I WOULD like to share my experience as an ordinary member of the public attending a recent Winsford Town Council meeting on July 18.

I wanted to raise concerns regarding the recent proposal highlighted in the Guardian about a prison scoped for Winsford at two potential sites.

However, I was told that I could only raise questions that were part of the agenda (by the way, if you have ever tried to navigate the town council website, even as a person with IT experience, it is a very difficult and arduous task indeed).

As the Neighbourhood Plan was contained within one of the agenda items, I trusted that I would be heard on a matter.

My main question was why had two areas of Winsford been identified for a prison site – neither of which were part of the neighbourhood plan?

Unfortunately I was not allowed to ask the question.

The meeting continued where Cllr Clarke and Cllr Burns advised I should contact my local MP Antoinette Sandbach.

So far our MP has raised public awareness and confirmed she does not support Winsford being put forward as a site for a prison development and it does not fit in with the Neighbourhood Plan.

I would also welcome the opportunity for an active forum where these questions can be raised and respected in a democratic way by Winsford Town Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council.

These questions are: 1) Was the question posed by the Government to the CWAC Council asking for an information request actually mandatory to respond to?

2) Can the CWAC advise which other sites were suggested and why those two in Winsford?

3) Can CWAC and the WTC advise why they did not consult with the public before responding to the Government request for information and take their views into consideration before responding.

4) How can land considered as employment land within the Neighbourhood Plan be scoped for a prison development?

I want to highlight how difficult it is to raise such deep concerns within our community as a member of the public.

I certainly don’t want to see a prison being built here and our Winsford community will, I’m sure, stand up against the ridiculous idea that a prison would be a good idea to raise the image of Winsford and generate further investment in what has already been identified as a business and manufacturing area within the Neighbourhood Plan.

Mrs S Challinor Winsford