Stobart Group has begun work on the West Bank Dock Estate in Widnes, near Liverpool, as part of the Mersey Multimodal Gateway (3MG) development, following a boost of some £4.3m from the North West Development Agency.
The grant is to help clear 43.8 acres of contaminated land including the former Tessenderlo chemical firm site in Desoto Road, enabling its redevelopment into a multi-modal freight distribution facility. Andrew Tinkler, Stobart Group chief executive, said: “The continued development of our site at Widnes is in line with Stobart’s vision to become the UK’s leading provider of multi-modal transport and logistics solutions. Stobart ultimately aims to maximise rail freight opportunities as part of its strategy to reduce road congestion and harmful emissions associated with road transport.”
Plans for the site include the construction of 582,277.4 sq ft of floorspace for a new distribution facility, which is expected to be completed by 2010 and will create up to 1,200 jobs.
The development aims to maximise the site’s road and rail connectivity and will improve multi-modal transfer of freight between road, rail and sea in the Merseyside area. 3MG originally comprised 750,000 sq ft of warehousing and is currently undergoing the first phases of a multi-million pound expansion.
