Peel unveil 20-year vision for our industrial waterways, and want input from Wirral

Jun 8 2011 by Matt Hurst, Birkenhead News

WIRRAL residents will have the opportunity to make known their views on Peel Ports’ 20-year Mersey Ports Master Plan.

The Manchester-based landowner, also behind the ambitious Wirral Waters scheme, has unveiled plans to transform the north west’s historic industrial waterways and introduce new ‘multi-modal inland ports’ to handle an estimated 70% growth in tonnage.

Two of these ‘inland ports’ will fall within Wirral and have been provisonally called Port Wirral, near Eastham and to its south, Port Bridgewater.

They would be joined to Port Ince, near Ellesmere Port, Port Warrington and Port Salford by the existing Manchester Ship Canal.

The proposals have been set out in a draft Mersey Ports Master Plan, which outlines the major landowner’s 20-year vision.

The master plan was revealed at a special event yesterday that marks the opening of a 13-week period of consultation, closing on Monday, September 25.

Peel Ports Mersey managing director, Gary Hodgson, said: “The purpose of the master plan is to clarify our own strategic planning for the medium to long term – and inform all of our stakeholders; from regional and local planning bodies and transport network providers to port users, employees and, very importantly, people living in local communities, as to how they can expect to see the Port and Ship Canal develop over the coming years.

“This will be an extensive consultation, and we are asking people to get involved and tell us what they think.