Widnes Waterfront: The future’s now

Halton Borough Council has acquired a 40 acre site following £6.1m funding from the NWDA to be redeveloped for employment use. The site is currently occupied by Bayer CropScience, which announced closure of the site in 2007 as part of a restructure of operations and is due to vacate the site by March 2011.

Tony McDermott, from Halton Borough Council, said: “This is a major step forward for the regeneration of the Widnes Waterfront. The sheer size of this piece of land offers unprecedented opportunities in terms of jobs and regeneration.”

Due to the massive changes made to the area since the regeneration programme began, Taylor Young was appointed last year to revise the masterplan. This is now complete and it outlines a number of key objectives including creating a sustainable employment-led mixed-use gateway location of long term regional significance; generating sustainable employment in key sub-regional priority sectors, including energy and environmental, advanced engineering and materials; creating a sustainable mixed leisure and outdoor recreation destination; creating popular sustainable neighbourhoods to satisfy local and future aspirations.

The revised masterplan also includes the introduction of a new 5km fitness trail and ‘green gym’ alongside environmental improvements and tree planting along main routes. The area will provide an opportunity for the public to observe (subject to the outcome of a planning inquiry) the construction of the new Mersey Gateway, a £431m project to see a new bridge built 1.5km east of the existing Silver Jubilee Bridge.

Construction has been completed on the second phase of Heron Business Park. Phase two equates to 19 units, totaling 73,700sq ft ranging in size from 1,590sq ft to 9,492sq ft and has been built following the popularity experienced in Phase One. It provides flexible accommodation, suitable for office, light industrial and general manufacturing uses, with priority given to small and medium sized enterprises within the technology sectors.

Units are also still available to buy or let at Forward Point’s flexible office space, located across three newly constructed glass and brick-clad buildings. Priority Sites has self contained offices and hybrid units available at Turnstone ranging in size from 1,174 to 6,616sq ft.

Planning permission has now been granted for the construction of a 12 metre high wind powered flower on the banks of the River Mersey. Designed by award winning architect Tonkin Liu as part of an international design competition, the flower will feature perforated steel petals that light up with the wind. The petals will overlap one another to create a series of delicate, fluttering patterns on approach, whilst making a bold and optimistic statement.

Anna Liu, Director of Tonkin Liu is delighted by the announcement. She said: “At this site industry meets nature, with a stunningly beautiful light that reflects off the water and the mud plains. Our proposal catches the light and the wind, and marks a point on the horizon of River Mersey.”

Phase One of the new 19,000sq Widnes Shopping Park is well underway with the building work due to be completed by October and the new centre on target to open for Easter 2010. June 2009 saw wood effect panels fitted to the units, giving the impression of the finished look of for the centre. Marks and Spencer is the flagship store, with Next, New Look, Boots, Birthdays and Outfit also moving in to the new centre.

The Widnes Waterfront Gyratory has been remodelled through engineering works and was designed to improve traffic flow and energise further the regeneration of the old industrial development zone with better links to the new town centre.

For more information:
The contact for Forward Point is Chris Wright on 01565 832 500; Heron Business Park call Jonathan Lowe on 0151 471 6729. Widnes Waterfront contact Sara Munikwa on 0151 471 7347 or visit www.widneswaterfront.co.uk