A COUNCILLOR has hit out at the number of jobs created after a cereal giant confirmed it has taken one of the warehouses at the M6Major site, saying it is "poor recompense" for "destruction of the green belt".

Kellogg's will lease a giant 525,000 sq. ft warehouse in Haydock, to help in the delivery of its food brands, such as Corn Flakes, Coco Pops and Pringles across Britain and for export to the European Union and Middle East.

This will create 70 jobs, it was announced.

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The 91-acre site, formerly Florida Farm, is located off the East Lancs near junction 23 of the M6, next to an existing Amazon warehouse and was developed by Bericote in conjunction with Hillwood.

The Haydock site will be Kellogg’s largest warehouse in the UK. It will move into the warehouse from the April 1.

Online retail giant Amazon opened a warehouse at the other warehouse at the site last September, with 250 jobs initially created.

The job numbers have attracted criticism from resident campaigners and councillors.

During the planning application process, Bericote Properties said the development would deliver 2,500 jobs.

Haydock Green Party councillor David van der Burg said: "While any new jobs are welcome, I think most residents of Haydock would agree that the destruction of our green belt for the sake of just 70 jobs at Kellogg’s and perhaps 250 at Amazon is very poor recompense.

"The developer, Bericote, promised 2500 jobs, possibly double that. It was never remotely realistic. Those who forced through the planning permission against the wishes of over 2,000 protesters apparently believed Bericote’s pie-in-the-sky figures. Had they done any research into current logistics and warehousing practice they would have known that most processes are automated, so the jobs estimate was obviously wildly exaggerated."

Former Labour councillor Gill Neal, who was on the planning committee and voted in favour of the plans, expressed her regret at passing the application last October.

In a lengthy Facebook post last autumn, she said the current jobs outlook for the site made her feel “sick to the stomach”.

Meanwhile, Haydock Labour councillor Martin Bond said: "The creation of 70 jobs in the borough at any time welcome particularly as this is a blue chip company and they are unionised.

"But obviously the fields were removed from the green belt under very special circumstances of job creation.

"Let's hope the lesson has been learned all round but that is of no comfort to the residents affected by the development."

A St Helens Council spokesperson said: "With funding from central government massively reduced, the council is looking to benefit from its prime location on the motorway network in order to attract growth and secure jobs for residents, the money from which can then be reinvested in the local economy.

"The borough already has a strong track record in logistics, with a number of major leading operators having based themselves here for some time now.

"Securing growth and employment opportunities is one of the council's main priorities and jobs at this site can bring a diverse range of skilled roles which which supports employment growth in the borough."

The Star has approached Bericote for comment.