Peel Land has launched a public consultation for Haydock Point, a sprawling 1.3 million square foot employment destination on former green belt land near Haydock Park racecourse. The developer claims the project could deliver up to 1,845 higher-value and skilled jobs, alongside significant investment and improvements to the M6 Junction 23 Haydock Island.
What is Planned for Haydock Point?
The site sits northeast of the M6 J23 Haydock Island and south of Haydock Park racecourse, straddling the boundary between Wigan and St Helens. Peel Land describes its vision as creating a 'modern, high-quality, leading-edge manufacturing and employment campus' in one of the region's best-connected locations. The proposal includes a multi-fuel HGV hub, designed to tackle local HGV parking shortages and provide better facilities for drivers.
Beyond the employment campus, the plans feature extensive green infrastructure: new landscaping and wildlife areas equivalent to more than 17 football pitches, over 600 new trees, and new walking, running, and recreational trails, including a fitness loop exceeding 1.6 kilometres.
Why Now? The Strategic Context
The land was removed from the green belt and earmarked for employment use in the St Helens local plan, adopted in 2022. Peel Land says the project is being accelerated to 'meet current needs, deliver major socio-economic benefits and avoid the risk of losing businesses and jobs to other areas'. The developer argues that demand from growing local firms and major occupiers is present now, making this the right time to bring the site forward.
Stephen Wild, managing director of Peel Land Group, emphasised the community benefits: "Haydock Point will bring long-lasting benefits for the community. The need and demand are here now to bring forward a modern sustainable employment campus that can meet the requirements of growing local firms and major occupiers."
Highways and HGV Hub Details
A key part of the project involves closing the northern arm of the A49 and diverting traffic through the site to the A580 East Lancashire Road. This aims to address long-standing capacity issues at M6 Junction 23 Haydock Island and improve journey times for all road users. The dedicated and secure HGV parking would serve occupiers at Haydock Point, but also be available as a shared asset for local businesses and public services.
Wild added: "Our HGV hub will help tackle a known problem locally whilst the extensive landscaping proposals will provide a parkland setting for development. We are also developing a social value plan which will create future opportunities particularly for young people and those currently out of work, through partnerships with schools, colleges, job centres and the council."
Economic Impact and Job Creation
Peel Land projects that Haydock Point will create 1,845 on-site jobs across manufacturing, industrial, logistics, and commercial roles. The development is also expected to contribute around £76 million to the local economy annually. These figures underscore the scale of the project, which the developer says is vital for retaining businesses in the region.
Public Consultation and Next Steps
The consultation is open until Sunday, September 13. A public drop-in event will be held on Wednesday, September 2, at the Mercure Hotel, Haydock, from 3pm to 7pm. Attendees can view the proposals, meet the project team, ask questions, and provide feedback. Following the consultation, Peel Land will use the responses to inform an outline planning application, which is expected to be submitted to St Helens Council later this year.
