Councillors on Liverpool’s planning committee give the go-ahead to a £96m industrial scheme in south Liverpool that could lead to 500 jobs. Tony McDonough reports
Developer GB Europe has secured planning consent for its £96m plans to redevelop the former Prinovis printing site into a new industrial scheme.
Despite one local councillor asking for deferral on the decision, councillors on Liverpool’s planning committee gave the go-ahead for the 950,000 sq ft warehouse that could provide work for up to 500 people and generate £42m in business rates over 10 years.
Located off Dakota Drive in Speke, the scheme will be occupied by Uniserve once it is completed. 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. GB acquired the former Prinovis site, which closed in 2022, for £22m in 2024.
Planning officers had recommended approval. In a report to the committee they wrote that the scheme would “beneficially provide good quality modern storage and distribution stock, part of one of the key sectors for the city’s economy”. (see the full application here).
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They added: “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.
“…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.”
Local councillor Lucy Williams asked the committee to defer the decision. The sheer size of the development demanded “extra scrutiny”, she said. However, she also praised GB Europe for its cooperation with local people, adding: “It is not something we are used to in Garston.”