THE submission of blueprints for the controversial Parkside rail freight development is imminent.

Plans for the £270 million development, which Astral Developers say will create 6,000 new jobs, should be submitted within 'a couple of weeks'.

Planning consultant John Holmes said: "We have made a number of changes to the masterplan.

"Fundamentally the site area is the same, but we have made adjustments at the request of the Highways Agency, the local authority, operators for the site, occupiers of buildings and members of the public.

"We are currently in a process of legal validation but we are probably only a couple of weeks away - the submission is imminent."

The rail freight interchange plans were met with suspicion by residents when put on display at St Peter's Church on High Street, Newton and Earlestown Market Square and Winwick Leisure Centre earlier this summer.

Mr Holmes explained that a number of 'subtle changes' had been made to the proposals, including details of the road access and an increase in the planting areas of the perimeter landscape.

The alterations meant that a new environmental statement was gathered, testing factors such as the impact of traffic, vision and noise.

He said: "We are optimistic that the plans will be accepted.

"There is a lot of support within the region for these plans, namely from the Northwest Development Agency, the Regional Freight Strategy and St Helens Council, which identified Parkside for development in their Local Development Framework Issues and Options report.

"There is obviously concern from some residents, but we hope that these have been addressed in the final masterplan."