Cheshire East is looking into the possibility of setting up an electric 'tram-like' bus network to link up the borough's science and technology sites.

The potential scheme is very much in its early stages and deputy leader Craig Browne said funding, which would come from a new government pot, has not been allocated to councils yet.

Cllr Browne, who is the council's highways and transport lead, told this week's meeting of the full council: "We have been made aware that government is intending to allocate a locally integrated transport settlement, or LITS funding, for Cheshire East.

"While we await further details on how much funding we will be allocated, we are exploring the potential to use our allocation to develop an electric tram bus network to support sustainable economic growth in Cheshire East."

He continued: "We, of course, have one of the strongest science and technology clusters in the UK, including a number of major employers including Manchester Airport, Barclays Radbroke campus, the AstraZeneca Macclesfield campus and of course Alderley Park.

Cllr Craig Browne (Photo: Cheshire East Council)

"We intend to explore whether the LITS funding allocation could be used as part of a public private partnership to introduce an electric tram bus service to provide a sustainable, integrated network to connect these areas, unlocking growth, supporting sustainable travel and reducing congestion."

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Browne told the Local Democracy Reporting Service this was at a very early stage.

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He stressed no funding had yet been allocated from government.

"But we've been asked to give an early indication of schemes we might look to use the funding for," he said, adding the electric buses look like trams and would potentially link up sites like the AstraZeneca campus and Alderley Park with multi-modal points like Manchester Airport