THE Middlewich public have been urged to ‘make a nuisance of themselves’ by a Cheshire East Councillor, if they want to ensure the Middlewich Bypass is completed.


Cllr Nick Mannion attended a Middlewich Matters meeting, organised by Middlewich Labour councillors and held at Middlewich Methodist Church, Booth Lane on Wednesday, April 6.


Cllr Mannion, who is also the Labour group’s spokesman for Highways, said: “Write, email, sign the petition. Talk to the people at the top. Make sure everyone knows what you think.


“Our committee scrutinises and challenges council decisions, but we don’t know what we don’t know. The best questions are not written by us, they are written for us by residents, you are the real experts. Give us the bullets to fire, it works.


“Our committee meetings are all public – anyone can attend, anyone can ask a question. Come along, ask about the bypass. If we can answer it we will, if we need to come back to you we will.”


The meeting also allowed residents to speak about the Bypass First petition, calling for Cheshire East to refuse any new developments in Middlewich until a bypass is complete.


Jonathan Parry, who has launched the Bypass First petition, said: “A petition similar to this was launched last year, and even though it gained the required number of signatures it was eventually binned by Cheshire East Council. We have no choice but to start again. It’s vital everyone signs this and gets their friends and family to sign it too.”


It was confirmed in the meeting that the bypass is currently being discussed by Cheshire East, and new planning permission will probably be sought once the current permission expires in June, with a view to work beginning in 2017.


This comes less than a month after Congleton MP Fiona Bruce spoke in the House of Commons, asking for government funding for the Middlewich Bypass.


To sign the petition visit middlewichmatters.co.uk.