HUNDREDS of jobs could be created with the development of a new rail freight terminal in Widnes.

The concept of a freight village' - a cluster of firms providing road and rail freight transport and interchange facilities - has been proposed for an area of mainly disused land close to the railway line at Ditton and Halebank

It could be possible to create up to 400,000 sq metres of floor space.

Cllr Rob Polhill, executive board member for Development, Planning and Transport was delighted with the news and said the amount of jobs the freight village might create was likely to be in the hundreds'.

He said: "This is great news for Halton. This has always been on the council's agenda and is good news for regeneration, creating a significant amount of jobs and will trigger a major programme of land reclamation."

The exciting concept has been outlined in a North West Development Agency (NWDA) consultation paper and Halton Borough Council is now preparing to supply the NWDA with further information to strengthen the site's case.

The site is one of 14 potential development sites on the list.

Cllr Polhill added: "Obviously it is very early days yet, but we have already had interest from developers which gives us great optimism.

"Plus the site is next to the West Coast main line which would support the Government's aim to get freight off the road and on to the railways.

"Hopefully, as generation plans for Halebank emerge, we will soon be looking forward to more good news for that area of Widnes."

The paper adds the Ditton site to the list of strategic regional sites named in the NWDA's Regional Strategy, published in 1999.

The freight village would incorporate the two existing users of the site, re-using redundant land and creating a new link road to the A5300 Knowsley Expressway, which work has already started on.