Plans for a massive rail freight interchange – including warehousing on land east of the M6 – straddling Wigan, St Helens and Warrington have been put forward.
The scheme includes the demolition of a so-far-unkown number of homes, farmsteads and commercial premises on land south of the Chat Moss line and west of Winwick Lane.
Tritax Big Box has applied to the Secretary of State via the planning inspectorate to authorise the development. Intermodal Logistics Park North Rail Freight Interchange (ILPN RFI), based at St Helier in Jersey is the applicant.
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Under planning regulations, an environmental impact assessment will be required ahead of a planning application, and consultation with the local community.
If it goes ahead, the logistics part will measure 8.2m sq feet of warehousing and ancillary buildings with a total ground-floor footprint of 6.3m sq feet and a 2m sq ftof mezzanine floor space.
A mixture of units will have the potential to be connected to the rail system with plans including the provision of a rail terminal capable of accommodating up to 16 trains, stretching 775 metres in length, per day,
There would also be connections to the mainline and ancillary developments such as container storage, cranes for loading and unloading, shipping containers and parking for lorries.
New bridges would be needed crossing the Chat Moss Line to enhance connectivity and replace level crossings at Parkside No 1 and Lowton Moss.
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Overnight lorry parking and 'welfare facilities' and HGV fuelling services as well as new internal roads and works to the existing road infrastructure on the main site will be provided.
New access to Newton Park Farm and neighbouring properties, new electricity substations, and new energy centres with potential for battery storage are also proposed.
New pedestrian and cycle access routes and the diversion of existing public rights of way will also be required as well as the provision of a public transport hub, including the demolition of existing on-site structures, including residential homes, farmsteads and commercial premises.
The main site of the development is land east of the M6 motorway, south of the Chat Moss Line and to the west of Winwick Lane, including a triangular parcel of land west of Parkside Road and to the north of the Chat Moss Line.
Interested parties and members of the local community can participate in the statutory consultation which is taking place between Tuesday October 28 and Tuesday December 23 and view the plans on the applicant's website at
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