A NEW car dealership is set to be built in Handforth in a move that will save almost 130 jobs.

Cheshire East Council’s strategic planning board discussed the plans for a new Halliwell Jones BMW and Mini dealership and workshop at Macclesfield Town Hall earlier today, Wednesday.

The scheme will replace the current showrooms, off Dean Row Road, as well as the firm’s bodyshop in Brooke Park.

It is the second time the proposals have come before the board after councillors rejected it at the first time of asking over the size of the building, its environmental impacts and its proximity to the Grade II-listed Handforth Hall.

The applicant says the site, west of Coppice Way, will secure 127 existing jobs and create around 45 new, permanent jobs.

Some woodland will be lost as a result of the plans, however, officers say the development will secure long-term management of the woodland to ‘maintain its integrity into the future’.

But Mayor of Cheshire East Council Cllr Barry Burkhill, ward member for Handforth, raised concerns over the blueprints.

He said: “We are talking about an application for workshops and bodyshops – noisy things going on there.

“And a tyre fitting bay, that also worries me a bit because anybody that has had a tyre changed in a tyre fitting bay knows what the noise is like.”

The meeting comes almost a year after the strategic planning board rejected the firm’s first attempt at building the dealership – despite an impassioned plea from Phillip Jones, managing director.

But members received an apology from John Taylor, property adviser to Halliwell Jones, at today’s meeting because Mr Jones was unable to attend.

Mr Taylor told councillors the body shop, workshop and tyre bays will be underground before stating there will be ‘very, very little noise’ coming from the building.

He added: “We have worked very hard on this site to take on board all of your officers’ recommendations and I think, and all our professional team think, that we’ve accommodated every one of them.

“If we don’t get this, BMW have said they will take away the franchise, end of story, which no one wants to happen. I am sure you don’t want that to happen.”

The application had been recommended for approval subject to conditions.

Councillors voted to delegate approval to officers subject to the receipt of ‘satisfactory’ ecological mitigation proposals.