A development expected to bring in more than 1,000 jobs to the Wirral has been given the go-ahead.
The nearly 500,000 square foot employment development will be built off Campbeltown Road in Birkenhead, with Peel L&P behind the scheme. Peel said the development will represent a £55m investment into the area.
The land was once part of the River Mersey before it was incorporated into the Cammell Laird shipyard between the 1920s and 1950s in Birkenhead. The site is near Green Lane train station.
535 jobs are expected to be created once the development is up and running with an additional 500 temporary jobs created during construction. The plans are expected to add nearly £23m in value to the Wirral every year, increase business rates by an estimated £700,000, and further £600,000 spent at nearby businesses.
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There were objections from the Tranmere Oil Terminal but no representatives spoke at the meeting. Essar Oil which runs the terminal said they were concerned they might not be able to “reduce major accident hazards to reasonable practical levels" if the development goes ahead. The terminal manages up to 9m tonnes of crude oil a year.
Transport officers said traffic concerns had been addressed on nearby roads with modelling showing it was “well below saturation” and councillors were told environmental concerns given it is a former landfill site had been addressed.
James Hicks, a town planner speaking on behalf of Peel, said the proposal was promoting “the right use in the right location” and would capitalise on increased use of warehouses after the pandemic and Brexit.
“This building will meet some of that demand and provide an opportunity for economic growth and job creation.”
Mr Hicks added: “This is a success story. It’s redevelopment with the right use in the right location . It’s a high quality development and will result in massive job creation and massive economic output for the region. It’s an all in one solution.”
Councillors said the proposal needed to be celebrated with chair of the planning committee, Cllr Stuart Kelly, adding: “I just don’t see any reason why we wouldn’t want to get behind this and bring it back into productive use.”
Elsewhere, plans for 13 affordable homes and an extension in Caldy were also approved at the planning committee meeting.
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