Stonebridge latest site linked to Amazon shed
Liverpool City council is making an eleventh-hour bid to secure the 1m sq ft Amazon shed requirement at Stonebridge Cross in the north of the city – but could face another planning row over the troubled enquiry.
The council issued a statement on Friday saying it was in discussions with an unnamed party over a major commercial facility at the 60-acre site it owns in north Liverpool.
Over the weekend it emerged residents were being consulted by Birmingham-based Stoford Developments on behalf of Amazon ahead of a planning application.
However, the plans could spark objections from certain residents who prefer the original plans for Stonebridge Cross, which were up to 600 homes, a food store, secondary school for St John Bosco Arts College and a health centre.
It would not be the first planning row surrounding the proposed super-shed. In July, a High Court judge quashed a planning consent from 2011 by Halton council for ProLogis to develop the shed for Amazon at the Mersey Multimodal Gateway in Widnes.
Amazon was understood to have moved its attention to the former BICC Cables site in Knowsley and Praxis Holdings' Deeside site at former RAF Sealand.
Liverpool City Council is willing to rip up its original plans for Stonebridge Cross to land the coveted jobs. Stonebridge Cross is one of mayor Cllr Joe Anderson's strategic sites overseen by his newly formed Liverpool Mayoral Development Corporation. The existing masterplan for Stonebridge Cross was to be delivered by Regeneration Liverpool, a joint venture with Sigma Inpartnership. The JV would have to find other sites for the housing, school and food store if Stoford and Amazon take the land.
In its statement on Friday, Liverpool council said it 'remains committed to delivering the original plans for the site…on alternative land.'
Anderson added: "This is a hugely exciting proposal which has the potential to be a real game changer for this part of the city. It will create over a thousand quality jobs on a scale which has not been seen for many decades.
"This is really good news for a part of Liverpool that desperately needs jobs in order to be able to give the local community hope for the future, and will transform the lives of many people."
The council said a planning application is due to be submitted at the end of August, and if successful the scheme could be complete by autumn 2013.
All parties declined to comment further.
If you go along to the consultation . Its not 1000 jobs its 500 jobs and at peak periods, Christmas etc there may be more. This is right i the middle of a housing estate .Its massive they won’t even tell you , how tall the buildings are going to be . If the council did what they said they were going to do . A School a Super market, hundreds of homes . It would have created far more than 500 jobs Mr Anderson is the elected Mayor, the power seems to have gone to his head . I know Mr Anderson wants to show Liverpool is open for business , all he’s showing here is that he thinks , the people of Croxteth are completely stupid .
By J smith
To be honest, even if Amazon were bringing 1000 jobs that involved making people stand on street corners with lampshades on their heads, with a central office built like a massive illuminated Margaret Thatcher, we’d still be fools not to take it. That area is one of the worst in the country for unemployment and it’s not as if it’s in a conservation area that would be "ruined" by a warehouse. The area needs any investment it can get and if the wider scheme can be delivered on other sites, all the better.
By MrD
The site sits adjacent to a main arterial route into North Liverpool in a commercialised part of the city with excellent motorway links so is an ideal location for a distribution network as Home and Bargain have found out being located just over the road. Other councils across the NW have been fighting for these jobs so if there are 500 or 1000 or somewhere in between its a huge benefit to an area of the city that needs some economic investment . The houses and school can be built elswhere in the area and im sure Morrisons will find a site not a million miles away from there so those jobs wont be lost they will just be on another site. I think if the council manages to pull off this investment it will be a huge coup for the city and they should be applauded for bringing such investment into the north of Liverpool.
By J McKenna
I have done a bit of research about this Company. You can’t blame me, this giant shed is going to be built right next to my house the value of which will be, nothing if this goes ahead. . They haven’t got the best reputation in the world . Its no wonder Hale Bank chased them . Sunday Times reported that staff at Amazon Marston Gate near Milton Keynes – were required to work seven days a week and "punished" for being ill (where staff with a sick note received a "penalty" point; six points meant dismissal). The quotas for packing – 140 items an hour, which is only slightly below the 5 items per two minutes of 2001. Collecting items for packing can mean walking up to 14 miles during a shift. The break periods seem shorter too: one of 15 minutes and another of 20 minutes in an eight-hour shift. Amazon paid £6.30 per hour, 57p more than the minimum wage, but charged £8.50 for transport unless staff could arrange their own. They were also warned that there were surveillance cameras watching them at all times.
By j smith
People moaning about the creation of up to 1000 jobs in an area that’s desperate for jobs, I’ve heard it all now. The proposals that were for this site will simply go on an alternative site nearby. Let’s pray the NIMBY’s don’t ruin this investment for everyone else, they did in Widnes.
By John.
You’ve said all of this in the Echo, the previous plans will simply be built on another site creating those extra 500 jobs you spoke about, so that’s extra jobs created on top of Amazon jobs, simple mathematics. I’m sure the dereliction that’s there now does wonders for your house price too. These additional 500 new homes will have 500 new families all in need of work in an area where there is non.It will simply be built on another site. You’re probably terrified the job centre will offer you work there if the truth be known.
By John.
Your right i have posted this on the Echoes site, but what do you want me to do . I went to the consultation ,they would not even tell how high the buildings are going to be . I HAVE E-MAIL JOE and my MP no response. There is supposed to be a planning procedure. I am beginning to think, this is a big stitch up . Its OK for people, to say what a good idea it is when there not aware of the facts. Go have a look at the plans.
By J smith
Well john i’m sure your not thick .Contrary to popular belief not every one in Croxteth is claiming benefits.
By j smith
They’re only going through the motions by consulting the locals, they have an obligation to do so by law before unanimously passing this beauty. It will be harder for the bone idle to cry there’s no jobs with this there, bring it on.
By John.
If you don’t live in the area , you really can’t comment about. The jobs (there will not be 1000 people based on the site) will be taken by people in and around the Liverpool , not just from Croxteth. My guess is they won’t be putting their homes up for sale just to move somewhere next to the giant warehouse. It just won’t happen. Anyone who lives in Stonebridge/Croxteth Hall Lane had better get ready for housing damage caused by the extra 160 artic lorries going past their house each and nearly every day of the year. I am sure the roads will be able to cope with the extra traffic , after they are re-surfaced following the first water main bursts due to roads giving way too. Can’t wait – maybe that’s where the 1000 jobs will be involved.
By PAUL
Only in Liverpool would you have individuals complaining about a job creation project on their doorstep.
By RMS
Anyone who lives in Stonebridge / Croxteth Hall Lane wont be affected by traffic because it will obviously have its main entrance on the East Lancashire Road for easy access to the motorway, people are trying to scaremonger, it’s not hard to pick holes in their weak arguments.
By John.
There’s two roads into this development. How the hell can people sing the praises of this development , when they haven’t seen the plans. Well i have, Skem can have it. It involves knocking down a sports hall, that my grand kids use. Its building on football pitches they use. Its diverting a river that they fish in. ITS NOT ON A INDUSTRIAL SITE ITS ON A HOUSING ESTATE. MEGA INDUSTRIAL SHEDS ARE SITED on INDUSTRIAL SITES. AWAY FROM HOUSES KIDS ETC NOT ON A HOUSING ESTATES NEXT TO A PRIMARY SCHOOL. I have said it on the echoes site . I will say it again as no one is listening !!!! Don’t judge this until you have seen the plans. I was under the impression the opposition were against selling off school playing fields .
By J smith