THE time has come for Northwich residents to have their say on a plan for the future of the town.

After two years of work behind the scenes, the draft of Northwich Neighbourhood Plan is being revealed to the public in a six-week consultation.

It will be available at Northwich Library, online at northwichplan.org.uk and at three consultation events that will take place at Northwich Memorial Court.

The first of these is on Tuesday, October 21, from 10am to 1pm, followed by a session on Wednesday, October 22, from 2pm to 5pm and the third session on Thursday, October 23, from 6pm to 9pm.

The plan has been spearheaded by volunteers from the community supported by Northwich Town Council.

Members of the neighbourhood plan working group will be on hand to answer questions at each of the three sessions.

David Roberts, chairman of the group, said: "This consultation is the culmination of two years hard work from a dedicated team of volunteers, as well as councillors and officers from Northwich Town Council.

"Contributions have been incorporated from the hundreds of surveys that were completed early in the year, as well as the focus groups at our two colleges.

"All of us care about our town’s future and how it is shaped.

"I hope the residents of Northwich will take this opportunity and make sure that it is a future that they want to see."

Cllr Derek Bowden, from Northwich Town Council, explained why it was important for as many people as possible to have their say.

"The Neighbourhood Plan will have a statutory influence over future planning decisions," he said.

"It will influence how land is used and the design of buildings.

"It will protect green space, and seek contributions from developers towards community facilities and infrastructure.

"We are now not too far away from providing the town with an ambitious plan that will give a positive future direction."

The consultation period takes place from October 14 to November 30.