I READ with interest the article “Ban the Plan”, Guardian, October 1, and also the number of letters suggesting a “No” vote will solve the issue of developers building on Greenfield sites.

I would like to present some facts.

Neighbourhood plan or no plan, 3,500 houses are scheduled to be built by 2030 in Winsford as our allocation of the housing for Cheshire West and Chester Council area.

This is considerably less than Northwich, Ellesmere Port, and Chester.

Incidentally, over 1,200 of those homes are already built or have planning permission.

Without a neighbourhood plan the developers stand a much better chance of building wherever they own or obtain land, even if we object.

Several sites outside the “draft neighbourhood plan” have been given planning permission, not by Winsford Town Council or Cheshire West and Cheshire Council, but on appeal to the secretary of state, a good example being Welsh Lane.

The neighbourhood plan looks to protect, not threaten the Flashes by allocating large swathes of public open space either side of Bottom Flash. Rilshaw Meadows and Stocks Meadows are in the ownership of Winsford Town Council and will protect the Flashes frontage.

The development, in preparation for the recent Salt Fair Regatta, around the marina should signal the intention of the town council to preserve what we know is our best asset and is seen in our plans for a new dawn for Winsford.

In planning law there is very little to stop development here in Winsford at present even when Winsford Town Council and Cheshire West and Chester planning committees vote unanimously against it. The neighbourhood plan land allocations meet our 3,500 target, which will make it much easier for the planning authority to resist applications from speculative developers.

There are no guarantees but in order to have some control we need another element in planning law to argue the point.

Cllr Gina Lewis Chairman of planning, Winsford Town Council