Princeton Junction-based International Process Plants (IPP) announced the completion of the final phase of its redevelopment of the historic Croda/Price’s Patent Candles site in Bromborough, England. The milestone caps more than a decade of work to transform the shuttered, 30-acre manufacturing site, which dates back to 1853, into a modern, multi-use community featuring housing, employment, and significant environmental and infrastructure improvements.
The redevelopment, which has been lauded for its sustainable brownfield regeneration, was recently honored with a national industry award for placemaking.
From closed factory to thriving community hub
When IPP, a leader in buying and selling used process plants, acquired the site in 2009, its closure had resulted in the loss of 115 jobs. The resulting redevelopment has generated an estimated 1,890 construction and remediation jobs, replacing the lost employment and providing a foundation for 150 long-term jobs in the region.
“Converting this candle and oleochemical manufacturing site was one of the most complex brownfield redevelopment projects ever done in the United Kingdom, and IPP proved once again that we can deliver results where others see only obstacles,” Ron Gale, president of IPP said.
The project involved extensive environmental remediation and pre-construction planning, bringing the site to a “shovel-ready” condition before new construction began.
Housing, heritage, and habitat
Homebuilder Persimmon is now constructing the final phase of 116 new homes on the riverfront parcel, completing the 315-home work-play-live community. This includes a commitment of 20% designated as affordable housing.
Beyond new residences, the project’s achievements showcase a comprehensive approach to regeneration:
- Historic Preservation: The site’s 100-year-old clock tower building, the original headquarters for Price’s Candles, was beautifully restored and repurposed as supported living apartments for older people and those with special needs.
- Environmental Restoration: IPP rerouted the River Dibbin and created a tidal wetland habitat to significantly reduce local flood risk.
- Public Access: For the first time, the public can enjoy a newly created riverside walk and bike path along the site.
- New Employment: New roadways were created to link the development with the Wirral International Business Park, and new commercial tenants, including Capital Reinforcing and Lexicraft Limited, have brought manufacturing jobs back to the area.
“By combining our expertise in asset resale with our commitment to environmental stewardship and community regeneration, we turned a 19th-century closed factory, along with its environmental problems, into a 21st-century multi-use neighborhood,” Jan Gale, executive vice president of IPP said.
A key part of the project’s sustainability was IPP’s global redeployment of the plant’s process equipment. Rather than scrapping the assets, much of the machinery was sold and re-erected at facilities across Europe, the United States, and beyond for reuse.
The redevelopment was designed by Ainsley Gommon Architects to reflect the original “garden village” concept created for factory workers more than 150 years ago. IPP’s work has been recognized for its contributions to regeneration, sustainable development, and community impact, earning the prestigious National Award for Placemaking on Brownfield Land.
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