Funding threat to £1bn business park

Jul 23 2008 by Alex Turner, Liverpool Daily Post

Mr Broomhead said: “I was asked, because of the increasing costs, ‘were we prepared to put in £7m?’ But we weren’t clear on the benefits. Clearly, in 2002, there was strong market demand for this type of accommodation. Other sites have been developed since, such as Lingley Mere, in Warrington, and Kingsway, in Rochdale. It’s a changing market.

“Phases one and two will prob-ably move ahead as they are, but we have to get the adjacent sites in focus,” he said.

The first two phases, which Miller expects to open next year, will provide 1.5m sq ft of indus-trial and logistic space. The firm is focusing on securing an occu-pier for the site, which they say has attracted considerable inter-est, and making a start on infra-structure works.

But the opening phases account for only one-fifth of the develop-ment, on both sides of the M62 motorway near Junction Eight.

If delivered, it would provide 7.1m sq ft of offices, manufactur-ing, technology and distribution space alongside leisure, retail, hotel and conference facilities.

The masterplan anticipates that Omega will create 12,000 jobs in the next decade and a further 12,000 as the development is com-pleted and occupied. It also ex-pects to create a further 7,000 indirect jobs in construction and engineering.