MERSEYSIDE has the lion’s share in a new list of strategic regional sites across the North West.

Regeneration organisation, the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA), has compiled the 35-strong listing to provide a focus for the public and private sectors on the most important areas for development throughout the region.

Merseyside has 12 entries compared with eight throughout Greater Manchester, seven in Lancashire and five in Cheshire.

Knowsley’s Kings Business Park and the Twelve Quays area of Birkenhead were previously included, but the new review has dropped them as they are now considered successful developments in their own right.

However, four new sites at Birkenhead Docks, Sefton’s port corridor from Netherton’s Dunningsbridge Road to the docks area, Liverpool North Docks and the city’s Pall Mall area have been added to the Merseyside list.

The remaining Merseyside locations are Daresbury, in Runcorn; Ditton, in Widnes; Speke’s Estuary Commerce Park; Liverpool Science Park; Liverpool University’s knowledge quarter; Parkside, in St Helens; Wirral International Business Park; and Bromborough.

Although Cheshire has lost Chester Business Park, central Chester and central Warrington have been added alongside existing sites at Macclesfield, Crewe and Warrington’s proposed Omega development.