Tritax buys 221 acres in St Helens for 2.5m sq ft industrial 

Located within Liverpool City Region’s Freeport zone off Junction 22 of the M6, the scheme would also feature a rail freight interchange. 

Tritax Symmetry has acquired the 221-acre Parkside East site in St Helens site from a private trust in an off-market deal. The price was not disclosed. 

The site was previously being promoted by developer iSec. 

A masterplan proposing a 2.5m sq ft logistics scheme and a strategic rail freight interchange project are now in the works. The St Chad’s railway line runs adjacent to the north of the site and is equidistant from Liverpool to Manchester. 

The project is Tritax’s second rail freight interchange project. In Hinckley, Leicestershire, the developer is seeking to bring forward a multi-modal freight interchange and distribution centre. 

Andrew Dickman, managing director at Tritax Symmetry, said the project is a “timely intervention” following the cancellation of the Northern leg of HS2.  

[The project] will see significant investment into the Liverpool City Region and the wider infrastructure network,” he said. 

“Parkside East is a major project and one we believe will be an exemplar in providing greener, more efficient solutions, removing freight from main line stations and in doing so alleviating pressure and freeing up passenger capacity.” 

The Parkside East site is allocated in St Helens Local Plan for employment uses and a freight interchange. 

Sean Traynor, director of strategic growth at St Helens Council, said: “The adoption of the council’s local plan in 2022 unlocked Parkside East and I am delighted to see this investment by Tritax Symmetry.  

“We are looking forward to working with them alongside our partners at Liverpool City Region to develop a first-class intermodal strategic rail freight interchange, a key feature which makes Parkside East a development site of regional and national importance.”  

Parkside Regeneration, the joint venture between Langtree and St Helens Council, is delivering the redevelopment of the other half of the former Parkside colliery.

Plans for 1m sq ft of industrial space and a £38m link road were approved after call-in last year.

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority awarded a £24m grant from its Strategic Investment Fund towards the link road project to improve connectivity to one of the city region’s key employment sites. 

Rotheram said Tritax’s scheme would form a key part of the city region’s freeport, announced in January. 

“Thanks to devolution, with local leaders working together in the best interests of our communities, we’ve been able to take a leading role in the regeneration of sites like Parkside,” he said.  

“The freeport has the potential to attract international investment, create more well-paid, highly-skilled jobs for local people and build on our existing strengths. But, for me, it has to mean much more than that. I want to ensure that there is purpose behind this status that fuels greater social mobility, innovation, and inclusion for our whole region.” 

Ingham and Yorke advised the vendor. Tritax represented itself. 

Learn more about the future of transport in the region at Place North West’s Transport and Infrastructure conference on 25 January 2024.