PLANS for an eco car wash next to a busy Crewe roundabout will cause traffic chaos claim local residents.

Carbana Ltd wants to establish a manned car wash, consisting of four jet wash bays and four valeting bays, on the site at North Street which was once used as a carpark by a Skoda garage.

There would also be two electric vehicle (EV) charging bays put in place if the scheme gets the green light.

The nearby garage showroom has since been replaced by the Co-op's Remer Street store and two food outlets, which are next to the busy six-way roundabout, which also provides access to the Stoneley Park housing development.

Residents in Stoneley Road, North Street, Broad Street and Greenway have protested to Cheshire East Council saying the car wash will cause more traffic problems on what some claim is a badly-designed roundabout, which was rebuilt to accommodate the new housing on the Taylor Wimpey development.

A North Street resident said: "The access is bad enough at the moment. We are a main route to Leighton Hospital and have a local primary school so traffic builds up for the school runs. We have artic lorries mounting the kerbs on the roundabout and cars speeding from Broad Street on to the roundabout."

A resident in Stoneley Road has also written to the borough council objecting to the scheme, stating: "Vehicles queuing on the road to use the facility could result in delays to passing traffic at least and an emergency ambulance having to negotiate a totally unnecessary obstruction.

"The roundabout is an utter congested cluster at peak times," a resident in Greenway stated. "You can't tell if people are turning in to Greenway or Broad Street as the exits are so close together - how the hell can a carwash work there?"

Carbana is also proposing to build a waiting room and staff facilities on the site. It says the car wash will create local jobs and would have "no significant impact on the highway system".

In a design and access statement the firm states: "The site is well served by a robust road network and will no doubt benefit from the slow passing traffic at Remer Street roundabout, and also visitors to the local amenity store."

Crewe Town Council voted to object to the scheme at its planning meeting on Monday with councillors highlighting issues over the treatment of contaminated water, the traffic dangers posed by vehicles entering and leaving the premises and it being too close to a pedestrian crossing and bus stop.

The application is listed to be decided under the delegated powers of Cheshire East's planning officers.

But Crewe East councillor Suzanne Brookfield is requesting it is called in so planning committee members can consider highway safety issues.