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Peel Ports acquires Ellesmere Port paper mill site

For Immediate Release - 2 June, 2010

Peel Ports, owner of Port of Liverpool and Manchester Ship Canal, has bought land and property at the former site of the Bridgewater Paper Company in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, it was announced today (Wednesday June 2).

The purchase, from administrators Ernst & Young for an undisclosed sum, will give Peel Ports the opportunity to develop up to 75 acres of well-situated land at the heart of England's North West.

The site has the advantages of excellent access to all modes of transport including:

Water – an existing berth on the Manchester Ship Canal with direct links via Peel's barge service to Port of Liverpool and to Ship Canal terminals.

Rail – connections to the UK's rail network via two local lines, one of which runs into the site.

Road – direct access to the UK's motorway network, with J7 of the M53 within 800 yards of the site's front gate.

Andy Martin, head of estates at Peel Ports Mersey, said: "We are very excited by the potential of this site, and there is a substantial opportunity for development and regeneration for the right customers. The location, which is logistically second to none, is highly suitable for a wide range of port-related uses including manufacturing, processing, energy generation or distribution. Added to the site's other attractions is the existence of a significant and modern office complex."

The Port of Liverpool and the Manchester Ship Canal offer owners of cargo the cheapest end to end supply chain cost for the majority of cargo moved to and from the UK.

Stephen Carr, head of business development at Peel Ports Mersey, said: "This acquisition fits in well with our strategy of continuing to develop Port of Liverpool and the Manchester Ship Canal as a key logistical hub for the UK, maximising the potential of 44 miles of waterfront, and allowing customers to deliver value from cheaper and greener access to the major population centres.

"The success of this strategy can be seen by the fact that, due to levels of demand from customers, we have recently doubled the capacity of our barge service from Liverpool to Irlam and points between. In addition Peel last month secured planning permission for a port on the Ship Canal at Warrington, and there are plans for others at Port Salford and Port Wirral."

The site can be developed for many port-side uses including power generation, bulk cargos and distribution centres. Peel Ports plan to engage with a number of potential tenants and users over the coming weeks to establish how to develop the site further.

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