Job-creating new industrial campus plans lodged

Plans for a specialist waterside logistics and manufacturing campus, which will target priority sectors for Wirral and the Liverpool City Region and create hundreds of jobs, have been lodged.The planning application, submitted to Wirral Council by Peel L&P, is for the first phase of the proposed Marine, Energy and Automotive (MEA) Park. This will be a £9m highly sustainable, 70,000 sq ft multi-unit industrial and warehouse scheme which targets industrial and logistics companies and supply chains.MEA Park at Wirral Waters, part of the Liverpool City Region Freeport, will be focused on attracting priority industries for the area. This includes from the marine, renewable energy, automotive, distribution, R&D and general manufacturing sectors.It will also accommodate Port-related manufacturers and logistics occupiers.Plans for the wider MEA Park neighbourhood include the development of a centre of excellence for Modern Methods of Construction, including modular construction. The facilities and skills will be used across a range of industries from house building to the energy and maritime sectors. The first phase of MEA Park is expected to be on site later this year and will be funded by Peel L&P with support from the Merseyside Pension Fund. Plans for the Greenway streetscape project along Beaufort Road, a major green public realm scheme which will surround MEA Park, were approved by Wirral Council last year. The Greenway project is expected to be on site in coming months and has been part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The Greenway will provide a sustainable travel corridor, comprising a walkway and off-road cycle route, for those living, visiting or working in the area. It will be separated from the road via an attractive landscaped corridor, incorporating sustainable drainage systems, native tree species and a wildflower meadow. The MEA Park project team includes: Architects – Broadway Malyan; Planning Consultants – Eden Planning; Quantity Surveyor and Project Manager – Walker Simes; Engineers – Curtins; Mechanical and Electrical Engineering – CWC; Urban Design – Parkinson Inc; Transport – Vectos; Landscape – BCA Lanscape.