News

Port of Liverpool tops 4 million sq ft of warehousing

For Immediate Release - 18 December, 2007

Plans have been submitted for Phase 2 of a multi-modal logistics hub of nearly one million square feet to meet the demands of the Port of Liverpool's growing trade of almost 34 million tonnes from over 100 countries.

The second stage of development of Liverpool Intermodal Freeport Terminal (LIFT) will provide more than 400,000 sq ft of modern warehousing - expanding the Port's logistics capacity to four million square feet.

The detailed planning application by Peel Ports - Britain's second largest ports group - has been submitted to Sefton Borough Council following the success of the first phase in which all 600,000 sq ft is fully let.

The second stage of the development will consist of high bay, steel portal framed distribution units ranging from 70,000 sq ft to more than 200,000 sq ft, tailored to clients needs and served by sea, rail, road and inland barge.

Two of the units will be directly linked by rail, taking advantage of the planned hike in the Port of Liverpool's rail traffic capacity from December, 2008.

Liverpool now handles an average of 15 trains a day at its five railheads, moving containers, steel, coal, forest products and scrap metal for recycling. Under the Government's Transport Innovation Fund, an abandoned stretch of track known as the Olive Mount Cord, will reduce the transit time for maritime traffic by avoiding the need for trains to shunt across Liverpool's busy Edge Hill junction and will enhance rail capacity.

The Port has also become the international hub at the deepsea end of a container barge shuttle service between Liverpool's Royal Seaforth Terminal and the Irlam Terminal on the Manchester Ship Canal - an initiative launched in association with Tesco to provide a cost effective, environment friendly route to the heart of the cargo rich North West Region of England.

Planning approval for the LIFT expansion will be considered by the local authority early in the New Year, with construction expected to be completed in 2009. Discussions are under way with potential users.

Said Peel Ports' Marketing Director Frank Robotham: "This significant development within the secure environment of the Port of Liverpool and Liverpool Freeport continues to reflect the demand from logistics companies to be part of a port community that offers a strategic location which maximises efficiency and minimises distribution costs.

"Completion of the LIFT project is just one element in the long term expansion plan for the Port of Liverpool as the North and North West of England's natural, cost effective gateway to world sea routes."

Occupants of Phase Two of the LIFT area will join major names in the logistics industry such as the RH Group, Christian Salvesen and Stanton Grove who are among the clients in the development's first phase.

"This expansion takes our warehousing capacity to four million square feet and anticipates an acceleration of demand for logistics platforms adjacent to our proposed Post Panamax Terminal we plan to put into operation during 2011. Every tonne of cargo handled through Liverpool reduces road haul miles across Britain's congested roads and makes its own contribution to securing a greener environment. It also gives the great swathe of Northern England international access without dependency upon south coast ports," said Mr Robotham.

News page

• Peel Ports Group
• Peel Holdings

©2008 Peel Ports Group