CHESHIRE East Council has ignored an onslaught of opposition from councillors and local business by ploughing ahead with plans to build a giant rubbish depot in Hurdsfield.

Cabinet leaders yesterday (Tuesday, September 15) approved the Hulley Road proposal for a waste transfer station that would collect half of Cheshire East's household rubbish - a day after their own corporate scrutiny committee unanimously called for it to be reassessed.

Richard May, who runs Macclesfield Business Centre at nearby Sunrise House - containing 35 of the town's businesses - called it "a scandalous stitch up" and said he was being driven out of town.

Macclesfield Town Councillor David Neilson, who demanded the original proposal be scrutinized, said he was "disgusted".

"This is a very bad day for employment in Macclesfield," he added.

"Cheshire East Council (CEC) has made a decision which could have an effect on future employment prospects for everybody who lives in the Macclesfield area.

"The council is now going to spend a lot of taxpayers money acquiring this site."

But CEC leader, Coun Wesley Fitzgerald, said yesterday at Cabinet: "We have a site that we believe to be suitable. All the objections will come under the scrutiny of the planning committee.

"There's a fear that this is going to be a dirty and polluting operation - it's not going to be."

CEC will need to buy the site from AstraZeneca and submit a planning application before the station - which would collect and transfer non-recyclable household waste - can be built.

AstraZeneca has so far raised no objection to the plans. No one from the company was available for comment yesterday.

Objections during Monday's scrutiny committee were fierce.

Mr May told members: "There are 35 businesses employing 95 people that

would have to relocate. The council should be the promoter and protector of small businesses, not persecutor."

Councillor Hilda Gaddum, who is chairman of CEC's strategic planning board, told the committee that moving to Hulley Road would "exacerbate the recession" and create an "appalling reputation" for Cheshire East Council in its first year.

Coun Ainsley Arnold said: "It is mystifying that the council is look at assisting businesses to get through the recession and on the other hand putting a waste transfer station somewhere it would have an adverse affect (on businesses)."