Widnes Waterfront – four years on

Award-winning architect-planners Taylor Young have now been brought in to revise and update the Widnes Waterfront Masterplan. Councillor Rob Polhill Deputy Leader of Halton Borough Council, explains: “The Widnes Waterfront scheme has moved on considerably since the first masterplan was developed in 2004. We have now completed several schemes with many more in the pipeline so now is a good time for us to look at what we have already achieved and decide how best to go forward into the future.”

National developer Priority Sites has recently relocated its North West operation to Turnstone Business Park. The national regeneration specialist, which has offices strategically located in the North West, Yorkshire and the South West of England, has occupied prime new business space at Turnstone Business Park.

Bill Skilki, Chief Executive of Priority Sites comments: “Our move to Widnes Waterfront will allow us to focus on projects on both sides of the Mersey, and in the wider North West region, and is an opportunity to underpin the progress we have made in Widnes to date.”

Work has also been completed on the first speculative, Grade A office space to be developed in Widnes for more than a decade. Cheshire-based developer The Forward Partnership has delivered its £2.4m Forward Point scheme on time and within budget. The development’s 16,553sq ft of flexible office space is located across three new glass and brick-clad buildings. The office units are available for sale or to let, in suites from 2,207sq ft and are being targeted towards inward investors and local businesses. 

Following on from the success of the first phase, construction work has recently been completed on a second phase of Heron Business Park. The two phases of the £5.9m development comprise of 125,000sq ft of light-industrial space.

Phase two equates to a total of 19 units, totaling 73,700sq ft ranging in size from 1,590sq ft to 9,492sq ft and has been built on the back of the popularity experienced in phase one. It will provide flexible accommodation, suitable for office, light industrial and general manufacturing uses, with priority given to small and medium sized enterprises within the technology sectors. The units are available by way of a short term lease or purchase of a 250-year lease.

Wernick Hire, the UK’s largest independent hirer of modular and portable buildings recently opened a new depot at the Waterfront. The privately owned hire company has developed 4.5 acres on what was the site of the old Clariant Chemical Works. As well as building an up-to-date 570sq m workshop and an adjacent 170sq m office facility for its own hire staff, the company has also refurbished the existing 200sq m offices that were used by the chemical plant into affordable office space.

Boulting Ltd has signed a three-year lease to occupy 2348sq ft at Turnstone Business Park. This latest letting follows plumbing and heating firm OMG which moved into 3,000sq ft of brand new accommodation.

The development was completed in March last year and comprises 60,000sq ft of high quality hybrid and office accommodation. It is  anticipated the scheme will create up to 180 jobs when fully occupied. Work has also been completed on the Widnes Waterfront gyratory, transforming it from a conventional three phase cross road system into a more efficient two phase system. The new infrastructure allows for an increased traffic capacity and more lanes which together allow greater levels of though-traffic.

Contact information
Sara Munikwa, Widnes Waterfront Programme Manager on 0151 471 7347 or email sara.munikwa@halton.gov.uk