Published on: 20 March 2024
Parkside Regeneration LLP, the joint venture company delivering the transformation of the former Parkside colliery in Newton-le-Willows, says it is now moving to the next stage of its plan to boost local supply chain input to the major employment scheme.
A research assignment on the company’s behalf contacted 2,000 businesses in St Helens and the wider Liverpool city region to gauge their interest in supplying the scheme during construction of its first phase. A total of 169 businesses have registered, and they will now go forward to the next phase of assessment.
“This initial search has proven highly beneficial and will help us maximise the local input into Parkside,” said John Downes, group chief executive of developer Langtree, which is a 50:50 shareholder in the joint venture with St Helens Council.
The research was undertaken for Parkside by St Helens Chamber of Commerce, which last week announced that it had been placed in administration. The data, owned by the joint venture, will be managed by the project’s professional team going forward, says Mr Downes.
“We’re now working with the contracting industry to help us understand how best to qualify suppliers and sub-contractors for work on phase one. That’s about understanding the sort of documentation and accreditation that a main contractor requires of its supply chain to comply with its insurance and project delivery protocols. Once we’ve clarified this then we’ll be getting back in touch with our registered businesses with guidance on bid timetables and needs.”
Until that point, says Downes, companies can still register their interest in bidding for a range of work packages, from earthworks to joinery and flooring to windows, at thisisparkside.co.uk/local-suppliers
“The surest way of maximising the social value for Newton-le-Willows and the wider borough is through helping local firms secure contracts to deliver Parkside. Building capacity and confidence in our local supply chain whilst also attracting high quality long-term jobs will be what marks Parkside out as an exemplar of true public and private partnership,” said Cllr Kate Groucutt, St Helens Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy, Skills and Business.
The £80m first phase passed its final planning hurdle last week with approval of its reserved matters application and is anticipated to create around 1,330 jobs when fully operation. It will benefit from the construction of the £55m Parkside Link Road, which connects the site to Junction 22 of the M6 motorway and is set to complete this spring. Once finished, phase one is expected to generate more than £2.2m in annual rates income for St Helens Borough Council and add more than £80m of output per annum to the borough’s economy.
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