Member Article

Green light for next phase of Warrington’s Omega South logistics centre project

Omega Warrington Ltd (OWL) has gained reserved matters planning permission to deliver 686,000sq ft logistics space, including warehouse space plus a two storey office development, for the next new occupier on Omega South.

The new occupier will take the logistics space on a plot of around 41 acres plot with capacity for future expansion, making this the largest application to be consented in the North West this year.

The new premises will sit within the ‘Zone 7’which was granted ‘outline’ planning consent in May 2014 for 2.1m sq ft of logistics and manufacturing space, a new access road and a 35 acres ‘Green Heart’ habitat creation, including open green space which will be accessible to the whole Warrington community.

The next phase of development will see an access road ‘Skyline Drive’ extend past the new Asda building, down to Omega Boulevard. Skyline Drive will not only serve Omega but will assist in providing traffic relief on surrounding roads.

Andrew Sutherland, joint MD for Miller Developments, said: “Omega is proving itself as the most deliverable scheme in the North West, with an impressive 2.5m sq ft of consented development achieved in the past 24 months alone.

“The approval of this latest reserved matters application represents the largest single occupier planning approval in the North West this year, and will enable us to bring forward the second development on Omega South, with premises for ASDA now well under way and due to open for business in 2015.

“Not only will this development create hundreds of new jobs on Omega, but it is an important milestone in the delivery of Zone 7, a 150-acre site which will offer a wealth of opportunities for smaller local businesses in logistics and manufacturing as well as large national occupiers.”

Cllr Terry O’Neill, leader of Warrington Borough Council said: “We have come such a long way with this innovative development and I am delighted that we have reached this stage of the master plan.

“Our check list for Warrington is extensive- we want more jobs, skills, training, affordable homes and local amenities to name but a few and the Omega development is helping us to achieve this for the benefit of all our residents.”

Deborah McLaughlin, the HCA’s Executive Director for the North West, said: “This is great news. Over the last few years, we’ve set about transforming the site into a major distribution centre for the North West and this latest success will mean more yet more jobs are brought to the area.”

Zone 7 is part of a wider Masterplan for Omega. In total the whole development is expected to create around 24,000 new jobs over the next 25 years for a range of skills in the North West.

It also proposes to provide 1,100 new homes, a local supermarket, neighbourhood shops plus a family pub, hotel and restaurants to serve the site and the local area generally. It may also include further community facilities such as a new primary school, doctors’ surgery and extra care centre.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .