Plans for a major employment park in St Helens have been unveiled, with the potential to create almost 2,000 jobs. Peel Lane has launched its proposals for Haydock Point, a 1.3 million sq ft strategic employment destination, which promises higher-value and skilled jobs, along with critical highways improvements to M6 Junction 23 Haydock Island.
What the development includes
Located south of Haydock Park Racecourse, the site could become a manufacturing and employment campus. The plans include a multi-fuel HGV hub to address HGV parking issues and a lack of quality facilities for drivers in the area.
The site was removed from the Green Belt and safeguarded for future employment development in the St Helens Local Plan four years ago. It is now being brought forward to meet current needs, deliver socio-economic benefits, and avoid the risk of losing businesses and jobs to other areas.
Environmental and community benefits
According to Peel, the proposal will also provide new landscaping and wildlife areas equivalent to more than 17 football pitches, 600 new trees, and new walking, running and recreational trails, including a fitness loop of more than 1.6km.
Stephen Wild, managing director of Peel Land Group, said: “Haydock Point will bring long-lasting benefits for the St Helens community. The need and demand are here now to bring forward a modern sustainable employment campus that can meet the requirements of growing local firms and major occupiers.”
Highways and social impact
As part of the project, the northern arm of the A49 will be closed, diverting that route through the site to the A580 East Lancashire Road, to address long-standing highways capacity at M6 Junction 23 Haydock Island and improve journey times.
Mr Wild added: “We are also developing a social value plan which will create future opportunities particularly for young people and those currently out of work, through partnerships with schools, colleges, job centres and the council. Through this consultation, we want to hear which of these benefits matter most to local people and businesses.”
Economic impact
Haydock Point is expected to create 1,845 on-site jobs across manufacturing, industrial, logistics and commercial roles. It would also contribute around £76m of GVA during the construction phase, with around £53m of this concentrated in St Helens.
Dedicated and secure HGV parking will include an alternative HGV fuel hub to support HGV electric charging, HVO renewable diesel and CNG/LNG from day one, with hydrogen-ready infrastructure included to help future-proof the site as new fuel technologies become commercially viable.
Consultation and next steps
Consultation on the plans is now open until Sunday, September 13. A public drop-in event will take place on Wednesday, September 2 at the Mercure Hotel, Haydock, from 3-7pm, where members of the public can view the proposals, meet the project team, ask questions and provide their feedback.
An online Q&A session will also be held on Wednesday, September 9 from 6-7pm. People can also take part in the consultation by completing an online questionnaire at www.haydockpoint.co.uk, emailing info@haydockpoint.co.uk, calling the information line on freephone 0800 689 1095 (Monday to Friday, 9am and 5:30pm) or by returning the printed questionnaire to Freepost HAVE YOUR SAY.
Following the consultation, Peel Land will use the feedback to inform the submission of an outline planning application, which will be submitted to St Helens Borough Council later this year.
