Liverpool Freight Park Plans Under Threat?
A planned rail-road freight interchange in Liverpool was yesterday thrown into uncertainty, with the announcement by a private landowner that it was reviewing its level of involvement. The projected Ditton Freight Park, or, under its alternative name, the ‘Mersey Multimodal Gateway’, would potentially lie on the banks of the River Mersey.
Included within the site on which it would be constructed is an 100-acre site located in Widnes, which has been purchased by Westlink. Prominent figures within the firm have now stated that they are re-evaluating proposals in relation to an industrial warehouse development, which will form a major component of the Freight Park.
Those against the plans, on the grounds of the fact it will swallow up Widnes’ greener areas, have suggested that this re-evaluation could halt the scheme. One of these, Bernard Allen, said: “I think this could be good news for us. It’s looking a bit iffy now, isn’t it?” Bernard Allen is the Chairman of local pressure group The Friends of Halebank.
However, the Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Regeneration and Transport at Halton, Cllr Rob Pohill, was adamant that the Freight Park would be developed as planned. The Westlink review, according to the firm, should be complete before the end of the year. This fact was augmented by the company’s Executive Chairman, Guy Middleton, who stated: “We are still reviewing the plans. We are not yet clear if they are appropriate for what we want to achieve from the site.”
The North West Development Agency has included the £80 million scheme within a collective of 25 projects, which it connects with an expansion of external investment into the region. According to Halton Council, which is paramount to the project, up to 7,000 jobs could be created by the Freight Park’s construction. Its development, the council said, is necessitated by the area’s proximity to the Port of Liverpool, the motorway, and regional airports.
When complete, the interchange would be a mile in length, and located between Ditton and Halebank. Its size would rank it amongst the longest such terminals in Britain.
Source – Freight International Newsdesk
