Halton Borough Council’s ambitious plans for the regeneration of Astmoor Industrial Estate took a step nearer recently when Executive Board Members approved the adoption of the Astmoor 5 Year Regeneration Masterplan.
In addition, £1.5m capital funding was secured for the refurbishment of Astmoor Road and the Discretionary Rates Relief scheme has been extended by 1 year to March 2025.
Astmoor has been identified as one of eight regeneration impact areas across the Borough; places where the Mersey Gateway and the reconfigured road network will unlock land for new development opportunity and reposition the area for growth. To maximise the local economic benefits of the new Crossing, the Council has produced a 10 year physical regeneration plan. This Plan seeks to build on the existing strengths and assets of the local area to continue the physical regeneration and transformation of Halton and further enhance the economic offer.
Following the appointment of a consortium of property, highways and inclusive growth specialists led by urban designers and architects BDP, an extensive consultation process with stakeholders ensued to help develop a shared vision for Astmoor. The resulting masterplan sets out a cohesive package of development and investment opportunities that also includes four ‘hand back’ sites currently available for development following the completion of the Mersey Gateway, and identifies key infrastructure and place-making projects that the Council are looking to bring forward to support growth on Astmoor.
The masterplan also recognises that Astmoor already benefits from an active and engaged business community being a Business Improvement District (BID) since 2008. The BID presents strong foundations for stakeholder engagement and delivering business led regeneration.
The Executive Board report concluded that the Council will now proceed to develop a disposal strategy for the four handback sites, as well as engaging with Astmoor businesses to agree the refurbishment of Astmoor Road, with work planned to start on site in the spring of 2021.
The Astmoor Regeneration Masterplan, Delivery Strategy and video presentation are available to view on Halton Borough Council’s website on the following link: https://www3.halton.gov.uk/Pages/business/regen/regen.aspx
For further information contact astmoor@halton.gov.uk