New Parkside plan pledges 10,000 jobs

Astral Developments' masterplan for the former colliery site will be shown at five locations, with a representative from the development team on hand to answer questions.

Under the revised proposals, a new motorway junction 22 would be built, providing a direct link to the motorway for all Parkside traffic.

The A49/A579 would 'free flow' over the motorway between the Winwick Bypass and Lowton, allowing local traffic to bypass the site.

An extended countryside park would be incorporated into the scheme on its eastern boundary and at Hermitage Green.

And a public transport scheme based around Newton Station would see the station upgraded and a new bus service introduced.

John Holmes, development agent, said: "We are really just explaining the changes we have made following the concerns people made to us last time.

"I think we have gone as far as we possibly could to address these problems."

The developers believe at least 75 per cent of any jobs created would be new to the area and not 're-locations'.

Mr Holmes added: "People seemed nervous about the level of employment that we felt we could guarantee.

"Following analysis of research carried out by the University of Reading and the Cranfield Institute of Technology, and using empirical evidence from Daventry Rail Freight Terminal we now believe we will be producing something like 10,000 jobs, which is significantly more than we initially thought. Our estimates in the past appear to have been too conservative - although we cannot be absolutely sure."

l THE exhibition can be seen in St Helens Town Centre at Victoria Square from 11am to 7pm tomorrow, in the Newton Campus car park in Earlestown on Saturday from 12pm to 4pm, at St Peter's Church car park on Church Street in Newton on Monday from 11am to 7pm, at Winwick Leisure Centre on Myddleton Lane on Tuesday from 11am to 7pm and at Lowton Civic Hall car park on Hesketh Meadow Lane from 11am to 7pm on Wednesday.