A central element of the proposal is the creation of a nature reserve–managed country park, extending in and around the industrial developments and encompassing land both east and west of the M6. Such a country park would not only preserve important green spaces but also provide a lasting amenity for the community and region.
It would also support the environmental objective of the organisations within, and of the local authorities. It would provide a place for the employees to de-stress.
The eventual design of the country park will be for the developer’s environmental design consultants and local authorities should they take on board this idea, perhaps in consultation with local communities.
Ecological connectivity (including the area of Parkside West) will be considered within the EcIA, informed by ecological survey and assessment to determine the ecological value of habitats and connectivity and determine potential impacts. Should significant impacts be identified appropriate mitigation will be proposed. FPCA Tritax environmental consultants stated this in response to the website author’s report during the early 2025 non-statutory consultation. On the face of it they seem to be indicating some mitigation alignment, with East and West. This might be a positive step.
Given the sheer scale of the Parkside development and its far-reaching environmental impact, standard regulatory mitigation measures are insufficient. Nor is it appropriate to address mitigation on a marginal basis as if the site were a collection of separate parcels. Parkside is a single, unified development, and its mitigation strategy must reflect this aggregated impact.
It is important to note that the 2021 public inquiry did not consider the consequences of the project at this much larger scale on east. The scope substantively expanded, and the threshold for effective mitigation has risen. As the development continues to evolve, with no assurances it will not grow further, it is vital that mitigation efforts correspond to the project as it currently stands and as it may become in future.
The country park must include both sides of the M6 and be integrated in its development east and west.
Nature can flourish in industrial areas, as shown by many successful examples nearby and nationally. With proper shielding and design, the site will blend in, especially as vegetation grows.
Local public wellbeing could be maintained, but developers, local authorities, and employees also benefit through increased satisfaction, support for environmental goals, and promotion of the project. Enhancements to current plans can yield significant advantages for everyone involved.
County records show that the site's extensive and important wildlife is at risk, and its loss will impact future generations and further reduce nature in the UK, which is already one of Europe's most depleted countries according to national reports. See separate page for these records, you will be astonished at the range of wildlife recorded in the green belt buffer between the towns and villages, where the logistics site is planned.
The country park should be managed as one unit, suggested with local authorities leading and developers contributing some funding. Successful examples like Rixton Claypits, Risley Moss/Birchwood Park, Moore Nature Reserve, and Woolston Eyes combine public oversight with support from commercial and voluntary sectors.
Wildlife should be managed under a unified plan with clear objectives, involving contributions from trusts, voluntary groups, the public, and site staff. Local schools could be involved; we are doing this for future generations.
Highfield Moss should be protected and enhanced at all costs. It is not acceptable to have local plan clauses which put it under threat of future revisions as to its status.
A unified wildlife mitigation plan should be developed aligned with the managed country park with habitat such as scrub, wetland, woodland, grassland, and meadow for a diversity of habitats, just planting saplings alone is not nature preservation.
This site is a managed nature park focused on local and regional nature, health, and wellbeing it is not designed for broader recreational use, which would be impracticable
The Tritax scheme on the east proposes on-site mitigation, while Parkside Regeneration on the west mainly offered off-site cash contributions to Rixton Claypits and Mersey Forest. It is recommended to unify these strategies.