Croxteth regeneration gathering pace
THE next stage of the regeneration of Stonebridge Cross in Croxteth, Liverpool looks set to be approved by the City Council.
The area is a Mayoral priority for jobs and investment – and there has already been a huge amount of work over the last few years.
It has included the development of the first phase of Stonebridge Business Park West with a new £12m Geopost DPD parcel delivery facility, creating 250 jobs – set to open in early 2016.
There is also a new Marston’s pub and restaurant (Vikings Landing) creating 40 jobs, which opened in October.
The re-alignment and de-culverting of the River Alt to improve ecology and bio-diversity was completed spring 2015 at the same time as as the creation of a new 20-acre landscaped park, Alt Meadows.
This followed the new £18m St John Bosco Arts College which opened in September 2014.
Now the Council Cabinet, which meets tomorrow, December 11, is being asked to give the green light to actions which will further progress its rebirth.
It would see a new traffic junction created to connect the one million sq ft Stonebridge Cross development site to the East Lancashire Road, funded by a loan from the Government’s Growing Places Fund.
The site – which falls within one of the city’s Mayoral Development Zones – has the potential to create many hundreds of jobs and is currently being marketed to potential occupiers as a warehouse and distribution hub.
Also proposed is the acquisition of the former Altbridge and Langholme tower block sites, where Cobalt Housing would build a total of 50 new homes.
Mayor Joe Anderson said: “Over the last few years there has been a huge amount of progress in regenerating Croxteth to improve life for the local community.
“The new St John Bosco Arts College is enabling our young people to get a great education in modern classrooms, we have attracted hundreds of new jobs and improved the environment with a new park.
“It has helped reverse the neglect of an area which had gone on for a number of decades with a number of false dawns.
“I hope we have given the community the confidence that we are serious about delivering improvements, but we know there is much more to do and are not complacent.
“In relation to the Stonebridge Cross development site, we are in positive discussions and hope to be able to say more about it in the new year.”
A planning application for the second phase of Stonebridge Business Park West which would see four additional units created with the potential to create hundreds more jobs has been submitted.
Cllr Malcolm Kennedy, Cabinet member for regeneration, added: “The area is perfectly placed next to the major road network and we know it has the potential to create many more, much-needed employment opportunities for local people.
“This next phase of work is part of our commitment to making sure Croxteth is a great place to live, with great local amenities and the chance to secure a job locally.”
