THE Birchwood Forum hosted an event on the ‘Atlantic Gateway’ on Thursday evening.

The project is designed to maximise the waterways commercial usage through port developments running from Liverpool to Manchester. It includes critical connections to the rail network.

Over a year previously they had held another event on the subject and outlined the key plans for this massive project.

It’s all very much work in progress, although significant investment has already been made at the Liverpool end.

This session took a different perspective on the project, looking at context.

Where will the investment come from? What the rationale for the project is?

What barriers are holding back progress?

Attendees must have left the session with more questions than answers, after all the project remains mainly a concept.

The resources, planning and approvals are not yet secured for the remaining elements. However the interest remains high and for very good reason.

The overall vision is absolutely sound.

A logistics facility serving the midlands and north, one of the few points in the world to take the largest cargo ships and set within a potential ‘supercity’ taking in Liverpool, Warrington and Manchester.

The question then is perhaps when?

  • Lawrence Bellamy is associate dean at the University of Chester's Padgate campus and writes a regular column for the business pages.