for the first stage of the proposed Marine, Energy and Automotive (MEA) Park and is a £9m highly sustainable, 70,000 sq ft multi-unit industrial and warehouse scheme that targets industrial and logistics companies and supply chains.
MEA Park at Wirral Waters, part of the Liverpool City Region Freeport, will be focused on attracting priority industries for the area, including from the marine, renewable energy, automotive, distribution, R&D and general manufacturing sectors. It will also accommodate port-related manufacturers and logistics occupiers.
Plans for the wider MEA Park neighbourhood include the development of a centre of excellence for Modern Methods of Construction, including modular construction, with the facilities and skills being used across a wide range of industries from house building to the energy and maritime sectors.
The £9m first phase of MEA Park is expected to be on site later this year and will be funded by Peel L&P with support from the Merseyside Pension Fund.
In addition, the development has been earmarked for the first investment from the Wirral Waters Investment Fund (WWIF), enabled by Wirral Council through the Wirral Waters Enterprise Zone which is designed to encourage economic growth and create jobs at Wirral Waters.
As with all projects at Wirral Waters, the first phase of MEA Park will be highly sustainable targeting a BREEAM Excellent rating for sustainability.
Plans for the Greenway streetscape project along Beaufort Road, a major green public realm project which will surround MEA Park, were approved by Wirral Council last year. The Greenway project is expected to be on site in the coming months and has been part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The Greenway will provide an attractive and sustainable travel corridor, comprising a walkway and off-road cycle route, for those living, visiting or working in the area. The Greenway will be separated from the road via an attractive landscaped corridor, incorporating sustainable drainage systems, native tree species and a wildflower meadow.
Richard Mawdsley, Peel L&P’s director of development at Wirral Waters, said: “The first phase of what will become the industrial and logistics heart of Wirral Waters continues the delivery momentum we now have on site.
“We continue to work with government partners to drive this exciting regeneration project forward and to address the issues of historical market failure in the area. The industries which MEA Park will attract are vital for our economy, our growth and our communities and we will be pleased to get another project on site later this year.”
He added: “Wirral Council’s support and approval of the Greenway project last year signals the council’s commitment to the redevelopment of the whole West Float neighbourhood. The Greenway project will play a key part in the delivery of MEA Park by improving the local environment and enhancing the health and wellbeing of future residents and workers.”
The MEA Park project team includes: Architects – Broadway Malyan; planning consultants – Eden Planning; quantity surveyor and project manager – Walker Simes; engineers – Curtins; mechanical and electrical engineering – CWC; urban design – Parkinson Inc; transport – Vectos; kandscape – BCA Lanscape.
