THE Government has delivered a double whammy to Crewe's planners and put hopes for 5,000 jobs in jeopardy.

Bureaucracy is holding up a major retail development off Flag Lane/ Richard Moon Street and new rules on greenbelt land are threatening industrial sites at Basford.

Councillors are hoping for huge boosts to the town with the two schemes.

They gave the green light for the west end plans in May.

But because of the scale of the development that features a 120,000sqr ft store unit, a pub, car park, 3,000sqr ft fast food unit and a link road, the Government called it in for a public inquiry.

Big W was named as one possible retail occupant.

Now councillors and planning chiefs have revealed they are getting anxious over the lack of Government action.

Up to a thousand jobs could be created by the development on former Adtranz land once covered by railway workshops.

Planning Chairman Cllr Chris Thorley is urging the council to contact the government and local MP Gwyneth Dunwoody to speed things up.

"I am extremely concerned about the situation. I think it is unnecessary," he said.

Limes Development wants to get on with marketing and developing the site but is stumped until planning permission is secured.

The firm maintains the edge-of -town development would not compete with town centre businesses but would inject vitality and diversity into the west end of Crewe and complement proposed leisure development at Eaton Street.

The proposals include a new section of road linking Flag Lane with Dunwoody Way.

Opposition to the plans had included objections and a petition from residents who claimed there would be a negative effect on property values, quality of life and health through an increase in traffic, noise, nuisance, crime and air pollution.

l It is a change of rules that threatens to scupper plans for a mammoth industrial investment on the outskirts of Crewe, along with up to 5,000 jobs.

Millions of pounds have already been poured into preparing the ground at the Basford East and West sites as a distribution point for rail and road freight.

But now the Government Office North West has put forward changes to allow only major investment on the site.

As it is likely that smaller developments rather than huge manufacturing plants would go there planners fear the land's massive potential could be squandered by limits put on it.

Mark Pembleton, Head of Strategic Response at Cheshire County Council, has warned that if carried out, the proposals would have a "disastrous impact".

A consultation period on the proposals has now closed after attracting 200 letters, making 2,000 points.

A final decision may not be announced until the end of the year, or later.