A HGV ‘bootcamp’ has been given the green light to open in Knowsley after plans were approved by officers.

An application for change of use for the site at Ainsworth Lane in Knowsley Business Park was submitted to Knowsley Council in July.

As part of the proposals for a training and test centre on the vacant site,  Northwest Education and Training Limited also asked for permission to build a single story building on the land and widen vehicle access.

According to a planning officers report, the aim of the centre is to create a hub for the training of HGV drivers to fill the national shortage -and also fill a gap created by the closure of a government bootcamp programme set up to held deal with the lack of skilled drivers.

READ > Man kept awake by 'thump thump' from safari park

The report states that nearest alternative site is some 13km away in Bootle.  The training provider has been working with City of Liverpool College since March and trained 72 drivers to date, who have subsequently gone on to work.

It adds: “Applicant has 80 drivers on the Department of Education’s ‘Skills Bootcamp’ programme and are expected to enrol around 260 next year due to being able to access another funding stream combined with the local authority. ”

With “a high skills shortfall in Knowsley” and the opportunity to boost the local economy with relatively well paid work, officers said “the applicants case is reasonable.”

As well as bringing into use a site vacant for nearly 15 years, the project would created “wider regeneration benefits” and employment opportunities for people in the borough.

No objections were received to the plans, and officers concluded the scheme would be “complimentary to surrounding uses in the business park.”

The report adds that the development would “comply with the development plans as a whole” without creative adverse impacts on the wider area, recommending approval for the HGV ‘bootcamp’ to open in Knowsley.