Langtree and Panattoni, the developers behind Six 56 Warrington, have submitted a planning application to Warrington Council to create more than 3m sq ft of logistics space. Tony McDonough reports

Developers have unveiled plans for a £180m development in south Warrington that will see the creation of more than 3m sq ft of logistics space and up to 4,100 jobs.

Langtree and Panattoni, the developers behind Six 56 Warrington, have submitted a planning application to Warrington Council and claim that if approved it will generate £7.1m in business rates every year.

Six 56 Warrington will be built on land bounded by junction 20 of the M6 and junction 9 of the M56 motorways. The submission follows a series of well-attended public consultation events and the recent approval by Warrington Council of its Draft Local Plan which has identified the land for employment uses.

New employment sites are needed to maintain Warrington’s position as one of the UK’s most successful local economies and continue its track record of attracting new employers and jobs to the area, the local council believes.

Local plan

Langtree and Panattoni are bringing forward their proposals in response to Warrington Borough Council’s Draft Local Plan, which has identified a need for 381 hectares (941 acres) of new employment space over the next 20 years.

And John Downes, chief executive of Langtree, which is also a joint partner at Sci-Tech Daresbury, says many of the logistics jobs that would be made available would be skilled and offer good rates of pay.

He explained: “The scheme will focus on providing space for logistics businesses. It’s where the greatest demand lies and the jobs are much more diverse and better paid than people perhaps realise.

“The average salary in the sector is £28,000 and in a scheme of this type there will be a wide variety of roles available, from warehouse operatives to supply chain managers and highly skilled technicians.

“This development is about ensuring that Warrington remains a competitive and relevant economy as the world of work evolves.”

Supply chain

And, he says, it is Langtree’s ambition to “go one step further”, ensuring jobs in the local supply chain, too. He added: “The impact of our investment will be magnified if we can engage local suppliers in the construction and operation of the scheme. We are therefore committed to working with partners to ensure as far as possible, that contracts are placed with local firms.”

The application for Six 56 Warrington is expected to be heard by Warrington Council’s planning committee in early summer.  If approved there would be an intensive period of work involved before construction could begin, with tenants expected to occupy buildings from spring 2021.