CHESHIRE East Council has given the go ahead for 25 homes on a site in Crewe despite the land being allocated for a pub and shop.

The land, north of Broad Street, is part of the residential/commercial scheme which was granted planning permission in 2013.

It was due to provide the commercial element of the Stoneley Park development, but the agent for developer Taylor Wimpey told the southern planning committee on Wednesday there had been no interest from the retail sector or the pub trade in setting up there.

He added the Co-op opening up on the site previously occupied by the Skoda garage, 200m from the application site, 'has effectively sterilised the area for further convenience retail as there is only need for one store in this area.'

Crewe North councillor Jill Rhodes said: "I'm old enough to remember this initial application going through and the promise that we would have a public house and a commercial shop and I remember the old timers on the committee saying 'well that will never happen they'll build houses' and it looks like that's just what's happened."

She said the site was a bit of a windfall for the developer, a site they didn't expect to have 'yet they're still cramming in the housing to keep up the density'.

"It what's we get in Crewe," said Cllr Rhodes. "We don't get the best standards, we get what is the best economically for the developer and, although this is an improvement [on the previous scheme which was deferred last year] in terms of parking and bungalows, I'm not wholly happy with it."

Willaston councillor Allen Gage and Kath Flavell (Sandbach Elworth) asked if the developer could contribute towards a crossing on Remer Street.

Cllr Gage, who also acknowledged the scheme had improved since the deferral, said: "When the people bought these homes, and there is a substantial number of houses on this extended development, they were sold those homes with the promise there would be a retail facility, a convenience shop in this area. That's been negated by the Co-op which is across the road on Remer Street."

He said crossing by the roundabout there 'is not fully safe in my opinion'.

But planning officer Daniel Evans said any contribution for a crossing would have be related to the development.

"It should have been secured as part of an application for 650 [houses on the rest of the site]."

But Cllr Flavell didn't agree.

"I don't at all think it's unreasonable to ask them to provide a crossing," said the Sandbach councillor.

She said when the planning permission was granted for the much larger site, which includes the 650 homes, 'if we had known then that there would be no shop and it was going to be on the opposite side of the road, then a crossing would have been necessary'.

The planning officer pointed out the developer was now making an education contribution of £119,000.

Cllr John Wray proposed the application be approved and this was seconded by Cllr Suzie Akers Smith. Five councillors voted for approval, two against and five abstained.