Ion eyes first speculative units at Earlsfield as plans go in

Developer Ion and its partner the Knowsley Estate have submitted a hybrid planning application for the mixed-use 57-acre Earlsfield Park development in North Huyton.

The site sits close to junction 2 of the M57, directly south of the Knowsley Estate and next to the Lord Derby playing fields. It is intended to provide 40 acres of employment space along with 160 homes.

The project includes a pub/restaurant with three-storey hotel alongside, a petrol station with convenience store, and pedestrian and cycle routes. Ion’s intention is for a broad mix of business space, with advanced manufacturing R&D facilities along with sub-regional logistics space and office and workshops.

Ion is going for detailed consent for the housing, and two speculative industrial units of 45,000 sq ft each, along with the petrol station and store and pub/hotel development.

A draft masterplan featuring 376,000 sq ft of light industrial/logistics space, 50,000 sq ft of R&D/manufacturing space and 21,000 sq ft of start-up business space was approved by Knowsley last September.

Ryder Architecture has designed the scheme, and Bellway Homes is to deliver the housing element.

Managing director Steve Parry said: “The employment park is an important focus of this development. With the launch of the Knowledge Quarter, Liverpool and Merseyside is set to become a UK leader in the field of science and technology innovation.

“Our vision for Earlsfield Park is that it is instrumental in supporting the regional direction by becoming a specialist environment that supports science, technology and advanced manufacturing.

‘The beauty of the development is not just in its location and accessibility but through the flexibility of the design which caters for the demands of anything from manufacturing to laboratories, small start-ups or the corporate HQs of global businesses.”

Parry told Place North West that the receipts from the sale of the residential scheme and the retail and leisure will be used to part-fund the infrastructure necessary for the industrial element.

Along with servicing Earlsfield residents and businesses, the store at the filling station is intended to attract custom from the M57, a stretch of motorway without any service stations.