THE controversial plans to create a £150m development of industrial and distribution warehouses on green belt land were approved by St Helens Council's planning committee.

Following a two-and-a-half-hour discussion at the town hall, councillors voted 10 to four in favour of the 1.4m sq ft development at the site on Florida Farm North in Haydock.

The proposals, submitted last summer by Bericote Properties, attracted strong opposition from residents with more than 2,000 letters of objection written. Concerns included loss of green belt, the visual impact, increased traffic, the effect on wildlife, potential flooding, concerns over air pollution and noise.

Plans were drawn up against the backdrop of proposals to release land at sites across the borough for housing and employment purposes which would see green belt decrease from 65 per cent of the borough to 56 per cent.

The borough is also aiming to build a reputation as a logistics hub in a bid to regenerate employment opportunities.

Hundreds of residents turned up at St Helens town hall this evening, with a video link set up in the assembly room to view proceedings.

Planning officer Alan Kilroe recommended the development go ahead saying "complies with the development plan as a whole and it is a sustainable development".

Residents made a passionate case to the committee against the proposals.

Paul Parkinson, chairman of the Residents Against the Florida Farm Development campaign, said: "This development will destroy a much appreciated part of the borough.

"This type of development causes noise and visual pollution, this is quite close to a number of residential areas." Objectors also raised questions over the amount of jobs promised and whether they would benefit residents of the borough.

Keith Wilson, development director at Bericote, said: "Not to encourage investment means St Helens will go backwards and potentially into a spiral of decline.

"It is about employment opportunities for the local community, 2,500 jobs will be created. Bericote are committed to ensuring that local people get the first opportunity to secure these jobs.

"We will employ a local employment strategy and working on a partnership involving the Logistics Academy at St Helens College."

He added the development will have "world class sustainable credentials" and Bericote plan to create "25,000 new trees and shrubs and a six acre public access woodland park" and that he expects the first building to be in use by the end of 2018.

Addressing the committee in favour of the plans, Thatto Heath councillor Richard McCauley said: "St Helens was built on industry and now those industries have gone but this is an opportunity to fight back.

"We are at a crossroads and the decision you have is to take the prosperity path or the other path to managed decline."

Committee chair Cllr Steve Glover said: "I understand the problem with traffic congestion but we can deal with pollutants, we should be able to do that if we campaign strongly enough.

"With a heavy heart I will be supporting this application."

After the decision, Geraldine Peplow, from Haydock said: “This will devastate not just Haydock but the entire borough of St Helens, they will end up taking every bit of greenbelt we have for development.”

Terry Robins, added: “ I think it was all decided before the meeting and they certainly as a whole did not listen to the residents and clearly don’t live there themselves."

Paul Parkinson added: “We are just extremely devastated, I thought the vote would have fell more evenly but for so many voting for the development is disappointing.

“I would like to thank everyone who has supported the campaign from the area and even from across the country, this fight has not been in vain and we will keep fighting.”

The application could yet be called in for a public inquiry, where it would face further scrutiny.