Wavertreelad
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Intermodal Logistics Park North – Project Update
The applicant's s46 notification and the Planning Inspectorate's acknowledgement of receipt have been published
applicant's s46 notification
TR0510001-000009-P15 - s46 and EIA Reg 8 acknowledgement - Intermodal Logistics Park North.pdf
There is more information on the project on the link below.
Intermodal Logistics Park North - Project information
Just a few points to consider. Both Trafford Park sites, ie Freightliner and Maritime Transport Ltd are both operating at near maximum capacity handling mainly international movements. Subject to regulatory approval etc, Freightliner will become a subsidiary of CMA CGM, the world's third largest global container line, sometime next year. Maritime Transport Limited are owned my Medlog which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mediterranean Shipping Company the worlds largest global shipping line. With world global trade growing the direction of travel clearly indicates that the present sites are no longer suitable for the long term future of the ambitions of the ultimate owners of the operators of the terminals.
The Trafford Park sites access from a road haulage perspective is poor as it involves their vehicles queuing in the congested road within the M60/M61/M62 routes when most of the collections and deliveries to and from the site are very probably outside the area, and almost entirely away from local area. Moving to the Parkside site with it's motorway connections provides the road hauliers with more assurance that collection/delivery appointments can be maintained which is good news for the customers and hauliers who can incur additional costs for late appointments.
The Parkside Site was acquired by an off market deal in 2023 by the developer Tritax Big Box after two previous developers failed to take their plans forward. Tritax had previously been involved in plans with Maritime Transport Ltd on developing a similar site at Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange ('HNRFI') which eventually was refused planning permission due to local concerns. The purchase of the Parkside site was about twelve months before purchase of of Maritime Transport Ltd by Medlog was announced in September 2024 and a few months before Manchester United announced their plans to develop their new stadium, which involve the purchase of the freight terminals. That said it is believed the football club have been trying to secure the site for some time, having already acquired much of the surrounding area over the previous ten to fifteen years.
The Parkside site has now been formally renamed as Intermodal Logistics Park North and is registered in the Channel Islands effectively hiding the ultimate ownership in the public domain. However, earlier this year Freightliner confirmed they had taken an "interest" in the site which together with Channel Islands ownership may suggest some sort of joint venture with Medlog who would presumably have been made aware of the plans for Trafford Park when talks over acquisition started with Maritime Transport perhaps explaining the off market purchase of the Parkside site by Tritax.
The plans for the Intermodal Logistics Park include a large warehousing element, which prior to the involvement of CMA CGM would likely favour a Maritime Transport involvement in the scheme, rather than a pure railhead terminal which would have favoured a Freightliner development. CMA CGM involvement in the scheme which we know for sure, will bring their logistics division Ceva Logistics into the scheme so the warehousing capability of the site will almost certainly be of interest.
