AMBITIOUS plans for the multi-million pound Northern Gateway project have been submitted to Flintshire Council.
A masterplan for the 400-acre site on the former RAF Sealand camp includes 1,100 new homes linked to Garden City, 3 million sq ft of industrial and manufacturing space and 50,000 sq ft of retail space.
Developers Praxis Real Estate Management (PREM) have applied for outline consent for the first phase of the project.
It follows a three-day exhibition in Sealand where residents were able to share their views.
Praxis spokesman Stuart Fox said: “The proposals for Northern Gateway have the potential to unlock the true potential of the site by attracting major inward investment with up to 5,000 jobs coming to the area over the next 10 years.
“The plans will help to secure Deeside’s long-term future as the leading commercial destination in Flintshire and North East Wales.”
Plans submitted to Flintshire Council are for the first 250 acres of the site, which comprises 2.5 million sq ft of commercial and employment space split into five phased development plots.
This has the potential for up to 725 homes plus retail and community uses.
Top of the list for visitors to the public exhibition was a healthcare facility, followed by a soft play area, a convenience supermarket, sports pitches and a family pub.
More than 200 people turned out for the exhibition in November, and 80 per cent of people who completed feedback forms were supportive of the plans. But a proposed link road between Dee Road in Garden City and the new housing prompted opposition from residents and has since been removed from the plans.
Praxis development manager Peter Disley said: “We are delighted with the positive response and constructive feedback we have had from local people, businesses and other important stakeholders to our ambitious proposals.
“We feel we have produced a masterplan that meets the Northern Gateway vision.
“Our proposals are backed by strong financial resources and are both commercially deliverable, responding effectively to current market conditions.
“We are committed to removing the barriers to development and delivering long-overdue progress at the earliest opportunity.”
If permission is granted, work on the initial infrastructure and enabling works could start in the first half of 2012, and detailed applications on individual phases will follow later in the year.