Multi-million pound infrastructure improvements herald ‘time of transformation’ for Lancashire

The new Bay Gateway in Lancashire and port investments at Heysham and Liverpool signal a new era of improved economic opportunity for the county, according to several business and community leaders.

Lancashire County Council and Peel Ports, which operates Heysham Port, have said the future looks bright for businesses in the area thanks to increased prospects for trade and growth.

A £10m project to build a new link-span bridge at the Port of Heysham is underway. Once complete in October, the scheme will boost throughput by allowing the port to accommodate larger RoRo vessels from the Irish Sea.

Additionally, the launch of the Bay Gateway – a 4.8km route connecting the Heysham peninsula with the M6 – in March slashed the journey time for goods moving between the UK and Ireland by 30 minutes.

Peel Ports also said that, in addition to the infrastructure improvements in Heysham, its recently opened Liverpool2 container terminal will create new opportunities for importing and exporting in the region.

The £400m investment, making the Port of Liverpool big enough to accommodate the biggest container ships in the world, enables cargo owners to cut costs, avoid congestion and reduce carbon emissions by shipping closer to market.

Warren Marshall, group planning director at Peel Ports, said: “The past few years have been a time of transformation for Lancashire and the wider North West.

“With a shared vision for increasing capacity for trade and investing in infrastructure, Peel Ports and Lancashire County Council are confident that recent these developments have strengthened the position of the region and future-proofed it for many years to come.”

He continued: “This recent activity also underlines the case for the Northern Powerhouse as a means to help rebalance the UK economy. Our own investment in Liverpool and Heysham highlights our unwavering commitment to seeing the North West lead the UK as the region of choice for international and Irish Sea shipping.”

Lancashire County Council’s Leader, County Cllr Jennifer Mein, commented: “The opening of the Bay Gateway signals real change in Lancashire. In the few months that traffic has been using the Gateway we have seen the benefits for local people and businesses, in terms of reducing travel times and congestion and improving the reliability of journeys by road.

“We are committed to creating the conditions for communities and businesses to thrive and the Bay Gateway is another transport infrastructure landmark that will not only benefit the local area but the whole county. It is also one of many strategic economic initiatives that we are delivering with business partners across Lancashire to develop new growth and investment opportunities with businesses already established here and those we are aiming to attract to the county.”

She added: “The Bay Gateway, which created 3,000 jobs in the construction phase, is already benefitting business and it is exciting to visit the Port of Heysham and see the real impact of our investment on the ground.”

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