RETAILER Littlewoods is the latest business to throw its weight behind the bid to build a new crossing over the River Mersey at Halton with the announcement of plans for a development on the borders of Widnes and Merseyside.
The company is preparing to re-locate the head office of its home shopping division and its 1,200 staff to the Estuary Business Park, Speke, in recognition of the transport improvements which will be brought about by a second bridge.
The proposed £335m Mersey Gateway bid, which is currently with the Government for final approval, would relieve congestion and ensure that the economic growth of the South Liverpool area is not stifled.
Littlewoods Home Shopping is investing more than £30m in its new HQ complex which includes the refurbishment and conversion of a former aircraft hangar to provide 130,000sq ft of offices, to be known as Skyways House.
Littlewoods is also constructing two additional new buildings on the site. The first, to be known as Skyways 2, will provide 83,000sq ft of additional offices with ancillary storage facilities while the second, to be known as Skyways 3, provides 11,000sq ft of support facilities.
Alistair McGeorge, chief executive of Littlewoods Home Shopping, said: 'The Skyways House development will create a first-class facility for our business and our people, but it is very important that our employees and key suppliers can easily access our new offices.
'Speke provides us with good access to the M62, Liverpool City Centre and Liverpool John Lennon Airport, but we believe it is vital that the Mersey Gateway is approved and built as it will make a vital contribution to the continued regeneration of the region.'
Councillor Tony McDermott, leader of Halton Borough Council and chairman of the Mersey Crossing Group, said: 'It is fantastic to receive support from a company with such a high-profile household name as Littlewoods.
'In our representations to the Government, we have demonstrated just how important a new river crossing is to the local and regional company.'
