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Developments Move Forward At Widnes Waterfront Site

Source: Widnes Waterfront

The Forward Partnership is now expected to commence works at both of its developments at the Waterfront by the end of February.
But before construction work can begin, a process of land reclamation has been undertaken. The first stage involved ridding one of its sites of the ‘evil weed’ known more commonly as Japanese Knotweed.
A former railway marshalling yard, the Forward Business Park site has been derelict for more than 25 years. In addition to Japanese Knotweed, quantities of concrete and chemical waste known as galligu have been dumped on the brownfield site leaving it vacant and undeveloped. This has made it difficult to attract developers and businesses into the area, which in turn has restricted the economical development of Halton.
The scheme, located off Brown Street, has been earmarked as a light industrial warehouse park aimed at growth sector businesses. Consisting of two linear rows totalling 11 double-height, single-storey, hi tech units with 3,060 sq metres of accommodation, it is here that the Japanese Knotweed is being eradicated.
The exotic sounding plant with its bamboolike stems and clusters of creamy flowers is the UK’s most invasive plant.
Invading development sites countrywide, it has even been unearthed at London’s 2012 Olympic site and there are now more than 50 sites across Halton with the problem.
An infestation of Japanese Knotweed reduces land value and removing it is expensive and time consuming. The Government now estimates costs in excess of £1.56bn countrywide to eradicate the problem.
With roots that can spread seven metres wide and three metres deep, huge amounts of soil have to be dug up with strict legal restrictions regarding its disposal.
The Forward Partnership’s Chris Wright says: “We need to act responsibly now before development is underway, as this is one of the major ways Japanese Knotweed can spread.”
“Our main concern is to provide high quality space, attracting growth sector businesses to the business park which will in turn create job opportunities for the local community. Before we can even begin to do this we need to eradicate this problem.” The Forward Partnership has employed UK expert Environet Consulting Ltd and work started during the summer.
Nic Seal of Environet Consulting Ltd adds: “It is the building sector where its impact is most felt and developers could be looking at costs of £50,000 and upwards, depending on the size of the site. A costly affair for a developer before a build has even started.” “The site will take around five months to clear but the product we use is proven to be the most effective technique available and prevents vast quantities of infested soil being dumped into precious landfill sites.”
The Forward Partnership’s second development, Forward Point will provide a dramatic gateway to Widnes Waterfront with its location close to the junction of Tan House Lane and Fiddlers Ferry Road.
The project will consist of three modern, flexible office buildings with glass façades, one of three storeys and two two-storey buildings providing a total of 1,535 sq metres of high quality office accommodation.
Forward Point will not only help to fill a gap within the existing portfolio of commercial office space, it will also mean the land will, once again, be brought into long term use following the disposal of any contamination.
The buildings on both sites will be released for sale or lease and are expected to be complete by late autumn 2007.

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