Peel Waters secures planning consent for the next phase of a £16m development at the Mea Park West industrial and employment site in Wirral Waters which is within the Liverpool City Region Freeport zone. Tony McDonough reports
Peel Waters has secured planning consent for two out of three planning applications for the £16m expansion of the Mea industrial and employment site in Wirral Waters.
In total, the four plots at Mea Park West will ultimately deliver 171,400 sq ft of new employment space, alongside the conversion of the 42,000 sq ft Mobil building into an upgraded Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) factory.
These two planning approvals, with the third pending, cover the Mobil building redevelopment and the extension to the Greenway public realm project. They will see an initial investment of £1.7m.
While recent activity in Wirral Waters, located around Birkenhead’s docklands, has focused on residential development, Peel is now turning its attention to Mea Park West which could see the creation of hundreds of jobs.
This is a designated tax site within the Liverpool City Region Freeport zone. It offers businesses located within the zone tax incentives for investing and creating jobs such as relief on stamp duty, business rates and National Insurance contributions.
Refurbishment of the Mobil building, due to start in weeks, will involve converting the former oil refinery storage facility by modernising the structure while maintaining its industrial character.
External alterations include painting the elevations to modernise the building’s appearance, replacing the existing roof on the low bay element to improve its condition and weather resistance.
Reuse and refurbishment of the existing building delivers significant environmental benefits compared to a new build, while enhancing energy efficiency and long-term sustainability.
And the scheme will provide opportunities for apprenticeships, training and skills development, working closely with local education providers, such as Wirral Met College, and community partners.
An extension to the Greenway at Mea Park West will enhance pedestrian and cyclist safety, promote active travel, improve biodiversity and raise the visual and functional quality of the employment environment.
It forms a critical piece of connectivity infrastructure, linking the wider West Float employment area to key public transport routes and supporting active travel for workers, the local community, visitors and future residents.
This will incline a A 3.5-metre wide shared-use footway and cycleway, a tree-lined verge and wildflower grassland strip, buffer zone reserved for future sustainable transit and new street lighting and signage to improve safety and connectivity.
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Peel hopes to secure consent for the third application in the next few weeks. Wirral Waters director of development, Richard Mawdsley, said: “These two approvals mark a defining moment in the transformation of Mea Park West.
“By transforming this landmark building into a modern manufacturing facility, we’re creating high-quality jobs, attracting new investment and supporting local supply chains.”