WARRINGTON Town Football Club’s ambitious plans for a 5,000 to 6,000 seater stadium at Omega, the £1bn, 233 ha (575-acres) mixed-use development site at Junction 8 of the M62, have been welcomed by the site’s delivery partners.
Although proposals have not yet been presented to the site’s delivery partners, Omega Warrington Ltd, a joint venture between Miller Developments and KUC Properties Ltd, in partnership with The Homes and Communities Agency and supported by Warrington Borough Council, the club’s ambitions have been welcomed.
Andrew Sutherland, (pictured right) joint Managing Director of Miller Developments and a partner of Omega Warrington Ltd (OWL), said of the football club’s ambitions: “It is excellent news for Warrington that the club is looking seriously at a considerable investment for a stadium and facilities that I’m sure will be welcomed by its staff, players and fans.
“The Council, HCA and ourselves would be happy to consider its incorporation in the Masterplan subject to receiving a viable business plan from the club.”
The Omega opportunity is set to deliver 24,000 jobs for a range of skills in the North West over the next 25 years.
Mr Sutherland added: “As OWL has said throughout, the main focus for this major site is the Growth Agenda and the securing of jobs for the people of the North West, whether via permanent or construction-led opportunities. The partnership has been working hard to achieve this and we have seen a quantum leap in demand from occupiers over the last few months meaning hundreds of jobs can be delivered in the next couple of years.”
In December 2012, Omega Warrington Ltd announced the first occupier for Omega North and Brakes, the grocery and fresh food suppliers, is now on site and due for completion by the end of the summer 2013. This first occupier will bring hundreds of new jobs to Warrington and a series of further investments, by occupiers looking to expand, are about to be announced. These are likely to generate in excess of 2,200 further long term jobs in the next couple of years plus around 1,000 construction jobs.
Councillor Terry O’Neill, (pictured left) Leader of Warrington Borough Council said: “Investment in Warrington is a great news story and one which the Council welcomes with open arms. Warrington FC is well regarded in the town and is a great asset not just in sporting terms but also for its support of the local community.
“We look forward to seeing a viable business plan for the stadium in order that we can consider whether it can be incorporated into the Masterplan for Omega.”
Deborah McLaughlin, North West Executive Director at the HCA said: “Omega is a significant opportunity to make a real difference in jobs terms to Warrington and the North West after a very challenging economic period. Considerable investment has already been undertaken by partners, both public and private sector, to ensure this site is ‘open for business’ when the market picked up. With recent and further imminent occupier success meaning this can finally be achieved, we need to ensure every square metre of Omega can assist the wider economic development objectives for the borough.
She added: “With this in mind, the Warrington FC proposals for Omega, and any other plans brought forward, will need to be assessed against that context to ensure the best possible, long-term investment for Warrington.”
A stand similar to one the club is hoping to create
2 Comments
Would love to see the stadium in this location, would be a huge boost for the town and for the football community. Loads of families must be priced out of United/Liverpool etc, and it would be great to get them behind Warrington Town.
That area of town is bad enough at weekends with all the shops and the councils total incompetance and lack of vision by putting single carriageway roads everywhere…. Plonking a stadium in amongst it all too just in order to satisfy the whims of some over expectant businessmen and a football club who command the following that would struggle to fill the local roller rink is taking things a bit too far. We have more than enough sports facilities and more than enough venues in the local area