A controversial national railfreight development in Lanarkshire has been given the seal of approval after Scottish Ministers upheld an appeal by developers.

Mossend International Railfreight Park (MIRP) in Bellshill has been given the go ahead after ministers overturned a ruling by Labour-run North Lanarkshire council to block the proposed development by PD Stirling, who run the existing Mossend Railhead site.

Councillors refused to approve the project in September last year after receiving 1,200 objections from local residents who claimed the expansion would have an unacceptably detrimental effect on their quality of life.

David Stirling, senior manager at PD Stirling, said: "We recognise that there has been some local concern but are looking forward to working with residents to put in place locally supported management for the proposed community woodland which will include walkways, woodlands and cycle routes.”

The £260 million state-of-the-art facility will be one of Scotland’s most significant private sector infrastructure projects. It is expected to deliver 2,700 jobs - plus another 2,200 during the construction phase.

The site will incorporate warehousing and manufacturing space adjacent to the terminal as well as bespoke, low carbon distribution, service and logistics facilities allowing occupiers to load directly to and from the trains.

PD Stirling will expand its existing operations to provide Scotland with a 66 per cent increase in capacity to UK and European markets.

The family-run firm, founded in 1870, specialises in bulk goods haulage but has also provided rail freight since 1961, when it first leased a terminal from British Rail at Cadder, near Glasgow.

David Stirling, the great grandson of the company founder who runs the business with his brothers, Andrew and Peter, said: “We’re delighted with today’s decision as it will open up new opportunities for railfreight and sustainable low-carbon logistics in Scotland.

"MIRP will create a major new railfreight facility and help to secure new investment and economic activity both in Lanarkshire and across Scotland. MIRP will be able to compete favourably on cost with road transport, extend choice and support the sustainable movement of goods to and from Scotland."

”We recognise that there has been some local concern but are looking forward to working with residents to put in place locally supported management for the proposed community woodland which will include walkways, woodlands and cycle routes.”

The go-ahead underpins the increasing demand for railfreight and its importance as a driver for the Scottish economy.

The grant of permission will help deliver the Scottish Government’s own Economic Strategy for Scotland (March 2015) the key provisions of which are a much boarder approach to boosting competitiveness, the private sector’s contribution to achieving economic growth, and the four priority areas of investment, innovation, inclusive growth and internationalisation.

It also reflects the Scottish Parliament Inquiry into Freight Transport in Scotland carried out by the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee (published 29 June 2015) which highlighted the vital role of rail freight in supporting the country’s economy and connecting Scotland to Europe via the Channel Tunnel.

Railfreight has been increasing in popularity with supermarkets and material handling firms looking to transfer goods to and from Europe. MIRP will support this growth with its capability to handle the new class of 775m long electric trains on a daily basis. As well as lowering distribution costs for occupiers, the development will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by moving freight from road to rail.

Mossend has seen an unprecedented level of interest recently from firms keen to explore the potential of the site as a key hub for transferring freight from road to rail.

Already a number of high-profile businesses including Wincanton Distribution, Ibstock Bricks, Howden Joinery and Wavin (a world-leader in the production of plastic pipes) have chosen Mossend for its strategic location and future expansion plans.