Minister sees vision for future of park site
BUSINESS park boss John Lewis MBE has promoted his vision for building a 21st century “Port Sunlight” in Runcorn to investment minister Lord Grimstone as he thanked him for government support in accessing the world of global finance.
Mr Lewis met Lord Grimstone in Leeds during the opening day of the inaugural UK Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREIIF) in Leeds.
The SOG Ltd managing director said he was “delighted” to meet the minister, whom he thanked for the Department of International Trade’s (DIT) support in accessing global investors as SOG Ltd looks to transform Heath Business and Technical Park into The Heath Park work zone eco-village.
The Heath Park project has been adopted as a Liverpool City Region “Beacon Project” and is classed as one of 35 schemes promoted in the UK Government’s Global Investment Atlas.
An SOG spokesman said the company is currently talking to a number of big international investors in a bid to turn the Heath Park vision into reality.
After meeting the minister, Mr Lewis later took part in a panel discussion on how investment opportunities are intended to deliver the UK Government’s net zero targets.
Mr Lewis was joined on the panel by Nick Searl, joint managing partner of property developers Argent, and Aldred Drummond, chief executive of Fawley Waterside, which is working on a large development in the New Forest.
The session was chaired by Pat Ritchie CBE, Government Property Agency chairwoman.
SOG said the three-day UKREIIF’s aim is to accelerate the Government’s “levelling up” agenda and unlock sustainable and transformational investment across the nation.
The SOG spokesman said more than 5,000 people were expected to attend the forum with over 200 local authorities represented, more than 300 developers and 500 investor organisations.
Mr Lewis said: “I was delighted for the opportunity to meet with the Minister and to personally thank him for the fantastic support SOG has received from the DIT, as we seek to raise the investment necessary to finance our proposals to transform the Heath Business and Technical Park site in Runcorn into Heath Park.
“Our aim is to create a 21st century version of Port Sunlight, a net zero location, where people can live, work and play in an environment geared towards meeting the challenges of climate change.”
Mr Lewis added: “Support from the DIT for Heath Park has been immensely important as we reach out to the global investment community.
“I was able to update Lord Grimstone with the latest news on our project and to invite him to visit The Heath over the coming months to see the location at first hand and to meet the SOG Heath Park delivery team.”