Council planners will this week consider proposals for a new Liverpool city region industrial park which could provide employment for up to 1,600 people. Tony McDonough reports
Canmoor Developments will this week find out if it will get the go-ahead to build a new 832,400 sq ft industrial park in Liverpool city region.
A previous plan for a 1m sq ft development across 10 units on the 50-acre Millfield Park close to Haydock Industrial Estate, was rejected by councillors on the St Helens planning committee.
Now London-based Canmoor has returned with a revised scheme comprising eight units ranging in size from 20,250 sq ft to 496,500 sq ft. It will go before the St Helens planning committee on Tuesday (January 7).
Planning documents claim that if the development goes ahead it has the potential to provide employment for between 1,000 and 1,600 people.
Canmoor’s website says: “Millfield Lane comprises 50 acres of allocated employment land which is capable of supporting approximately 950,000 sq ft of development in buildings of up to 500,000 sq ft.
“…All buildings will be constructed to the highest standards and will benefit from high quality office accommodation, car parking and loading areas within a landscaped environment.”
St Helens council had designated this site as suitable for development and employment use. It was removed from the Green Belt under its Local Plan. This project would provide parking for 833 cars and 196 HGVs.
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However, there have been a number of objections to the scheme. One local resident wrote: “Our property is situated on the four ways of Ashtons Cross on Liverpool Road. We already experience a ridiculously high volume of HGVs and general traffic at this junction.
“Since the opening of the Amazon warehouse we have noticed a huge increase in the movement of HGVs, some of which are clearly too large to be using this route, 24 hours a day. This is already having an impact on our ability to sleep.
“We can feel the house vibrating when these vehicles pass and as we are situated at the traffic lights we are subjected to lengthy periods when these vehicles are idling outside the house.
“Also the increased traffic will add to the growing problem of air pollution which is leaving us unable to sit in our garden positioned at the side of the house.”