Cheshire East has approved plans for land at Radway Green to be used for employment, subject to securing agreement relating to ecological mitigation and highways improvements.

Tilstone Radway Ltd applied for outline permission for up to 94,761sqm of employment floorspace and access at Radway Green Road.

The 24-hectare site is south of Radway Green Road and formerly housed two large industrial buildings belonging to BAE Systems.

Much of the discussion at this week's meeting of the strategic planning board centred around highways concerns.

Cllr Steve Edgar, speaking as a Weston and Basford parish councillor, said: "The area is surrounded by single track roads, very few have passing places but are now subject to be used as a rat run.

"There are no pavements, yet cyclists, walkers, tractors with trailers, local cars and vans [are]all using these roads."

He said the junction improvements proposed at the B5078 Radway Green Road into Barthomley village are very welcome 'but they need to be in place before work starts'.

"The construction traffic, if allowed, will cause major problems if they get into the village."

The parish council's vice chair, John Cornell, said the development will impact greatly on Weston and Barthomley.

"The applicant's modelling indicates the HGV movements will be channelled through junction 16 on the M6," said Cllr Cornell.

But he asked what happens when there are issues on the M6.

"We've logged 12 major incidents and closures between January and April this year," he said.

"We live there, we witness what happens."

He asked for signage stating no through traffic prior to commencement of development, plus a 7.5 tonne weight limit.

And he asked for a speed limit on the B5078. The proposal includes a speed assessment in the future.

"This scheme must be right if the quality of life of our residents is to be retained," Cllr Cornell told the committee.

Alsager resident Sue Helliwell objected to the application and said there needed to be public transport for the future employees to get to work.

She said the National Planning Policy Framework 'clearly states that transport issues should be considered from the early stages of plan making development proposals so the potential impacts of development on transport networks can be addressed and opportunities to promote walking, cycling and public transport use are identified and pursued'.

Alsager resident and former town councillor, Sue Helliwell

She said the current bus service was not adequate.

Planning board chair Mike Hunter (Middlewich, Lab) raised concerns about HGVs using the narrow lanes.

"I am very concerned that we are not protecting the residents of Barthomley and Englesea Brook to the extent that I think we should," he said.

Highways officer Paul Hurdus said: "I think there will be situations where HGVs do use inappropriate roads, that will happen, that is inevitable, but the modelling does show that is going to be quite rare that it happens."

Cllr Mike Hunter

He added: "I think the mitigation we've secured, which is the signage for pedestrians and cyclists, foot way provision up towards Crewe Road, the review of the speed limit and the provision of a ghost right turn lane, which is heading down towards Barthomley and the contribution of the applicant to the widening and dualling of the A500, I do think it's satisfactory from a highways perspective."

Cllr Stewart Gardiner (Knutsford, Con) asked that a green travel plan be part of the conditions and suggested the developer fund a minibus serving the two nearest railway stations.

"If people can travel to Crewe or Alsager Station and know there will be a shuttle for them to pick up on a regular basis to and from their place of work they will choose that," he said.

"In the same way, if there are showers provided and cycle storage, if they don't live too many miles away, they might choose to cycle."

He also asked for an innovative design including green walls. These were added in the conditions.

The committee voted unanimously to delegate the application to the head of planning, in consultation with the chair, to approve subject to a S106 agreement to secure ecological mitigation strategy and highway improvements and conditions relating to flood risk.