A RESIDENTS campaign group has expressed disappointment after it was decided plans for a giant distribution development on green belt land at Florida Farm North will not be called in.

The £150m proposals to build distribution and industrial warehouses were approved by St Helens Council’s planning committee in January and the decision has been upheld after a government minister decided not to call them in for a public inquiry.

The news comes as a devastating blow to campaigners as it ended their hopes of seeing the development prevented.

The Residents Against the Florida Farm Development group was set up last year by residents against the proposals, which were submitted by Bericote Properties.

More than 2,000 letters of objection were written against the plans and several demonstrations were held by the campaign.

Concerns included loss of green belt, the visual impact, increased traffic, the effect on wildlife, potential flooding, concerns over air pollution and noise.

Bericote say 2,500 jobs will be created by the development and are “committed to ensuring that local people get the first opportunity to secure these jobs” and plan to create 25,000 new trees and shrubs and a six-acre public access woodland park.

Councillors voted 10 to four in favour of the plans which were formally referred to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for consideration whether to call the plans in.

A spokesman for the government department confirmed that the minister has decided not to call the plans in.

He said: “The Secretary of State has considered the application against his call in policy and is content that a decision should be determined by the local planning authority.”

Keith Wilson, development director at Bericote, said: “We are delighted. It’s another vote of confidence in St Helens that the Secretary of State is backing the council’s decision to create an agenda that welcomes jobs and investment.”

The first building at the site is expected to be in use by the end of 2018 but Bericote would not comment on any potential contractors who will operate from the site.

“We really are bitterly disappointed, if ever there was an application crying out to be called in this was it because of where it is, what it is and what it represents,” said Paul Parkinson, chairman of the Residents Against The Florida Farm Development.

“It has been 10 months of our lives and everyone is absolutely devastated by it and I think some people have already said they are thinking of moving away.”

“I think this is going to have a knock-on effect with the Local Plan consultation and if this goes through it gives carte blanche to the council and the whole borough is going to suffer because of this.”