14 November 2008
£4.3 million to spearhead the creation of up to 1,200 jobs in
Halton
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) is pleased to
announce an investment of £4.3 million for site remediation works
at 3MG (Mersey Multimodal Gateway) in Halton, paving the way for a
new development which will create up to 1,200 jobs.
The Agency’s grant will bring a 43.8 acre site back into
productive use, enabling its redevelopment into a multi modal
freight distribution facility, which will be taken forward by
Stobart Group, in partnership with Halton Borough Council.
Plans for the site include the construction of 54,115 sq m of
floorspace for a new distribution facility, which is expected to be
completed by 2010. The development aims to maximise the site’s road
and rail connectivity and will significantly improve the multi
modal transfer of freight between road, rail and sea in the
Merseyside area.
Peter White, NWDA Executive Director of Development, said:
“As one of the region’s strategic regional sites, the NWDA
recognises the potential of 3MG as a key employment location.
Through enabling its remediation to bring it back into economic
use, the Agency’s investment will kick-start a major redevelopment
that will help to significantly rejuvenate this area of Halton,
lever in new private sector investment and create new job
opportunities for the local community.”
Andrew Tinkler, Stobart Group, Chief Executive commented:
“The continued development of our site at Widnes is in line with
Stobart Group’s vision to become the UK’s leading provider of
Multimodal transport and logistics solutions.
Stobart ultimately aims to maximise rail freight opportunities
as part of its strategy for the site to reduce road congestion and
harmful emissions associated with road transport.
“We are delighted with the support we have received from the
NWDA and Halton Borough Council without which this development
would not have gone ahead.”
Halton Borough Council's Executive Board Member for
Regeneration, Cllr Rob Polhill, said:
"This is a tremendous opportunity for us to buck the national
trend and bring more good quality jobs and opportunities into
Halton. The regeneration of the West Bank Dock Estate area is
vitally important for the entire borough as it is adjacent to the
Silver Jubilee Bridge at the entrance to Widnes and Merseyside. For
many years it has been unsightly and in a dilapidated condition and
I’m pleased that this important investment by Stobart will go a
long way towards improving the appearance of Widnes.”
Ends
For further information please contact Sarah Moston, Press
Officer on 01925 400552 or 07810 528 471 or Sarah.Moston@nwda.co.uk
For further information and to view all press releases visit us
at www.nwda.co.uk/press
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) leads the
economic development and regeneration of England's Northwest and is
responsible for:
• Supporting business growth and encouraging
investment
• Matching skills provision to employer needs
• Creating the conditions for economic growth
• Connecting the region through effective transport and
communication infrastructure
• Promoting the region’s outstanding quality of life
Stobart Group is one of the UK’s leading providers of multimodal
transport and logistic solutions. The company provides road, rail,
sea and inland waterway transport and operates over 1,850 trucks
and five million square feet of warehousing. The Group employs more
than 5,300 people in the UK, Ireland and Europe.
Core to Stobart Group’s strategy is reducing environmental waste
through providing innovative transport solutions and efficient
utilisation of its fleet. Stobart works in partnership with its
customers to offer transparency in pricing enabling them to share
both risk and reward.
For further information please contact:
Julie Gaskell
Head of Communications
Stobart Group
Knutsford Road, Chelford,
Cheshire SK11 9AS
tel: 01625 860377
mo: 07768 038912