Plans for a major new industrial development on a 40-acre site in Radway Green which will create more than 1,000 jobs have been approved.

Tilstone Industrial Limited and Corbally Group (Radway Ltd) submitted a hybrid planning application for six warehouses at the former BAE Systems site on Radway Green Business Park, Radway Green Road, Barthomley.

A 'hybrid' application is one that seeks outline planning permission for one part and full planning permission for another part of the same site.

The brownfield site which is designated for employment land under Cheshire East's Local Plan is within the parish of Barthomley but is included in the Alsager Neighbourhood Plan.

The plot is part of a larger site that used to house a Royal Ordnance factory supplying vital munitions during World War Two, and which was acquired by defence firm BAE Systems in 1987 for continued production of bullets and other ammunition.

The application sought full planning permission for three warehouses (units, 1, 2 and 6) creating 34,650sqm of floorspace and associated parking, access and circulation areas. The ridge height of warehouses one, two and six would be 18.2m, 15.5m and 10.4m.

The plans also included an improvement of the access to the south of the level crossing on Radway Green Road, improvement of the access to the north of the level crossing to facilitate pedestrian and cycle access, relocation of the clock tower and new internal roads and drainage infrastructure.

The outline part of the application which has already been previously approved was for three additional warehouses (units 3, 4 and 5), with total floorspace of 39,960sqm, including approval of access and scale at the outline stage.

But matters relating to scale, appearance, landscaping and layout would be reserved for determination at a later date.

The application site is situated to the southeast of Radway Green Road and part of it formerly housed two large industrial buildings belonging to BAE Systems, these have now demolished and all that now remains is the gatehouse at the end of the access road.

In addition, the site includes the Radway Green Business Park to the south of the demolished buildings and west of the BAE System facility.

The main access to be used for the whole site is the existing access to the south of the level crossing. The site is approximately 18.65 hectares in size.

The site is designated as being within open countryside in Cheshire East's adopted local plan which also includes employment land identified as Local Plan Strategy 23 (Radway Green Brownfield, Alsager). To the south west of the site is LPS 24 (Radway Green Extension, Alsager).

Alsager Town Council objected to the application on the grounds of highway safety, impact on the railway, land contamination, loss of ponds, loss of trees and flood risk.

A tenant on Radway Green Business Centre offered no objection to the principle of the proposal but expressed concerns about the safety of the existing access to the site.

Policy EE1 of the Alsager Neighbourhood Plan supports development on Radway Green Road Brownfield (LPS 23) subject to several criteria's including providing local employment, impact on the character of the area, parking and traffic.

The Radway Green Business Centre part of the site is within open countryside and is outside the boundary of LPS 23.

In a Cheshire East planning officer's report, it stated: "It is however a brownfield site with old buildings no longer of a standard that would be allowed today."

The proposed development falls within the vulnerable building consultation zone of the nearby licensed facility (BAE Systems).

As part of the design process, ongoing engagement with BAE and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) would take place in order to ensure that the safety goals are achieved.

The nearest residential properties to the site are on Radway Green Road north of the level crossing.

The main access to the site would be to the south of the level crossing and it is "anticipated" that the majority of vehicles would turn left onto the B5078 towards junction 16 of the M6 motorway and the A500.

A three-metre-wide shared pedestrian/cycleway to link the site to the footpath network was proposed and this would use the BAE northern access that connects with Radway Green Road. In addition, a 1.2m advisory cycle lane on both sides of the BAE access to the site would be provided.

There are 1,233 parking spaces provided for the six separate units and there would be 186 cycle spaces.

In response to concerns expressed by the highways officer, the applicant submitted a technical note to assess the traffic impact of the proposed development in comparison with the already approved outline planning application at the level railway crossing.

The assessment included a facility to reduce the amount of light traffic that would need to use the level crossing. The assessment found that trips generated from warehouse units one and two would be able to use the sites internal roads and enter/exit via the northern access and thereby not impact on the crossing.

According to the applicant, the provision of this internal link would be "beneficial" in "reducing the development impact on the crossing" by providing an alternative means of access. The applicant claimed that the assessments indicated that there would be "slightly less movements" than the already approved outline application.

The assessment found that there was an increase in car traffic in the afternoon peak, but this was not a "material increase in flow" that would lead to "significantly longer" afternoon northbound queues.

As the existing southern access point would be used by the majority of traffic going to and from this development, a Cheshire East case officer felt it was "important" that this access point was "improved" to provide a "safer arrangement" for vehicles "especially" for HGV's waiting to turn into the site.

A ghost right turn lane improvement was submitted and incorporated as an improved kerb radii for HGV vehicles.

The proposed development did originally result in the loss of a pond, but as requested by the council's Nature Conservation Officer, the revised site layout plan now shows a replacement pond to the west of unit six.

As originally submitted, a proposed tree loss of 66 was considered "excessive" by the forestry officer. A revised layout would now require the loss of 49 trees.

In a Cheshire East officer's report, it stated: "It is acknowledged that the revision would reduce overall losses cited previously. The impacts on the tree population and limited opportunities for planting in mitigation of losses remain a concern.

"However, on balance it is considered that the economic benefits of the proposed development outweigh the limited harm caused by the loss of trees."

The application which was recommended for approval by planning officers was discussed at the borough's Strategic Planning Board on Wednesday.

Alsager town councillor Michael Unett was "disappointed" that there had been no acknowledgement in the highways report about the impact the HGV traffic from the previously granted Radway Green North development would bring, for which construction work has commenced after a successful planning appeal.

The Labour councillor also felt there had been no "factoring in or foresight" of the impact on the M6 from the future development to the south of the application site with there being 25 hectares of employment land allocated under the Cheshire East local plan.

Touching on Barthomley Parish Council's concerns, Cllr Unett highlighted that there was no "joined up thinking" when it came to taking into consideration all the neighbouring sites and developments.

Speaking about the town council's concerns about the impact on the railway due to the volume of traffic coming from the south of the level crossing, Cllr Unett highlighted that the submitted technical note failed to take into consideration the additional traffic from the Radway Green North warehouses development.

Cllr Unett said: "While it is good to see units one and two may see access from the northern entrance and bridge which is situated north of the level crossing.

"I would add that there will still be an impact on the B5078 and B5077 junction from traffic coming to and from this development, the Radway Green North development along with existing traffic and granted housing developments in the nearby area."

However, Paul Hurdus, highways development manager at Cheshire East, stated that the application had took into consideration a "holistic" view of ongoing developments within the area.

Andy Plant, who was representing the applicant highlighted that "well in excess" of 120 new trees would be planted as part of the application.

Mr Plant said: "This proposal will deliver over 74,000sqm of commercial development sitting in a quality environment with the existing mature landscape boundaries of the site catering for a range of development sizes from 5,000sqm upwards and has the potential to create in excess of 1,000 jobs as well as construction employment."

Alsager ward councillor Phil Williams, who sits on the Strategic Planning Board, welcomed the proposed retention of the "iconic" clock tower, but queried if a decision had been made where it would be relocated to.

According to Mr Plant, the plan was to relocate the clock tower from its current position on the northern access onto the left-hand side of the development when approaching the main access to the site from the south.

Cllr Williams queried whether there would be the opportunity for public art to be showcased to mark the heritage of the site near the relocated clock tower.

The Liberal Democrat councillor said: "This is a historic site in terms of the development of Alsager as a town from World War Two onwards and I am wondering if there could be something as a possible condition about marking that in some way that maybe combines ecology with art."

Philippa Radia, senior planning officer for Cheshire East, stated that there already was an ecological enhancement strategy in place as a planning condition.

However, she told the meeting that a public art (a plaque) condition could be added to the application, which Alsager Town Council and local residents could be involved with.

Cllr Steven Edgar, ward councillor for Haslington, said: "I do welcome this application in turning a piece of derelict land into an employment area that post Covid-19 is going to be needed and I really welcome those junction improvements that will allow traffic to move into the estate when the level crossing is closed."

The Strategic Planning Board approved the application with the public art condition added.