THE news that a plant hire company is to bring 300 jobs to Oldham is welcome indeed for the town.

Councillors gave conditional planning approval for the construction of a new distribution warehouse south of Ram Mill and next to Gorse Mill in Chadderton before Christmas.

The application was granted in the face of protests from owners of nearby Ram Mill, amid concerns about flooding and the loss of trees.

They also cited safety fears over vehicle access to the site, with about 50 heavy vehicles going to and from the site every day.

The presence of a nearby school, an adjacent McDonald’s and a supermarket give credibility to their argument.

However, provided conditions imposed on approval of the application by Oldham Council appear to address the safety concerns about the access, and provided these are met and stringently adhered to, we support the proposal.

Cllr John Hudson rightly says that Chadderton is an area where mills and places of employment have been located. In these uncertain economic times, the influx of the opportunity for 300 more Oldham people to be employed must be good news.

Correspondents to this newspaper have voiced concern over of the increased volume of traffic which the new development will generate.

While this may be an inconvenience it should be remembered that high levels of traffic are usually generated in areas of strong and healthy economic activity.

The development that has been going on in around Manchester over the last few years is evidence of this, as is the capital city London, which has had longstanding traffic congestion issues.

Let us hope more businesses choose to make Oldham their home.