Plans have been revealed to create a new M&S Foodhall, Lidl supermarket and business park next to Formby Bypass, creating “substantial employment opportunities” for the area.
The ambitious scheme would also include small-scale business starter units; co-working spaces; light industrial facilities; and new research and development hubs.
Local residents could also see a new medical facility, a Costa Coffee drive-through and another drive-through, and a new junction off Formby Bypass.
A planning application by Sefton and Formby Developments Limited has been submitted to Sefton Council for the 31.35-acre site in Formby.
The owners say the site, on land the the north of Formby Industrial Estate and east of the A565 Formby Bypass, is “strategically phased to enable the site’s ultimate purpose of creating substantial employment opportunities”.
The 2,185 sqm Lidl store would be served by a 123 space car park.
The 2,006 sqm M&S Foodhall would offer 178 customer car parking spaces and an additional 11 car parking spaces for staff.
A new junction would be constructed to facilitate access and servicing for the development.
Additionally, it features a 167 sqm Costa drive-thru, as well as a second 295 sqm drive-thru, which will be in outline planning.
The first phase also incorporates a 1,033 sqm community medical facility, addressing local health needs.
In their planning application, on behalf of Sefton and Formby Developments Limited by Mono Architectural Design said: “As a whole, the proposed development will deliver the high-quality business park envisaged by the Local Plan policies, which will perform a strategic role in attracting significant local and inward investment and generating a high level of job outputs within a high-quality environment.
“However, it will be necessary for the development proposals to include a limited number of other uses in order to cross-subsidise / enable the delivery of the proposed employment floorspace.
“In particular, these other uses will cross subsidise the construction of a new signal-controlled junction on Formby Bypass to provide access to the business park, will enable significant site constraints to be overcome and will facilitate the provision of essential infrastructure and utility supplies to support the employment function, without which the business park would not be viable in isolation.
“The business park will remain the dominant use and employment uses will be the primary job generators, with the enabling development being subordinate in scale but, nevertheless, also making a valid contribution towards job outputs.”
Potential employment uses include:
1) Small-Scale Starter Units: Affordable, adaptable workspaces for startups and small businesses.
2) Co-Working Spaces: Collaborative environments for freelancers and small teams.
3) Light Industrial Facilities: Spaces for light manufacturing and assembly such as Automotive assembly, Small to medium-scale food production, Furniture assembly, Electronics, Garment production, Hydroponic/aeroponic farming, Storage and Distribution etc.
4) Research and Development Hubs: Flexible spaces for tech startups and innovation. The layout emphasizes accessibility and sustainability, promoting economic growth while enhancing site functionality.
Mono Architectural Design said: “ said: “At present, the site is currently a greenfield site, and would be cleared, altered and levelled sympathetic to its context and environment.
“Given Sefton & Formby Developments commitment to invest in Formby, the proposed development will, if consented, be constructed at the earliest opportunity, and will provide a quantitative and qualitative improvement in the employment offer in Formby.”
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