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Planning chiefs in Birmingham have given the green light to a major industrial development in the north of the city.

The Peddimore project near Sutton Coldfield has the potential to create 6,500 new jobs and support a further 3,000 in the associated supply chain.

Birmingham City Council's planning committee approved the first two applications for the 175-acre site despite a £32 million wrangle over road improvement works with developers of the neighbouring Langley housing scheme.

The application site is owned by the city council.

The approval comprises an outline application with all matters reserved for an employment park including offices, service yards, parking for HGVs, cars and cycles and other landscaping and infrastructure work.

These will be constructed across four separate development zones which are expected to total around 2.6 million sq ft of commercial floorspace.

A second, full application includes a new roundabout access from the A38, roads, cycle and pedestrian paths and other works to serve the site.

Langley Sutton Coldfield Consortium, which is planning to build more than 5,000 homes on the opposite side of the A38, has been told to pay up to £32 million towards improvements to highways and public transport - something it has not yet approved.

Michael Davies, from property consultancy Savills, is representing the consortium.

He told councillors there had been discussions between the agency's technical team and representatives from the council and IM Properties but it was not satisfied with the level of detail provided.

He added: "The consortium's position is that they will meet their obligations but it would have been nice to at least understand the detail behind the Peddimore scheme.

"Until we have that detailed discussion, the consortium's position is they cannot agree to the £32 million until they have had opportunity to review it in full detail."

David Smith, planning director at IM Properties, said: "It is clearly right the actual Langley contribution will need to be tested in detail as the scheme comes forward.

"The approach that has been adopted is reasonable, proportionate and the only way to proceed if Peddimore is to be delivered with the urgency that is required."

Both the Peddimore and Langley projects have attracted controversy because of the city council's decision to use green belt land.

Cllr Lou Robson criticised the design of industrial units, called them "big grey boxes with stripes on" and requested improvements in the second, reserved matters application.

Cllr Gareth Moore said plans to mitigate extra traffic on a number of junctions in the area were "very sketchy" and accused IM Properties of "smoke and mirrors".

He said: "Quite often you have developers that come along and promise the world and only deliver half of it.

"I'm concerned we may have a situation whereby we are being told 'we'll do all of this work, give us planning permission' we give it, and it is 'oh actually we can't afford it' or 'it's not required'."

Work is set to start this winter with the first units expected to be ready for occupation by summer 2021.

Kevin Ashfield, º£½ÇÊÓƵ development director for IM Properties, said: "Peddimore will be a best-in-class employment park for manufacturing and logistics and a development that is a great place to work and visit.

"It is set to create a new industry benchmark for its high-quality design and landscape and an approach which focuses on employee wellbeing and sustainability.

"We are delighted with the decision, which is the culmination of considerable hard work and collaboration over the planning phase with range of local stakeholders."