An agreement has been reached that could mean over 1,700 new jobs for Merseyside on land at the former Cronton Colliery in Knowsley.
The proposals are for Symmetry Park, hoped to become a 1m sq ft employment site, which would sit alongside a new country park set to provide a "stunning wildlife haven".
It comes after the Land Trust entered into an agreement to transfer an area of their land to developer Tritax Symmetry, which will form part of the employment site adjoining the 65-acre country park.
The masterplan will be submitted to Knowsley Council this summer, once a period of public consultation has taken place.
Tritax Symmetry said as well as creating up to 830 jobs during the construction phase, it will generate around £46m in net GVA per annum, as well as more than 900 jobs for the city region - a total of over 1,700.
Located east of junction six of the M6, the sites form part of the Halsnead Garden Village Sustainable Urban Extension (HSUE) which represents part of the wider vision for the Halsnead Garden Village.
Speaking about the project, Matt Claxton, planning director at Tritax Symmetry, said: “The employment development will attract multi-million-pound investment in the logistics sector, creating highly-skilled and well-paid jobs as well as giving opportunities to 50 new trainees or apprenticeships during construction.
"We look forward to launching a public consultation later this month, prior to submitting a planning application this summer.”
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It's hoped the new country park will rejuvenate the site of the former Cronton Colliery - which ceased production in March 1984 - "to provide exemplary publicly accessible open space and community facilities".
It will include a network of paths derived from the coal seams below the site inside a "biodiverse habitat of wetlands, grasslands and woodlands".
Developers said a new sustainable transport route will follow the abandoned mineral railway line, creating safe access, sldo connecting the towns and villages to the north and south of the M62.
They said the country park will contain 11 acres of broadleaf woodland, eight acres of wetland habitat to be enjoyed and explored, and 5km of paths for walking, cycling and running.
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Euan Hall, chief executive at the Land Trust, said: “The agreement we have made with Tritax Symmetry offers a rare opportunity to bring both jobs and green spaces to our local communities.
"We are fully committed to the long-term sustainable management of open space for community benefit and this partnership will help us to unlock funding and be a superb resource which will be of huge value to the local community and the local wildlife.”
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The project team includes Gerald Eve as planning consultants and UMC as architects. Michael Lee Architects have designed the country park.
Cllr Tony Brennan, cabinet member for regeneration and economic development, said: “This is an incredibly exciting development which will create lots of employment opportunities for our residents and rejuvenate the local area.
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"This will form a key part of the wider Halsnead Garden Village project and we are delighted to have the Land Trust on board to manage the green spaces around Halsnead as well as working with them to develop the country park, which will deliver a wide range of benefits to the local community.”
Councillor Pat Hackett, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority portfolio holder for inclusive economy and third sector, said: “Halsnead Garden Village is one of our city region’s most significant development sites and will provide a major boost to the local economy, as well as creating hundreds of jobs.
"That’s why we agreed to invest £12m to enable the development of the site and I’m delighted that this agreement brings the project another step closer to fruition.”