John Whittaker’s Peel Group has been granted consent by Wirral council to develop the £175m Peel International Trade Centre within its Wirral Waters scheme at Birkenhead Docks, Merseyside.
The 2.5m sq ft Peel ITC will comprise four multi-level buildings delivered in phases, including trade showrooms to promote wholesale products to UK and overseas customers.
Chinese firm Sam Wa Minerals will be Peel’s joint venture partner for the first phase of the project.
Peel’s aim is that the completed scheme will enable more than 1,000 companies from emerging economies such as China, South Korea and India, to trade exclusively with the wholesale market.
Lindsey Ashworth, development director at Peel Holdings, said: “The Peel ITC will help kick-start the main Wirral Waters scheme at East Float for which planning permission was granted at the end of last year.
“Our vision is for the long-term regeneration of Merseyside and the North West by attracting international investment, and through the Peel ITC this could be the start that we so desperately need.”
Stella Shiu, chairman of Sam Wa Minerals, said, “With support from Sam Wa’s UK team including legal advisors Martineau and Loynton, Sam Wa has built strong links between China and the UK at the highest levels, and we are already seeing huge interest in China to the idea of coming to the Wirral.”
Wirral Council Leader Steve Foulkes added: “The granting of this consent means that Peel – and we as the local authority, will do all we can to support them – can get on with attracting investors and future occupiers to both the Peel ITC and East Float.”
daniel.cunningham@estatesgazette.com
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