A PLAN to create hundreds of new houses on a 32.5 hectare development south of Crewe has been approved by Cheshire East Council.

Offices, a food store and retail units, a restaurant, hotel and car showroom will be created alongside 370 new houses in the Basford West development, in Sahvington cum Gresty.

A new spine road with access from the A500 and a local village centre will also be built, alongside a bat barn, tree screening and pedestrian and cycle routes.

The development sits next to the Basford Railway sidings, leaving a parcel of land to the east that would appear to accommodate space for the future HS2 depot.

The Crewe Green Link Road scheme is planned to provide extra capacity relief for Basford West.

But Independent borough clr for Shavington, David Brickhill, was worried that surrounding roads would still be unable to accommodate increased traffic as a result of the development.

He said: “I expect the existing traffic from Wybunbury etc will continue to use Crewe Road and then Gresty Road and at least half the traffic from the 370 houses will be added to it, plus of course those from the Triangle development.”

He added: “It is my view that, if there is no widening of Gresty Bridge and Gresty Road then this area will suffer from severe congestion at peak hours.”

Basford West is a key element of Cheshire East Council’s All Change for Crewe scheme – aimed at re-invigorating Crewe as an economic powerhouse and centre for jobs in manufacturing and industry.