Liverpool gives green light to £96m Speke ‘mega shed’
GB Europe has been granted permission to redevelop the 50-acre former Prinovis site off Dakota Drive into a 950,000 sq ft industrial unit for Uniserve.
Liverpool City Council’s planning team had recommended the £96m project for approval and, after a 30-minute discussion, members voted in favour of the scheme.
GB Europe acquired the former Prinovis site at Estuary Business Park for £22m last year and submitted plans for its redevelopment 13 months ago.
An economic impact assessment published by Brookdale Consulting estimates the £96m scheme would generate £42m in business rates over 10 years and create 500 jobs.
Earlier this year, GB Europe sought to allay fears of local residents around the impact of the development on the local highways network by removing proposals for a vehicular access off Blackburne Street.
Chetwoods is the architect, Avison Young is advising on planning, and KAM Project Consultants is the project manager.
Burrows Graham, FPCR, Hoare Lea, MBA, CDM, Lucion, Turley, and PJA are also on the project team.
To learn more about the scheme search for reference number 24F/2752 on Liverpool City Council’s planning portal.
During the meeting, local councillor Lucy Williams praised GB Europe for working with the community.
“It is not something we are used to in Garston,” she said.
Williams, who described the scheme as a “mega shed”, was also uneasy about the scale of the scheme and what she said was a “negligible” number of jobs that could be created. She added that the sheer size of the development demanded “extra scrutiny”.
Williams had urged unsuccessfully for a deferral on the decision so that a more robust package of mitigation that would better consider the needs of local residents could be devised.
Very welcome news.
By Liverpool4Progess
Councillors like Lucy Williams along with the loony left is the reason Liverpool is so far behind other cities. She has joined Corbyns new party which says everything you need to know. Well done to the members who approved it.
By Len
Common sense prevails, however the councillor praises GB but then she tries to get a decision deferred. This is a reputable company and Liverpool cannot afford to be spurning or messing them about or we just become a no go area for investment.
By Anonymous
It is becoming increasingly apparent unfortunately,that certain councillors want to oppose progress and deny the local population employment opportunities with their strange political agenda.
One only has to look at the recent events at the “Your Party” conference this past weekend.
By Liverpolitis
Another small agenda of 5 items, this being the standout , and the other 4 probably could’ve been dealt with through delegated powers. Very little new stuff coming through planning but there is a backlog, some of it high-rise, has the Building Safety Regulator ever determined a project in Liverpool yet?
By Anonymous
Lucy Williams needs to honestly come down to planet earth kicking off about every development in the area and every single inconvenience
By Anonymous
Good on Cllr Williams for asking for more time. There’s loads of these sheds going up round here but not much going in them. A lorry park with food, sleeping and bathroom facilities would have been a great idea, right next to the Estuary park, the retail park and the airport, and taken the parked up lorries off the estate.
By Speker
@ Speker, if you re read the article it states Uniserve will occupy the building, they are a UK wide logistics company, so it won’t be empty. Not sure why you or the councillor want to delay the project as GB Europe have already agreed to the access amendments, all the councillor is doing is posturing to the objectors in the hope that she gets re elected next time round.
By Anonymous
Those say well done and congratulations to the council and GB probably don’t have to live anywhere near this. The area has hundreds of HGV’s Daily and this is going to add another 100 to start with guarantee it will be more. The trucks always end up on the housing estate causing traffic chaos because the drivers can’t or won’t read sign or follow directions
By Fed-up-with-bull