WIRRAL'S new International Business Park at Bromborough is taking shape with firms like Texas-based Tomcat moving in on the Croft Business Park section.

Building of an extension at the Sun Valley site in Stadium Road is now underway and construction of the first four units on the Felton Greenfields Technology Park is about to start.

Wirral Direct, Wirral Council, UML, and English Partnerships, are promoting Wirral International Business Park. A private sector funding application to English Partnerships for the construction of a speculative development has just received verbal approval. A Summer start is expected.

Tulip International is moving from New Brighton to the Council Riverview site and this new factory is expected to be completed by February, 1999.

The potential of Wirral International Business Park was highlight at a English Partnerships roadshow for firms at Merseyside Maritime Museum when Andy Wallis, Wirral's deputy director of planning and economic development, told the audience how the authority worked with English Partnerships in developing Wirral International Business Park.

The purpose of the 'Working As One' roadshow was to highlight how EP helps bring funding and investment to Merseyside.

EP itself is soon to become part of the new RDA set up of Regional Development Agencies.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott is merging the CNT (Commission for the New Towns) and EPs as RDAs. The transition period starts now until 2003.

Back in Wirral, Wirral Direct has just delivered an upbeat report to Wirral Council's economic re-generation committee.

To date, Wirral Direct has been involved with helping 104 companies, resulting in 3,400 jobs of which 2,429 are new to Wirral. Total investment now stands at over £70m.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.