PUBLIC concern over housing development in the borough is being ignored, a councillor claims.

The local authority asked for views on the local draft Community Plan and got responses from 1,000 people.

Amongst the issues that emerged from the consultation was that the rapid growth was "a significant concern of many".

"Not everyone is happy about this change and not everyone understands the reasons for it," Chief Executive Alan Wenham reports.

"But for the foreseeable future the process of growth will inevitably continue so that achieving balance and supporting newer communities is seen as a significant priority," he adds.

Reaction to the concern has angered Lib Dem councillor Gwyn Griffiths who claims that the council has chosen to ignore public comments which do not fit in with its own views.

"The public do not want to see further and further development on our open countryside," he claims.

"Instead of responding to that concern the council chooses to blame the public for 'not understanding' the issues concerned,. The public do understand the issue - it's time the council responded to that concern," he adds.

Cllr Griffiths maintains that the rate of development is not inevitable.

"It is the result of political decisions by Labour and Conservative councillors who have chosen to go for a policy of 'build, build, build' in South Cheshire," he says.

On a wide range of other issues the council says that public views could well influence borough services and targets in the future

A Borough Forum and a number of groups or commissions led by active community members is helping to formulate the Community Plan due to be distributed to households in September.

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