Liverpool’s planning committee will this week consider proposals for a £96m industrial development that could provide jobs for up to 500 people. Tony McDonough reports
Developer GB Europe will discover this week whether its £96m plans to redevelop the former Prinovis printing site into a new industrial scheme will get the go-ahead.
Liverpool City Council’s planning committee will meet this week to decide on GB’s plans to build a 950,000 sq ft warehouse to be occupied by Uniserve off Dakota Drive in Speke. Planning officers are recommending this week the project be approved (see the full application here).
If it does go ahead the site could provide employment for up to 500 people and generate £42m in business rates over 10 years. GB acquired the former Prinovis site, which closed in 2022, for £22m in 2024.
GB Europe Holdings is the parent company of Uniserve Group which includes businesses such as Ellerman City Liners, Seafast and James Kemball. Together they are providers of logistics and global trade management.
Despite objections from local councillors, including Sam Gorst and Lucy Williams and a number of local residents, the planning report says the scheme would “beneficially provide good quality modern storage and distribution stock, part of one of the key sectors for the city’s economy”.
It adds: “The site is well located in relation to the Strategic Road Network, West Coast Main Line rail access, the Port of Liverpool, and the expanding cargo facility at Liverpool John Lennon Airport and is part of an important strategic location for intermodal freight transfer within Merseyside and the North West.”
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The report also says: “The proposal is supported in principle on this site allocated for industrial/business development, and the proposed development accords with Local Plan Policies EC1 and EC2 by promoting employment development at the site as part of the wider Liverpool International Business Park.
“…Significant weight should be placed on the need to support economic growth and productivity, taking into account both local business needs and wider opportunities for development.
“Accordingly, significant weight is attributed to the economic growth and productivity benefits of the proposal. The proposal also provides the benefit of bringing previously developed land back into use.”
Architect for the project is Chetwoods. Avison Young is planning advisor and KAM Project Consultants is the project manager.