Network Space has submitted a planning application for the next phase of development at its strategic 21 acre Mere Grange site in St Helens. The commercial property business has submitted plans to develop industrial workspace totalling 90,000 sqft alongside a residential application for nearly 100 units.
The new workspace units range in size from 17,500 sqft and 25,000 sqft and complement the mixed use of the site which is located just off Junction 7 of the M62. The scheme already features a first phase of office development delivered in 2008 alongside the proposed new housing and a further phase of industrial workspace totalling circa 60,000 sqft is expected to follow.
Deborah McLaughlin, Executive Director at the Homes and Communities Agency said “The planning application marks the next step for this development which will help create jobs for local people in St Helens by providing top quality workspace. The 98 homes which will be built on the site will also provide a boost by providing much needed new homes for local people.”
Barrie Grunewald, Council Leader said “I’m delighted to see the planning application for this important scheme come forward – testament to a collaborative approach between the Council, the HCA and Network Space over the last year or so. The scheme has the capacity to deliver up to 400 new jobs available to the local community attracting over £13.5m of private sector investment together with 98 new homes. I’ve always made clear that St Helens is a pro growth Borough and this application is an important milestone in seeing another key regeneration scheme come forward.”
Stephen Barnes, Managing Director (Development) for Network Space said “Mere Grange is a strategic site within the Borough which offers superb connectivity to the motorway network being located less than 2 minutes from Junction 7 of the M62. There has been an acute lack of new quality industrial workspace of this size being developed across the region over the last 8 years and we are confident that demand for this space will be high given the design and specification of the units, the site’s connectivity to the town and motorway network together with the high quality matured landscaped setting that we have delivered at Mere Grange. Network Space currently owns over 350,000 sqft of space within the Borough and the delivery of this additional space is entirely consistent with our objective of extending our 3m sqft modern, well located and well occupied industrial portfolio.”