HOT on the heels of Peel Hall the controversial redevelopment of the former Parkside Colliery site near Winwick, Warrington, has been given the green light by the Secretary of State.
The decision has left those campaigning against the proposal in the Winwick area, shell shocked, with one describing it as a “terrible week for the roads of Winwick!”
But the news has been welcomed from the Parkside regeneration team, who say it will bring thousands of new jobs to the area.
Commenting on the decision that will unlock hundreds of millions of pounds of new investment in the neighbouring borough of St Helens and lead to the creation of several thousand new jobs, John Downes, chairman of Parkside Regeneration, said: “It’s been a long road, but we got there. I’m delighted that the Secretary of State saw as clearly as we did Parkside’s potential for transformational change and the contribution it will make to re-balancing the borough’s economy.
“Work starts today on what we need to do to get spades in the ground. There’ll be lots going on behind the scenes that people won’t see, but we’ve already pushed the ‘go’ button.
“This is very personal to me. I started my career at Parkside as a sixteen year-old and it brings that journey full circle. At its peak the colliery employed more than two thousand people and to be able to replace that lost work is hugely satisfying. The economy is changing rapidly as we adjust to a post-pandemic world and the site will provide options for logistics and manufacturing employers that will bring well-paid technical work to the whole of St Helens borough. The potential to capitalise on and support Liverpool Freeport’s growth is particularly noteworthy.
“Everyone in the borough will benefit from this investment. Not just because they’ll possibly know young people accessing apprenticeships and training opportunities, or relatives finding work at Parkside, but because the site will generate millions of pounds a year in rateable income for investment in social care and other vital public services. This is a ‘win’ for the whole borough.”
Adding his delight at the decision, Parkside Regeneration board member and leader of St Helens Borough Council David Baines said: “I am delighted that the Secretary of State has given his backing to Parkside. It is a site of local, regional and national significance, and with the opportunity to be a key part of the Freeport plans for Liverpool City Region it has the potential to be of international significance too.
“St Helens Borough Council is fully committed to doing everything we can to help attract investment and new job opportunities to the borough, and Parkside is the perfect example of this. For communities in Newton-le-Willows in need of jobs and investment this is especially good news. We’ve fought for this for a long time, and now the right decision has at last been made I’m looking forward to seeing work begin on site as quickly as possible.”
But the decision has left those campaigning against the proposal living in the Winwick area of the town, doubly shellshocked after the announcement earlier this week that the 1,200 new homes development at Peel Hall being given the green light.
Many are left wondering how the local networks, which are already heavily used, able to cope with more traffic.
One local resident said: “It has been a terrible week for the roads of Winwick!”
