Omega survives review of 2.2m sq ft St Helens industrial

An 830,000 sq ft Home Bargains shed features in the next phase of the 575-acre scheme, green lit by the secretary of state after an inquiry.

The approval follows that of Parkside Regeneration’s 1m sq ft logistics scheme on a former colliery in Newton-le-Willows yesterday. On a busy day for the St Helens logistics market, Peel L&P’s 1.8m Haydock Point was refused on appeal. 

Omega is being developed by a partnership between Homes England, which owns the land, and Omega Warrington/St Helens, a joint venture between Miller Developments and KUC Properties. 

The phase in question is being delivered in partnership with and TJ Morris, owner of the Home Bargains brand. It comprises a detailed element, the Home Bargains shed, and an outline portion, which proposes an additional 1.4m sq ft of warehouses. 

St Helens Council had approved the 2.2m sq ft scheme in October 2020 but two months later the project was called in amid Green Belt concerns. 

Almost 12 months on, the planning inspectorate ruled the development, located on 186 acres off Junction 8 of the M62, can go ahead. 

While concluding that the plans would “significantly” harm the Green Belt, the inspectorate found that the benefits of the development outweighed the negatives. 

Those benefits include the jobs the scheme would create and an estimated £141.5m boost to the St Helens economy. 

“In any location, a proposal such as this would be capable of attracting significant weight,” the inspectorate said. 

“In St Helens the deprivation picture is very bleak. It is startling how the area has fallen behind its neighbours in creating job opportunities over recent years.” 

The project team is made up of Progress Planning Consultancy, AJA Architects, Chetwoods Architects, Place on Earth, WSP, Hannan Associates and Barton Howe Associates. 

Other occupiers at Omega include THG, Amazon, Travis Perkins and Hermes. 

Earlier this month courier UPS took an 88,000 sq ft unit at the park.