A DELEGATION of Chinese business leaders visited the scheme's International Trade Centre site today as work begins on preparing the area for development.

Developer Peel Group’s multi-million pound trade centre scheme is expected to create around 3,000 jobs and was unanimously approved by Wirral Council in September.

The visitors were shown around the site by Peel's joint venture business partner Stella Shiu, who is chairwoman of Sam Wa International Investment.

Peel director Lyndsey Ashworth told the Globe: “They are people who have expressed a genuine interest in taking up space at the trade centre.

“We went to China last year holding presentations to businesses across the country. This is the first delegation to stem from that.

“There are lots of other high-quality companies behind these people, who will report back with what they have found during the week’s visit to Wirral."

The Wirral Waters scheme has the potential for the creation of around 27,000 new jobs over the next 30 years. It will bring about the complete transformation of derelict land in Birkenhead Docks.

The trade centre will be a pivotal aspect of the scheme and and it is hoped more than 1,000 companies from countries such as China, India, South Korea and other emerging economies, will exhibit, sell, assemble and distribute goods from the centre into the UK, Irish and European markets.

Peel says the centre will be the first of its kind in the UK and the largest in Europe.

Yesterday, the complementary £5.5bn Liverpool Waters project was given the green light by the city council’s planning committee.

Ms Ashworth added: “We’ve got Wirral Waters, the ITC site and Liverpool Waters - it’s all coming together now and that’s great.”

Preparatory work began at the Beaufort Road plot on Monday with deconatamination processes and a major clear up getting underway.

The group was welcomed by Wirral Council Leader Jeff Green, who said: “I think it’s great that it’s happening and they want to see something happening soon.

"I'm delighted that we have got to the stage where people can see we have started work on site."