AMENDED plans to build warehouses and offices on green belt land in Haydock have been approved.

The plans, which were submitted by Morley Estates, were originally met with fierce opposition from residents.

The fresh application outlines alterations to the plans – which were approved in August 2016 –for the construction of two warehouses with ancillary office accommodation on land between Haydock Industrial estate, Penny Lane and the M6 motorway.

It was approved by St Helens Council’s cabinet in September 2016 to develop the site in two phases after the Secretary of State decided it was not necessary to ‘call in’.

The new application seeks to increase the height of the two builds to 17.5 meters and make amendments to the appearance of one of the units and the site layout plan.

A report submitted to the council says the amendments have been made to accommodate Movianto UK, which will occupy one of the units.

Movianto, which provides logistics solutions for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, says the building can no longer meet its requirements due to a new NHS contract.

The new building is intended to be its national flagship facility.

An occupant has not been found for the second warehouse, although Morley Estates claims there are four “serious” expressions of interest, plus potential interest from Movianto.

The report said the amendments would cause “greater harm” to the green belt.

It said: “The increased height would have greater harm on the openness of the green belt, however, the harm caused would still be limited and on balance it is considered that the benefits of the scheme and the lack of any other harm outweighs the harm caused to the green belt.”

The proposed changes to the site layout will impact on the proposed ecological mitigation zone, which was required to provide habitat mitigation for great crested newts as well as other ecological features.

To compensate, the ecological mitigation zone has been increased in the north east area of the site and an additional portion of land to the north of the site, directly to the east of Haydock Cross Local Wildlife Site, has been incorporated.

Conservative Cllr Allan Jones,  ward member for Rainford, said he could not support any development on green belt land during discussion about whether the benefits of the development outweighed the harm.

Morley Estates say the development would create 467 full-time permanent jobs, 617 employment opportunities in total and will generate around £700,000 of business rates a year.

Cllr Jones said: “We are saying, what is acceptable development on green belt land?

“Whether you look into this and others that come through, and others that are likely to come through, there is no way they are acceptable in my eyes.”

Cllr John Fulham noted that no objections had come from members of the public regarding the development.

He said the application was essentially for a “modest” increase in the height of the buildings.

The application was approved, with Cllr Jones and Cllr Geoffrey Pearl, ward member for Eccleston, voting against.