Work on the multi million pound Northern Gateway site gets underway

Work has finally begun on a multi-million pound regeneration project which has been decades in the making.

Flintshire Council granted permission in January 2013 for a major retail and commercial park, as well as more than 700 new homes, on the former RAF Sealand base.

It forms part of the £95m Northern Gateway project, which appeared to have stalled in recent years before it was given new life when the Welsh Government funded the construction of a £3m access road.

Sealand councillor Christine Jones has now revealed that preparation work has begun at the site, where there are plans to build up to 725 homes over the next nine years.

Developer Praxis Real Estate Management said it had also received ‘considerable interest’ from businesses wanting to move onto the 98 hectares of employment land it wants to deliver in the next six years.

Cllr Jones said: “There is now a lot of groundworks being done on the airfields site, after many years of waiting.

“Work is being done to raise ground levels due to the site being on a flood plain.

“There will be noise and dust for a while as it is a major development for our area.

“I was discussing the development with planning officers today and there is so much planned for the site; affordable houses, a hotel, coffee shop, supermarket, retail and much more.

“It will totally revitalise the area.”

Praxis said other businesses likely to be brought to the area include a health and fitness centre, pub and restaurant, car show room, petrol station and nursery, resulting in the creation of up to 500 jobs.

The overall scheme in Deeside Enterprise Zone is expected to result in 5,000 new job opportunities.

The company has slightly tweaked its original plans to subsitute some land previously earmarked for house to add more commercial plots.

Cllr Jones added: “There will also be lots of green space, with tree lined avenues, walkways and footpaths.

“There will be a habitat for wildlife and playareas for the children.

“Plans will start being submitted to the council soon, so anyone can view them.”

It is also expected that proposals for another part of the gateway site at the former Corus steelworks will start to move forward in the near future.

Developers Pochin bought the 200 acres of land at the Shotton Point site for £5m in June 2010.