Futuristic vision outlined for Heath Business Park
AMBITIOUS, futuristic plans have been unveiled that could see a monorail built in Runcorn.
The transport scheme could be part of striking plans to create a ‘modern-day version of Port Sunlight’.
As yet, not a great deal is known about how the monorail could run, but SOG Group’s managing director John Lewis told an event in Liverpool that the plans were ‘creative and realistic – not pie in the sky’.
The developers released a video showing how Heath Park may look, with the vision including driverless cars and the futuristic monorail transporting passengers around the area.
Also included in plans for Heath Park, which lies in the Liverpool City Region, are hundreds of homes alongside business and community facilities.
The group’s proposals hope to transform the current Heath Business And Technical Park into a sustainable and futuristic environment much like Port Sunlight – one of the world’s most famous ‘model villages’ for workers.
Mr Lewis said: “We want to set the standards for how we want to and should be living and working in decades to come.
“We are now perfectly positioned for the next chapter and that is Heath Park.
“These plans give an example of what the future could look like. We see it being turned into a state-of-the-art location.
“This is an oven-ready, world-leading scheme, recognised as one of the region’s beacon projects. And we are shovel ready.
“If we only want to build bus shelters then that’s all we ever will build. This is an amazing opportunity.”
The plans were presented at the Liverpool MIPIM Partners’ meeting, held after the annual property festival in Cannes was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The event was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Princes Dock.
Explaining how Heath Park came about, Mr Lewis told delegates: “Twenty years ago, SOG saved a major employment centre within Liverpool City Region and its skilled workforce.
“The site was regenerated into a thriving business and technical park, exceeding expectations. Incredibly, we achieved this without any Government
funding and by raising finance through traditional methods.”
Today, around 120 individual businesses from across multiple business sectors operate from The Heath, which now supports over 2,000 jobs.
Also at Tuesday’s event was Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of Liverpool City Region, who said SOG have a proven track record, and had helped to bring in over £2bn of investment to the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.
SOG spearheaded the regeneration of a major pharmaceutical plant in east London where the company created Londoneast-uk Business And Technical Park, a sister site to The Heath.
Giving an insight into the size of the Heath Park location, Mr Rotheram said he was recently onboard the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier The Prince Of Wales.
He said: “I was told The Prince Of Wales is the size of three football pitches, well Heath Park is the size of 100 of these aircraft carriers.
“I want to see the site transformed by the very best, with funding raised from the very best, who l want to embrace our dynamic vision. We will seek those with a desire to create something very special.
“We now need to attract and engage with like-minded ethical investors that share our vision and desire to turn our Heath Park vision into reality.”
SOG has also sponsored a ‘Vision For Future Living’ competition in conjunction with The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), with the objective of generating ideas that may be adopted into the Heath Park project - seeking to create a sustainable, multi-use and net carbon-free environment.
Mr Lewis said: “We have had an excellent response from around the world with entries coming in from five continents.
“They are contributing their visions for a brighter future which will enhance wellbeing, preserve the environment and which harnesses technology for the good of us all.
“Today, RIBA is announcing the eight top entries which will now qualify for the second part of the process which will involve a new brief. We expect this process to be complete and a winner announced in July.”