A COUNCILLOR says serious concerns still exist about plans for a massive business park which could create up to 4,600 jobs.

As reported last week, developers have indicated to council chiefs that the ambitious scheme for the park on the Lostock Triangle could create thousands of jobs.

But local councillors who say they had been told it was more likely to be in the region of 2,000 jobs claim this could have a massive impact on traffic and parking around the area.

The park would include two hotels, restaurant facilities and a number of offices which could employ up to 4,600 workers at the 17 hectare site.

But borough councillor Ann McEllin said: 'The developer is proposing to put less than 1,000 car parking places within the Triangle development, and that would mean cars parked in Lostock residential streets. The last thing we want is local people not being able to park in front of their own homes, or being obstructed from getting in and out of their drives.'

She said: 'It's all very well for the Government to be promoting public transport, but what about the real life situation in Lostock? With less than one rail service an hour from Manchester and Chester, it is unlikely that people will use the train. In the last two years Cheshire County Council has halved our bus services in Lostock.

'We would therefore like to see the developer and Cheshire County Council working in partnership to provide better public transport and to reverse the one-way system on School Lane to keep morning rush-hour traffic out of this constricted little lane where our local children walk to school.'

She added: 'The vast majority of local people remain opposed to the development of the Triangle, and I am still surprised that an independent inspector gave the go-ahead for a greenfield site to be allocated for employment, when there is so much derelict and post-industrial land in the borough. It will change the whole character of the village.'

But she did welcome the boost it would bring to employment in the area, and said local people should be first in line for jobs.

She said: 'I would hope that there would be opportunities for jobs for local people. I hope that these would be wide range of jobs, for people of all ages and talents.

'It is definitely an opportunity for local people to set up support services, such as catering businesses and office support companies.'

Chairman of Lostock Parish Council, Shaun Wells, said: 'This is a situation where you can please most of the people, most of the time.

'The only concerns that I would have is that on Gadbrook Park it seems that not all units are fully let. That is up to the developers but if they think they can let all the buildings it is not the people of Lostock who will lose out.'

The application to build the park, similar to Gad-brook Park in Rudheath, was first submitted in 2001 but the scheme has been on hold because the Highways Agency originally objected to the project. That objection has now been withdrawn and the borough council are in the process of drawing up a legal agreement with Commercial Developers Project Ltd to ensure a range of highways and environmental improvements are completed.

Richard Ellison, head of planning and building control at Vale Royal Borough Council, said: 'There will be a range of highways and transport improvements which we will be looking at in particular bus access and pedestrian cycle routes.'