Davos lines up Home Bargains and sheds in Huyton
As well as a 25,000 sq ft store at the former distillery site, the developer will reconfigure its Sovereign Park holdings to offer three separate industrial units totalling 190,000 sq ft.
In proposals due to be determined by Knowsley Council’s planning committee on Thursday 26 June, the changes for the Wilson Road site are recommended for approval.
The site is part of the former Sovereign Distillery complex, sold by Lambrini maker Halewood to Network Space in 2021. Tom Morris’s Davos Property Developments then took control of the site in 2023.
Neighbours to the site include housing and the 185,000 sq ft first phase of the Sovereign complex’s redevelopment.
Davos proposes a 25, 780 sq ft retail store, and three industrial buildings, of 74,771 sq ft, 48,818 sq ft, and 66,475 sq ft, as the outcome of a part-demolition, part-refurbishment project.
Architect AEW and planner Quod feature in a professional team also including Amenity Tree, and Walker Sime as employer’s agent and QS.
As set out by planning officers, the existing two access points from Wilson Road would be retained and widened under the project. Six neighbour objections have been registered.
In planning terms, the warehousing/industrial use causes no problem, as the site remains allocated for employment. The retail aspect is more of an issue, with Knowsley required to rule on whether the project will impact town or local centres, and whether the loss of employment land is acceptable.
Although the store’s size falls below the size required at which an impact statement is obligatory, one was requested due to the proximity to Huyton centre and local centres.
A sequential site search found no alternative sites in the Tarbock Road and Manor Farm Road local centres, and while six were found in the Huyton town centre area, each was dismissed for reasons including size and servicing issues.
This included the former Wilko store at Cavendish Walk, ruled out by the applicant’s team due to troublesome trolley access and the store being under offer to another operator while its plans were being prepared – although that deal did not gone through, interest remains, planning officers confirmed.
As a condition of planning consent, it is suggested that a maximum of 45% of the sales area be given to convenience retail, and 55% to comparison goods, such as household goods, toys and pet products.
Davos’ application can be viewed on Knowsley’s planning portal with the reference 23/02782/FUL.
Suburban sites like this are the right location for mediocre architecture, rather than Liverpool’s waterfront and key sites like KET.
By Anonymous
I hope there will be more tea room’s when they re build !
By Mary Woolley
Not sure what Knowsley are doing baulking the retail, as there’s already an Aldi a few hundred yards away at Tarbock Roundabout, so why would a Home Bargains affect Huyton Village.
By Anonymous