A PLAN to create 100 jobs near Worcester in an £8 million warehouse development has been abandoned, it has emerged.

Developers who own land near the Worcestershire Parkway site in Norton say a deal with a German food packaging firm has been scrapped.

The company, called Spies Kunststoffe, was expected to seal a deal over expanding into the UK by opening a 120,000 sq ft purpose-built plant on the fields.

But Norton Parkway Developments, which owns acres of land off Woodbury Lane, has told the Worcester News the scheme is off the table.

A spokesman for the firm said: "The scheme was pulled from Germany, it won't be going ahead.

"But we still own the land surrounding Worcestershire Parkway and will be submitting a planning application later this year for some sort of development."

The Norton warehouse was expected to have created up to 70 jobs in the construction phase and 100 permanent ones once in operation.

The German company makes packaging for renowned food producers, most notably the plastic boxes used by Mars for the Celebrations range of chocolates.

The county council's leadership says it is intent on keeping its strategic focus on job-creation.

Councillor Ken Pollock, cabinet member for economy, skills and infrastructure, said: "The council is very keen to encourage people to create jobs.

"But it has to take into account sustainable planning rules, we need to make sure that we don't create other difficulties by doing so - we can't say 'yes' to jobs at any price."

This newspaper can also reveal how Norton Parkway Developments has abandoned its bid to submit a planning application for a rival, private sector-led Worcestershire Parkway on its land.

The company was seeking to use the same railway platforms due to be constructed under the county council's scheme, but place the other facilities on its own fields such as the car park, booking office and ticket station.

But the spokesman for the firm said it saw no point in pursuing it, as a long-running legal wrangle with the council is now over and construction on the scheme is starting soon.

Worcester News:

Parkway's estimated completion date has been put back twice, but it is now expected to be finished by the winter of 2018/19 with clearance work underway.