WINSFORD Swanlow and Dene has been hit the hardest with an influx of planning applications in the ward.

We have had applications for Welsh Lane, St Chads Conservation area and also Darnhall and now Ways Green.

Some of these applications have been outside the Winsford Neighbourhood Plan area and the latest for Ways Green is far in excess of those detailed in the Winsford Neighbourhood Plan.

Those of us who watched Parliament when the coalition passed the new NPPF legislation in 2012 and the growth and infrastructure bill that followed knew that all the power would be in the hands of the developers and landowners.

With Winsford having no greenbelt, we are in great danger of being overrun with applications from landowners and developers.

One thing that would help would be a yes vote on the Winsford Neighbourhood Plan.

The fact is we would have had the referendum in May had it not been for a legal challenge from developers.

It just goes to show how scared developers are of a Neighbourhood Plan for Winsford.

Clr Stephen Burns, Swanlow and Dene Ward