ST HELENS Council chiefs claim the prospects of generating new jobs and industry in the Newton area have suffered a severe setback following a Government ruling on the future of the former Parkside colliery site.

They are currently studying in detail a Government Inspector's report following a public inquiry and are to seek urgent talks with the Department of Environment to clarify its Green Belt policy.

As a result of the inquiry the council has been refused permission to remove 34 hectares of the derelict colliery site from Green Belt so that it could be made potentially more attractive for development.

The move was part of the Council's Unitary Development Plan to help regenerate investment into the area which has a 14 per cent unemployment rate. The authority's proposals over Parkside resulted in a number of objections which were considered at a public local inquiry earlier this year.

Last year Morrisons submitted plans to built a 575,000 sq. ft. distribution centre at Parkside creating more than 900 jobs.

Morrisons pledged that 75 per cent of the jobs would be full time and indicated that they would work with local training and employment agencies to provide as much of the work for local people as possible.

But the scheme was bitterly opposed by many people living close to the site who claimed, among other objections, that the traffic flow caused by any such development would be intolerable to their community.

Because of Green Belt issues and the Government's decision to pull the application in for a public inquiry the company withdrew its plans with the intention of using another location out of the borough.

The Inspector's report agreed with all the council's proposed modifications for the borough with the exception of the Parkside proposal. Although the Inspector's report recognised that the site has a number of merits attractive for development he felt the circumstances are not sufficiently unique to override Green Belt policy.

Chairman of Development, Councillor John Fletcher said: "We have fought hard to bring new jobs and industry into the borough and this is obviously a major setback to an area of high unemployment.

"The council, it must be pointed out, has defended Green Belt vigorously and did not embark on this course lightly. We did feel that there were particular unique circumstances at Parkside which provided an opportunity to redress employment loss and contribute to wide-ranging efforts to improve the employment prospects and regeneration of the borough."

The council will consider the recommendations in detail and report to its Development Committee next month at which time a decision will be made on Parkside and other issues.

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