New road improves access to Samlesbury EZ

Sir Frederick Page Way has officially opened for public use, improving access to Samlesbury Aerospace Enterprise Zone.

The 1.25-mile 'spine road' connects the the A677 (Preston New Road), near to Samlesbury Hall, with the A59 (Myerscough Smithy Road).

It has been granted ‘clearway’ status, meaning vehicles are prohibited from stopping or parking on the road at any time.

As well as relieving pressure on the existing local road network, Sir Frederick Page Way provides access to the Samlesbury Aerospace Enterprise Zone.

The Enterprise Zone is already home to two important aerospace facilities - BAE Systems’ Academy for Skills and Knowledge, which delivers training for BAE Systems' workforce of 10,000 people, and the £15m, 15,000 sq m Defence Logistics Centre operated by Wincanton employing 150 staff.

Lancashire Enterprise Partnership also said that good progress is being made on the further addition on the site of an Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), a Growth Deal-funded centre of research and development excellence to improve supply chain productivity and innovation.

Lancashire County Councillor Michael Green said: “Samlesbury Aerospace EZ is hugely important to Lancashire’s economy.

“When the Enterprise Zone is completed, it will be a national centre of excellence for advanced engineering and manufacturing related companies and is predicted to directly create up to 6,000 high-skilled, high-value jobs, with a similar number created in the advanced engineering and manufacturing supply chain.

“In the future, Samlesbury will play a key role in helping to maintain and develop Lancashire’s position as the UK’s number one region for aerospace.”

The new road is part of around £11m of Infrastructure Works at the Enterprise Zone, which includes the new spine road, two new access points and ecology and drainage works. New habitat for ground-nesting lapwings and skylarks is being created at Warton Mires, a 32 hectare site near Carnforth, as mitigation for the habitat loss at Samlesbury. This will be delivered in partnership with the Royal Society for Protection of Birds.