ONE of the largest pieces of commercial land to go on sale in the borough for more than 10 years has been snapped up by Halton Council.

A 40-acre site off Gorsey Lane, part of Widnes Waterfront, is set to contribute to more than 1,000 new jobs.

Council leader Clr Tony McDermott said: “This is a major step forward for the regeneration of Widnes Waterfront.

“The sheer size of this piece of land offers unprecedented opportunities in terms of jobs and regeneration.

“We will carry out extensive analysis for the potential uses for the site and put together a strategic masterplan to complement the diversity of the waterfront’s current commercial offering.”

The Northwest Regional Development Agency provided £6.1 million funding to buy the site, currently occupied by Bayer Crop Science Limited, which announced its closure in 200. It will be vacant by March 2011.

Steven Broomhead, chief executive of NWDA, said: “This site is located in a key position within Widnes Waterfront and this investment will help unlock its potential as a major new employment site for the area.

“The agency has already invested over £6 million to take forward the transformation of Widnes Waterfront into a prime location.”

Steve Tynegate, Bayer’s site manager, said: “Closing the site is not pleasant work but to multiply the number of jobs here in the future can only be good news for Halton.”

A multi-screen cinema, bowling alley and restaurants are already planned for the waterfront.