HISTORIC buildings in Knutsford will not be protected from developers.

Clr Sue Kipling said on Monday that her colleagues at Macclesfield Borough Council would instead use the new property list as a guide when discussing plans.

"They will not be listed buildings where there is extra legislation to protect them," she said.

"We will just take additional note and care in the hope this will secure our heritage."

The borough council requested details of buildings with architectural and historical interest a year ago.

Officers are still studying the list, but not all will be included.

"Hopefully it will be by mutual agreement between the borough and parish councils," said Clr Kipling, head of environment.

Knutsford Town Council earmarked 50 properties they wanted on the list.

They included a semi-detached home in Hayton Street that belonged to former Knutsford Guardian editor Maurice Carver. Others included Heathfield Square, the former Bucklow Rural District Council office in Bexton Road and Egerton Terrace.

"There have been some examples in the past where buildings were knocked down that might not have been had they been on some sort of list like this," Clr George Walton said at the time.

To be included buildings had to retain most of their original features so any with uPVC windows were ignored.

This week - as it emerged Macclesfield Borough Council was dealing with 60% more plans than last year - Clr Kipling said they were working hard to protect Knutsford's heritage.

"As an authority we have cherished our buildings since a time when other areas were not," she said.

"We are ahead of the game because when others were knocking down properties to build town centres we were saying it was not the right thing to do."