SO Martin Forster feels that as a resident of Sandbach he can have a go at me for standing up for what is right in Middlewich, where I am elected to stand as a councillor for both town and Cheshire East.

True he used to be headmaster of the high school, true I worked with him as a school governor, true he didn’t get elected to the council this year, beaten by both Middlewich First and the Conservatives.

What is not true however is his insinuation that I do not support the bypass, or the residents who voted for me.

Since I have been involved in the council, I have fully supported the completion of the bypass and have even voted for it when it has come before the planning committees I have sat on.

Labour has twisted the intention of the petition to say it wants it started by the end of 2016 without any reasoning or explanation as to why 2016 as opposed to any other date.

By altering the original petition to include a date, this was no longer what the 2,000 people had actually signed to agree.

That is one reason why I opposed their motion.

My initial proposal at the council meeting was to support the residents’ recognition of the need for a bypass, but also to insist Cheshire East addresses the wider traffic and road safety implications affecting the A54 and the town.

This is a major problem, and for many people, far more problematic than Lewin Street.

The Labour councillors completely rejected that motion.

I have always put Middlewich first.

I am an independent councillor supporting Middlewich First.

I make my decisions based on what residents tell me.

Simon McGrory Middlewich First councillor for town and borough