Work has begun on the first phase of the Parkside development in Newton-le-Willows – a milestone moment in this major regeneration project.
Contractor J F Hunt has been appointed to deliver a £15 million package of enabling works for the project’s first phase, which will ultimately see 800,000 square feet of new employment space created on the former colliery site.
The enabling works include site clearance, earthworks, highways, drainage, service distribution and landscaping – laying the groundwork for construction of three logistics units, which will follow once a main works contractor has been appointed through a separate tender process.
J F Hunt was selected by Parkside Regeneration – the joint venture between St Helens Borough Council and developer Langtree – following a competitive tender in which the company scored particularly highly on social value, including its commitment to using local labour and sub-contractors.
Among those commitments are school and college workshops, work placements and youth apprenticeships, and a requirement that at least 20 per cent of workers are recruited from specified local postcodes. Local businesses that attended a meet the buyer event at the Brewdog Stadium in October 2025, and who can demonstrate compliance with the contractor’s health, safety, environment and quality standards, will be invited to tender for relevant work packages. The company says it expects up to 25 per cent of its external spend to go to local contractors.
David Baines MP, Member of Parliament for St Helens North, said: “The Parkside development presents a significant opportunity not only for Newton-le-Willows and St Helens Borough but the whole of the north west region. It is fantastic to see works getting underway on this huge opportunity for local economic growth that will bring new investment and jobs to the area.”
For John Downes, executive chair of Langtree, the start on site marks a significant turning point.
He said: “We’re at the business end of things now. This is where we deliver on our commitment to the community that we’ll bring high quality jobs to the area and create real opportunities for local people.
“It’s the culmination of many years’ hard work and great credit is due to everyone involved. We’ve kept the local community abreast of what we’re doing throughout, and will continue to do so.”
The first phase of Parkside is expected to create as many as 1,300 jobs once operational. A second phase, which received planning consent in February 2026 and will add a further 1.6 million square feet including manufacturing space, has also been approved. The new £60 million Parkside Link Road, which connects the site directly to Junction 22 of the M6 motorway, opened in May 2025.
Parkside Colliery was once one of the area’s largest employers, producing almost a million tonnes of coal a year at its peak and employing around 2,000 staff. By the time it closed in 1993, approximately 800 people were still working there.