BENTLEY Motors' proposed multimillion pound extension in Crewe is now open for public comments after the first planning application was submitted.

Last December, the luxury car manufacturer announced their intentions to invest £40 million to expand its headquarters in Crewe.

The firm also revealed plans to build a new research and development centre, which they say would house 1,300 Bentley engineers and create more than 300 new jobs.

Edward Timpson, MP for Crewe and Nantwich, said: “I am always keen to see one of our most prominent employers succeeding, and was delighted to visit Bentley the other day for a sneak preview of their new Bentayga SUV, which the Prime Minister and I campaigned for to be built here in Crewe – not Bratislava.

"I am also looking forward to the opening of the Bentley-sponsored University Technical College – another project Bentley and I worked on together, so that we can keep the success going in Crewe with a highly skilled young workforce."

Bentley has now applied for permission to build a four-storey, 7,200sqm office building on the site of one of its staff car parks on the north side of Pyms Lane.

If approved, it will be the biggest site development in the British company’s history.

A spokesman for Bentley Motors said: “We’re in a sustained period of success and these plans will enable us to push forward even further and secure our long-term growth, reinforcing Bentley’s commitment to Crewe.”

The planning application follows a public exhibition at Legends sports club last month aimed at discussing the proposals with residents who live near the proposed site.

After attending the consultation, Pyms Lane resident Robert Pearson wrote to the council to express his and some of his neighbours’ concerns.

Mr Pearson said: “I and my neighbours at numbers 17, 21 and 23 are seriously concerned at the size of the buildings proposed, and the closeness to our houses."

He added: “The sun is in the west for most of the afternoon, and it seems to us that if this building is erected, it will cast its shadow over at least the end (Westernmost) houses for a large part of the day.

“This is emphatically not acceptable.”

The application is due to be considered Cheshire East Council’s strategic planning committee on October 12.

The deadline for submitting comments is September 17. Comments can be submitted through Cheshire East’s planning portal or sent by post.