The first phase of Liberty Park, Widnes, has been completed, with a speculative warehouse and site infrastructure being delivered to provide the only new-build unit over 50,000 sq ft in the important Halton and south Liverpool industrial and warehouse market.
Liberty Property Trust and Stoford Developments have hailed the completion of the highly specified 108,091sq ft unit as a milestone in the area’s regeneration.
The accommodation provides 102,170 sq ft of warehousing with 5,920 sq ft of Grade A office space, a 64m service yard, 11 HGV parking spaces and 89 car park spaces.
Andrew Blevins, UK managing director of Liberty Property Trust, said: “This development will provide much-needed, high-quality accommodation, complete with extensive infrastructure works, and, once occupied, has the potential to unlock highly valued, new jobs for the Halton and south Liverpool area.
“Completing phase one is an important milestone in our plans for Liberty Park, Widnes. The area is attracting significant inward investment, so delivering high-quality warehouse accommodation such as this will help to bring in major manufacturing and logistics companies.”
Dan Gallagher, joint managing director of Stoford Developments, added that the completion of the infrastructure works means the remaining 17-acre site is now fully serviced.
“Liberty Park, Widnes benefits from an existing outline permission for B1, B2 and B8 uses, which is capable of delivering up to 360,000 sq ft of accommodation. This is the only fully serviced site of this size in the south Liverpool area and we are working closely with Halton Borough Council to maximise the site’s potential to deliver further investment into the region.”
Cllr Ron Hignett, Halton Borough Council’s Executive Board member for regeneration, said: “The Council is delighted that Liberty are investing in Halton and bringing forward a strategic site to the market. Speculative developments are still few and far between and it is great to see that Liberty have the confidence in Halton to build this first unit.
“This type of use is so important for Halton and the Liverpool City Region and we have a willing workforce on the doorstep to fulfill any employment requirements. Halton can also offer bespoke support through the Halton Employment Partnership with recruitment and training.”
Liberty Park, Widnes is situated at the heart of the proposed 3MG rail freight distribution zone and benefits from a host of improvements to the surrounding road and rail infrastructure, including the recently opened Merseyside Gateway. It has direct access to the national motorway network via the Knowsley Expressway. Access is via Newstead Road and the completed access road, which runs alongside the railway and links the site to the A562 Speke Road.
Liberty Park, Widnes, is just one industrial/warehouse development by Liberty Property Trust and Stoford. Other schemes include Liberty Park, Lichfield, and Worcester Six.
GMI Construction was the principal contractor for the building construction. CPUK was the principal contractor for the infrastructure construction.
