As part of a wider £72m homes and employment park project, Marshall CDP submits plans to build five industrial units totalling 328,600 sq ft in Knowsley. Tony McDonough reports

Councillors on Knowsley planning committee are expected to approve a plan by Marshall CDP to build five industrial units  totalling 328,600 sq ft at Earlsfield Park in Huyton.

This forms part of a wider £72m project by Ion Developments to create a new employment park and 150 homes at the site. These five units across 18 acres are on a 22-acre plot Marshall acquired from Ion in 2021.

Councillors will decide on the plans at a planning meeting on Thursday this week. These five units would range in size from 21,700 sq ft to 73,000 sq ft.

In 2021, Marshall secured outline consent for its employment park and homes plan. Housebuilder Bellway has since built 154 homes. Ion has created a motorway service station for Eurogarages off Junction 2 of the M57 to the east.

Marshall’s latest plans have received 36 objections, with concerns raised surrounding heavy traffic, the effect on wildlife, and noise. If approved the project could secure £4m funding from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

Last week Institutional investor Royal London secured planning consent from Sefton Council to build 807,000 sq ft of industrial space on the former Rolls Royce factory just north of Liverpool.

Royal London acquired Atlantic Park Dunnings Bridge Road in Netherton in 2003. Its initial ambitions for the site were hampered by the economic crash in 2008 and then by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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It is estimated the five new industrial units could create space for the employment of up to 1,125 people, delivering “significant economic and social benefit for Sefton”.

Demand for industrial and logistics space has been growing across the North West over the past couple of years. The launch of LCR Freeport may see this demand increase further.