Regeneration Projects

Mersey Gateway Project unlocks significant development and Investment opportunities within Halton, the City Region and beyond. This Plan seeks to build on the existing strengths and assets of the local area to continue the physical regeneration and transformation of Halton and further enhance our economic offer. The Plan sets out a cohesive package of development opportunities and identifies the key infrastructure and enabling projects we are looking to bring forward to complement and support growth.

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To maximise the economic benefits created by the Mersey Gateway, Halton Borough Council has produced a ten year physical regeneration plan, Mersey Gateway Regeneration Plus. This document  identifies eight areas within Halton, where the new bridge and the reconfigured road network have the potential to open up land and stimulate new development and reposition an area for growth.

Within this plan, Astmoor Industrial estate has been identified as one of these eight places (called impact areas),  due to the prominence and accessibility brought by the new crossing.  This can act as catalyst to attract new investment and help modernise the estate over coming years, making it a priority for Halton Borough Council.

In November 2018, the Council commissioned a consultant team led by town planners, urban designers, and architects from BDP to develop a Masterplan and Delivery Strategy supported by commercial property consultancy JLL, Curtins (highway engineers), and social value specialist’s EKOSGEN to produce a visionary 5year regeneration masterplan for Astmoor.

The Masterplan identifies the key strengths and weaknesses of the Estate and consider issues such as how to attract new development and investment into Astmoor and what happens to the land being handed back to Council. It will also seek to identify potential infrastructure improvement projects, such as car parking, landscaping, street lighting and signage.

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The Runcorn Vision is a non-statutory, high level document, which sets out ideas and aspirations for the area. The concepts within it are illustrative only and will be subject to detailed design and consultation moving forward. It does, however, highlight the enormous potential of the area through the delivery of a inspirational Station Quarter around Runcorn station, the delinking of the Silver Jubilee Bridge approach structures, along with improvements to the residential offer, retail core, environment, accessibility and pedestrian linkages.

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Focus will be on identifying and exploring options to deliver a high profile and vibrant ‘gateway’ destination adjacent to Runcorn Main Line station including: providing a rich mix of land uses including quality public realm that are realistic and deliverable yet aspirational and transformational; improving visual and physical linkages and movement between the Station Quarter area, the town centre, the canals and nearby communities; and exploring measures to improve inward and onward connectivity with Runcorn Station, looking at options to provide a public transport hub in this area to promote sustainable travel.

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In 2019, the government announced a £3.6 billion funding package that will be divided amongst 100 towns England. In Halton, Runcorn was selected and Halton Borough Council can receive up to £25 million to improve the economic prospects of the town. The Town Deal investment plan needs to aim to long term economic growth with a focus on regeneration, improved transport infrastructure, better digital connectivity, skills and culture.

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Halton Borough Council has submitted a planning application to develop a one mega-watt Solar Farm on the former St Michael’s Golf Course. The project will be part-funded with European Regional Development Funding (ERDF).

The scheme will bring back into use a brownfield site and make use of a Council asset that is has been unsuitable for major development in recent years. The Solar Farm will be connected to Halton Stadium and will provide around 500,000kw of electricity per annum for the next 25 years.

This will reduce the operating costs of the stadium over the same period. The surplus electricity will be either be connected to another Council facility or sold to a third party through a power purchase agreement

The energy generated will reduce CO2 emissions by 380 tonnes per annum or 9,500 tonnes over the lifetime of the project 9,500.