The new road being hailed “a game-changer for local growth” is now officially open.
Parkside Link Road was officially unveiled on Friday, 30 May 2025, and opened to traffic on Saturday, 31 May – marking a a key milestone in attempts to unlock the potential growth of Newton’s Parkside development, the largest freeport tax site in the Liverpool City Region.
The new road is a £60m infrastructure project delivered with £39m from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, as well as additional funding from St Helens Borough Council and Parkside Regeneration. It will ensure traffic generated by the site will be diverted away from residential areas and the A49, while also improving connectivity for commuters and helping to reduce environmental concerns.
Cllr Anthony Burns, Leader of St Helens Borough Council, said: “Today’s unveiling of Parkside Link Road represents a transformative moment for St Helens Borough and the wider Liverpool City Region. This vital infrastructure will not only unlock thousands of new jobs but will also help to regenerate a long-abandoned site, bringing new opportunities to our community. We’re proud to see this project delivered and excited about the future it will help to build.”
Parkside Link Road will provide vital access to Junction 22 of the M6 motorway, enhancing connectivity for the area and facilitating the movement of goods across the region. This strategic development will generate several thousand jobs across the whole site.
Parkside Link Road is an essential part of a long-term vision to transform the former Parkside Colliery in Newton-le-Willows and land to the east of the motorway into a major employment site. Once a derelict coal mining site, this area will return to being one of the economic engines of the North. The site is set to be revitalised into a key logistics and advanced manufacturing hub, bringing economic growth and regeneration to the region.
The new road stretches for 3.3km and provides vital access to land designated as a Strategic Rail-Freight Interchange, supporting the transformation of the freight industry, reducing the number of HGVs in residential areas and supporting the improvement of passenger rail services.
The opening of the link road paves the way for the first phase of development to come forward, creating jobs both during the construction stage and in the resultant buildings. This site is of national importance, and it will create high value, skilled jobs, in logistics and advanced manufacturing sectors.
With the Parkside Link Road now complete, the next phase of development will continue to drive forward the development of this area, attracting investment, and creating jobs for local residents.
For more information on the next steps for Parkside, visit: www.parksidem6.com.
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