THE opening of the Parkside Link Road (PLR) to traffic is approaching.

It was reported in August that the construction of the road has been completed – but planning conditions must be met before it can be opened to traffic.

At its meeting last week, St Helens Council’s cabinet considered the Parkside Regeneration LLP Joint Venture Annual Report for 2024, noting the progress achieved to date in relation to the regeneration of the former Parkside Colliery site and the delivery of “social value outcomes”.

According to the report, the former Parkside Colliery site forms the “largest part” of the Liverpool City Region Freeport – a “multi-gateway, multi-modal freeport” with three tax and customs sites, twelve customs sites and a primary customers site at the Port of Liverpool.

“In January 2023, formal designation of the LCR Freeport was announced by Government,” it added.

“In September 2023, the Freeport Memorandum of Understanding was officially signed, and approval was granted by cabinet to the formation of the St Helens Freeport Investment Fund.

“PLR is a significant part of major infrastructure improvements being made in advance of the development of Parkside.

“The council committed to improving the infrastructure to support the development of the site and with the help of considerable funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has been able to do so in advance of any development coming forward.

“Before the road can be opened to traffic it is however necessary to meet the planning permission conditions that include the improvement of other traffic junctions in the area. The first two junction improvements – A49 Mill Lane/A572 Southworth Road and A572 Southworth Road/A573 Parkside Road – are now complete, while Junction 22 of the M6 is ongoing and is scheduled to complete by spring 2025.”

The report highlighted that the PLR is “anticipated” to be open to traffic in the spring of 2025.