AN AMBITIOUS scheme which would have transformed the face of St Helens has been given the thumbs down.

But that's not the end of the story. For developers and council chiefs have vowed to continue their fight to develop the massive 40-acre site at Ravenhead Park.

The Government announced its rejection of the ambitious plans for a multi-million pound retail and leisure development on Tuesday.

The derelict site would have been transformed to include shops, food and drink, hotel and leisure use (including a multi-screen cinema), a petrol filling station and landscaping.

The blueprint included 21,494 square metres of retail space, of which 7,355 square metres was earmarked for a food store plus three leisure units, four fast-food units and about 2,000 car parking spaces.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said the scheme had been rejected following a public inquiry in November and December last year. Mr Prescott agreed with the inspector's recommendation that the planning application by Wigan-based Greenbank Partnerships Limited should be dismissed.

He said: "I realise that this will be disappointing news for St Helens. I hope alternative proposals will be brought forward for the future use of this important site."

One of the main concerns of the inquiry was the significant amounts of traffic which would have been generated by the out-of-town development. This would have been contrary to the Government's commitment to reducing reliance on private cars and the encouragement of use of public and integrated transport.

St Helens Council leader Mike Doyle described the decision as a "major setback." But he stressed the door had not been shut on the project and the council is now holding urgent discussions with the developers with a view to re-packaging the scheme.

He added: "Up to this decision by the Secretary of State, the council has been very successful in attracting new investment, boosting the local economy and creating much-needed jobs. This is a great disappointment for the townspeople and to all those investors wishing to be part of the excellent Ravenhead Park development."

"To reject this development, which is so vital to our town centre regeneration, is short-sighted. It totally undermines the years of hard work to attract inward investment in to the borough, which has been hard hit by job losses.

"This strategic 40-acre site has always been seen as a very important element in the town-centre regeneration and a major step forward in the continuing growth and attraction St Helens has for inward investment."

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