A second stage consultation has been announced on the major Six56 logistics development plan proposed for green belt land at Grappenhall, Warrington, which would create 4,100 new jobs in the town.
Warrington residents are being invited to view the latest proposals by Langtree for the Six56 Warrington development following two well-attended public workshops in the autumn.
Two additional drop-in sessions have been announced next week – one in Grappenhall Community Centre and the other in Golden Square shopping centre – which will show fresh detail behind the plans and how feedback from stakeholders and the local community has been taken on board.
“We received a lot of very constructive feedback from people who live and work locally and these updated plans reflect that,” said John Downes, group chief executive of Warrington-based Langtree, which is promoting the site for development with Panattoni.
“People were keen to understand how investment in road infrastructure would improve the local network and our new proposals, if accepted, would see new investment in road capacity around the site. Our purpose is to facilitate quick access to and from the motorway junction so that there’s no additional pressure on local roads,” said Mr Downes.
The new plans, for land bounded by Junction 20 of the M6 and Junction 9 of the M56 motorways, will also provide more detail on the scheme’s investment in landscaping and ecology, as well as its proposed layout.
“The development, if approved, would benefit all of Warrington, helping future-proof the local economy,” said John Downes.
“By bringing one of our consultation events to Golden Square shopping centre we are making it easier for people from across the town to see how the scheme can generate employment and training opportunities for themselves and their children.”
The proposed scheme is expected to generate around 4,100 new jobs when fully operational. Calculations by economists predict it will generate £7.1m a year in new rateable income for Warrington Borough Council and millions more in wages and local supplier purchases.
The scheme will focus on providing space for logistics businesses and, says Mr Downes, the range of jobs and their attendant salaries will surprise people.
“There’ll be everything from entry-level operatives to supply chain managers and skilled technicians,” he said. “The average salary in the sector is nearly £28,000 and there’s something for everyone in the type of jobs that will be created.
”Furthermore, Langtree will seek to ensure that the local supply chain benefits from the new jobs created.
“We want Warrington to benefit further from our investment and are committed to working with partners to ensure as many contracts as possible during the construction phase go to local firms,” added Mr Downes.
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. Langtree and Panattoni are bringing forward their proposals in response to Warrington Borough Council’s emerging Local Plan, which has identified a need for 941 acres of new employment space over the next 20 years.
The dates and locations for the two consultation events are:
Thursday 7th March, 2-7pm: Grappenhall Community Centre, Bellhouse Lane, Warrington, WA4 2SG
Friday 8th March, 12-5.30pm: Outside Customer Information Point, Golden Square Shopping Centre, 27 Old Market Place, Warrington, WA1 1QB
There is no need to book for these events, just drop in.
Further information is available on www.Six56Warrington.co.uk
The development has been opposed by local residents living near Bradley farm and Warrington South MP Faisal Rashid.
