A MIDDLEWICH borough councillor has reassured residents that the Middlewich Neighbourhood Plan will not ‘ruin the town’, following comments made by a town councillor.

The Neighbourhood Plan, which will shape the future development of Middlewich, is due to be voted upon on March 14. And last week the Guardian reported that members of the public are being urged to have their say while they can, on what developments should be permitted around the town over the next decade.

However, members of the Labour group on the town council are against the plan and Cllr Jonathan Parry told the Guardian that he fears it could ruin the town.

Cllr Parry said: “I am glad this is going to a referendum because in its current form this could ruin the town.

“It takes away our power as residents and town councillors, as developers will be able to build houses without providing the infrastructure which has been decimated in recent years.”

Cllr Mike Parsons, Middlewich ward member at Cheshire East Council, has says that while Cllr Parry is concerned of giving ‘too much power to developers’, the meaning of the Neighbourhood Plan is quite the opposite. He says it gives the power to the community.

Cllr Parsons said: “I would like to advise readers and Cllr Parry that Middlewich Town Council is a consultee only on all planning applications within Middlewich, planning decisions within the towns of Cheshire East are decided by the borough council.

“However, it was good to see that Cllr Parry’s Middlewich Labour Party objected to the planning application ‘Land Off Wheelock Street, Middlewich’ using policies from our emerging Middlewich Neighbourhood Plan.

“Without a Neighbourhood Plan our community would be without any direct power to shape future development within our communities.

“The plan has met the legal criteria to go forward to referendum. I ask all residents to vote in favour of the Plan on Thursday, March 14.”

Cllr Parsons also stated that the plan has already been used in January by the borough’s Strategic Planning Board when they unanimously refused an outline planning application for the erection of up to 370 dwellings on the land at the junction of Centurion Way.

Cllr Parsons added: “It should be noted that the National Planning Policy Framework states that Neighbourhood planning gives communities direct power to develop a shared vision for their Neighbourhood and to shape the development and growth of their local area, choosing where new homes, shops and offices are to be built and even what new buildings should look like.”