INCINERATION could be the price of a long-awaited bypass for Middlewich, according to outraged councillors.

Town and borough councillors believe the development of a thermal or mechanical biological treatment plant on land south of Cledford Lane is playing a part in negotiations to bring the completion of the Middlewich eastern bypass forward.

Clr Paul Edwards told the Guardian: "The county council could bring forward the Middlewich eastern bypass but on the proviso that it can build an incinerator there."

He added: "It's only an outline agreement, nothing definite, but it would give the county council the chance to build the plant."

The land, owned by Middlewich developer Pochin's, was earmarked for waste management in the re-deposit version of Cheshire County Council's replacement waste local plan. This included in-vessel composting and anaerobic digestion as well as thermal and mechanical biological treatment.

The land is also set aside for business, general industry and storage and distribution purposes in a draft development brief for phase three of the Midpoint 18 industrial estate but developing the land requires the completion of the bypass, which in turn needs contributions from both developers and the public sector.

Clr Edwards said: "Pochin's could use the land as its collateral towards the bypass.

"Cheshire County Council has been given £40million for recycling for the whole of Cheshire so it's reassigning different bits of money and could use part to build the bypass."

He added: "Instead of the bypass relieving problems it will add to them as we'll have a tip at one end of town and an incinerator at the other so it'll be full of refuse vehicles.

"We are up in arms about it."

Brian Reay, development director for Pochins, said the bypass and waste plans were two separate issues.

He said: "We are talking in some detail with Cheshire County Council and Congleton Borough Council and trying to keep in touch with the town council as well because we all want to see the same thing - the bypass built as quickly as possible.

"We're definitely making good progress in our discussions which have been going on for some time now and, as it's quite a large and complex project, will go on into autumn."

Mr Reay added land has always been allocated for waste management in Middlewich and it is part of a national issue.

A spokesman for Cheshire County Council said: "The Middlewich eastern bypass project, although part funded by the authority, is dependent on financial contributions from developers.

"Work may begin at an earlier date should those contributions be in place.

"The land adjacent to the bypass has been identified in the Cheshire Waste Local Plan as one of a number of potential sites for new waste treatment facilities needed to ensure that Cheshire County Council meets Government targets for increasing recycling and reducing landfill.

"Discussions are at an early stage and no decisions have been made."