THE first phase of the regeneration of the former Parkside colliery site has been given the go-ahead by the Secretary of State Michael Gove.

The first stage of the project in Newton-le-Willows, which is expected to bring almost 500 jobs during the construction of its first phase and the potential of more than 1,300 new jobs in the completed buildings, has been given the green light.

The plans for Parkside have been approved by Mr Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling up, Housing and Communities, following the decision to grant approval in December 2019 being called in for review by the government.

The first phase of development will see 93,000 square metres of new employment space built on the site, which will bring a range of jobs offering a variety of skills.

The announcement also saw approval of the Parkside Link Road, which will be pivotal in unlocking the sites full potential for future development and help to support the local environment.

Leader of St Helens Borough Council, Councillor David Baines said: “This is a momentous day and one that our council, Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, and Conor McGinn MP have together worked very hard to achieve. It is a site of local, regional and national significance, and with the opportunity to be a key part of the Freeport plans for Liverpool City Region it has the potential to be of international significance too.

“This approval means that we can plan for the long-term future of the site with Parkside Link Road providing the vital infrastructure to help unlock further opportunities for development, bringing further jobs and business opportunities to the borough and securing a sustainable transport vision for the site that helps protect the local environment.

“St Helens Borough Council is fully committed to doing everything we can to help attract investment and new job opportunities to the borough, and Parkside is the perfect example of this. For communities in Newton-le-Willows in need of jobs and investment this is especially good news. We’ve fought for this for a long time, and now the right decision has at last been made I’m looking forward to seeing work begin on site as quickly as possible.”

Commenting on the decision John Downes, chairman of Parkside Regeneration, added: “It’s been a long road, but we got there. I’m delighted that the Secretary of State saw as clearly as we did Parkside’s potential for transformational change and the contribution it will make to re-balancing the borough’s economy.

“Work starts today on what we need to do to get spades in the ground. There’ll be lots going on behind the scenes that people won’t see, but we’ve already pushed the ‘go’ button.

“This is very personal to me. I started my career at Parkside as a sixteen year-old and it brings that journey full circle. At its peak the colliery employed more than two thousand people and to be able to replace that lost work is hugely satisfying. The economy is changing rapidly as we adjust to a post-pandemic world and the site will provide options for logistics and manufacturing employers that will bring well-paid technical work to the whole of St Helens borough. The potential to capitalise on and support Liverpool Freeport’s growth is particularly noteworthy.

“Everyone in the borough will benefit from this investment. Not just because they’ll possibly know young people accessing apprenticeships and training opportunities, or relatives finding work at Parkside, but because the site will generate millions of pounds a year in rateable income for investment in social care and other vital public services. This is a ‘win’ for the whole borough.”

Parkside is seen as a key part of the Liverpool City Region’s Freeport plan as the largest of three ‘tax sites’ in the region, this represents a major opportunity to attract a range of investment and support new job creation at the site.

It is said it will strengthen the role that St Helens plays in the region’s position as an attractive location for global trade, inward investment and innovation.

The approval, along with freeport status, builds on the borough's advanced manufacturing capability, logistics and emerging location for research and innovation, the council added.