M62 - Your Local History
A lot of finds were uncovered during the archaeological evaluation carried out for the M62 Junction 6 Improvement scheme so we thought it would be nice to provide an interactive website so you can see what we found.
Better information for your journey
The National Traffic Control Centre collects real-time information on road conditions
Lane Hog!
John Stapleton looks into why people Lane Hog and what effects it has on the driver hogging the lane and other road users.
Educating tomorrow's drivers
See how we are driving through key messages about safety on our network for the drivers of tomorrow.
Meet the Ancestors
Find out about the history of roads and the work the Agency does to preserve archaeological remains.
See when traffic will be lightest
Our traffic forecaster can help get you there quicker
2007-2008 Travel Plan Site: Omega Business Park
The Omega site is located adjacent to M62 Junction 8. It is a disused military base which is currently only partially developed.
Geography
The M62 connects the ports of Liverpool and Hull and is part of the Trans European Road Network linking Ireland with mainland Europe. It is also the backbone of the Northern Way Growth Strategy, connecting the main regeneration and development centres of Merseyside, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire with Warrington. As such, it is a key communication link in the economic renaissance of the North of England, driving both the Northern Way and the Merseyside Objective 1 regeneration initiative.
History
In 1987, the Secretary of State for the Environment granted the Omega site consent for 232.4 Ha of employment land for office, industrial processes and research and development uses. The proposals were intended to accommodate international firms who were looking for substantial sites and this type of development would attract between 6 - 10,000 jobs. In order to facilitate this development the Highways Agency in conjunction with the Commission for New Towns (later English Partnerships) constructed a new junction 8 on the M62 with dual 4 widening between junctions 8 & 9.
Since that time, no major international firms have been attracted to the site and a new master plan has been drawn up. The master plan proposals potentially cover an area of 350 Ha and propose up to 7 million square feet of mixed use office, warehousing and manufacturing together with leisure facilities.
HA and Developer working in Partnership within the Planning Process
A planning application for the new master plan was submitted in 2003 but Highways Agency's own independent work has shown that the Omega site has the potential to generate an additional 6000 vehicles on the M62 at junction 8. The proposals could also generate significant additional traffic on M6 Junctions 20 to 21a. The design capacity would be exceeded over much of the network, with sections of the M6, M62 and M56 exceeding their practical capacities for safe and efficient operation, if not constrained or managed.
Working with the Omega Partnership, the Highways Agency has assisted in the development of a phased, travel plan led, approach to development, with trip generation being monitored and enforced as the site is constructed. A travel plan co-ordinator is to be appointed, supported by a Travel Plan Steering Group of which the Highways Agency is an active member. The phased approach to this development and associated travel planning measures, as well as revenue to support travel plan initaitives, and fall-back solutions if trip generation targets are exceeded, are bound up in a Section 106 Agreement. The Highways Agency has also worked with the Omega Partnership to develop a Memorandum of Understanding to ensure our involvement in the successful and sustainable development of this site.
The Omega Partnership comprises English Partnerships, Miller developments, NWDA and Warrington Borough Council. They plan to oversee the site's development as a high quality business park over the next twenty years.
