THE Group Executive of Langree, John Downes, has pledged to support the local supply chain in the development of the controversial Six56 development on green belt land at Grappenhall.
As well as creating 4,100 new jobs, the development, controversially approved by Warrington planners despite a storm of protest from local residents and councillors, will add more than £7m pa in new rateable income
On Thursday night Warrington Borough Council approved developer Langtree’s planning application – subject to non-intervention by the Secretary of State – to develop a major new logistics hub in south Warrington that will create more than 4,000 new jobs.
The £180m development, called Six56 Warrington, will provide approximately 3.1m square feet of new warehousing and distribution space. Its approval now unlocks £7.1m a year in new rates income for investment in local services by Warrington Council.
The development is on land bounded by junction 20 of the M6 and junction 9 of the M56 motorways. The application for the scheme followed a series of “well-attended” public consultation events which helped shape its final design.
The scheme will focus on providing space for logistics businesses, explained John Downes, Langtree’s group chief executive. “It’s where the greatest demand lies and the jobs are much more diverse and better paid than people perhaps realise,” he said.
“The average salary in the sector is around £29,000 and in a scheme of this type there will be a wide variety of roles available, from entry-level up to senior technical and managerial roles. This development is about ensuring that Warrington remains a competitive and relevant economy as the world of work evolves.”
Mr Downes says Langtree’s ambition is to ‘go one step further’, ensuring jobs in the local supply chain, too.
“The impact of our investment will be multiplied if we can engage local suppliers in the construction and operation of the scheme and we are committed to ensuring as many contracts as possible 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.
The scheme will now be referred to the Secretary of State to determine whether he intends to “call it in” for his own assessment.
Following approval, there would be an intensive period of work involved before the construction of units could begin, including reserved matters applications, significant highway and transport improvements and public realm improvements in and around the site.
