Business leaders have welcomed a £81.5m cash injection – which is hoped to bring 2,000 new jobs.

The pot for Cheshire East includes £20m for life sciences in a new Greater Manchester and Cheshire Life Sciences Investment Fund.

The bulk of this will go towards encouraging new businesses at Alderley Park, a particular priority given that drugs giant AstraZeneca is due to move its research and development operations out of the site to Cambridge by 2016.

The money also includes £16.4m for the proposed Poynton Relief Road and £45m for the Congleton Link Road. Council leader Michael Jones has said the money will bring 2,000 jobs for local people.

Macclesfield MP David Rutley has hailed the news as a huge boost for the town.

He said: “This a major announcement for the town and great news.

“The money for life sciences and the Poynton Relief Road are both critical for Macclesfield.

“I’m delighted to hear of the commitment to the life sciences fund to build on the strong skills we have in Macclesfield.

“It will help us have a sustainable future at Alderley Park and encourage new businesses to spin out from AstraZeneca.

“This is the first black and white pledge from the government for the Poynton Relief Road, it’s critical funding to ensure the project can go ahead to relieve traffic congestion in Poynton and improve links to Macclesfield.

“The Congleton Link Road will improve connectivity.”

Cheshire East council bosses say that the three projects will see more than £80m invested in the area.

It includes £16.4m for the Poynton Relief Road, which will reduce the amount of traffic passing through the town and improve the road links to Macclesfield linking the town with the new airport relief road.

Around £45m will also be spent on a new Congleton Link Road, which will link the Sandbach Road to the west of Congleton, with the A536 Macclesfield Road in Eaton.

Clare Hayward, of Make it Macclesfield, said: “The money for the life sciences supports our desire to build as an area for science, innovative based businesses and create sustainable, high value jobs.

“The specific focused projects both on the Alderley Park site and the science corridor strengthens our message that Cheshire has expertise, skills and creativity that would be hard pushed to find everywhere.

“We will also benefit from the Manchester infrastructure project to the south of Manchester and access to the airport.

“We know that people want to work and live in Macclesfield and Cheshire and with improved access and an increased focus on employment this will have a very positive impact on our current projects and our future prosperity.”

The money has been agreed as part of a deal between the government and bosses from Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to support economic growth.

Council leader Michael Jones said the new roads will cut journey times from the M6 to Macclesfield and shave an hour off journeys from the north to the south of the borough.

He said: “The growth deal is a major project of investment that will bring jobs and wealth to the local economy, as well as better connectivity.”

John Lamond, chief executive of the Macclesfield Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise, said the money is good news for Alderley Park.

Christine Gaskell, chairman of the LEP, said: “It is fantastic news for the county and will enable a number of projects to get off the ground and bring employment opportunities.”