Big Commercial Property Projects Planned for the Wirral

Far from being overwhelmed by the scale of Peel’s proposed Wirral Waters £4.5 billion project, the local council planning committee has embraced the far sighted plan and given it the green light. This was no overnight decision but has evolved over four years as the local planners and Peel have gone through “partnership working.”

The attractions for Wirral are that the mixed use scheme will bring substantial regeneration benefits through sustainability and each of the planned areas (education, culture, residential and so on) function as a composite whole. Another attraction for local councillors and the planners is the way the scheme is centred around water. There is also the positive factor of the creation of 20,000 jobs, just as job creation has been the case with Peel’s schemes in Salford Quays and MediaCity. Lindsey Ashworth, Peel’s Development Director, commented: “We are absolutely delighted that the Wirral Planning Committee has reached this decisive decision, it is what the public wanted and what the area is crying out for.”The plan was supported by all four local MPs who sent letters in support. Peel is now hoping that the huge local support means that the Government will not decide on a public inquiry. It will market the project internationally, including at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

As if this project and MediaCity were not sufficient new developments to keep Peel busy, it is to develop a new 31,586 sq.metres (340,000 sq.ft.) business park, Astley Business Park, in Wigan, close to the A580 East Lancs Road. Andrew Aherne of Lambert Smith Hampton said: “Astley Business Park is one of the few sites in Wigan which is immediately available for development.”Wearing its other hat of Peel Ports, the company has bought the former site of the Bridgewater Paper Company in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire from Ernst & Young, the Administrators. The site has an existing berth on the Manchester Ship Canal and has excellent rail and road connections to the motorways. Peel Ports’ Stephen Carr said: “This acquisition fits in well with our strategy of continuing to develop the Port of Liverpool and the Manchester Ship Canal as a key logistical hub in the UK.”

The North West Commercial Property Register

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