I WOULD like to thank Stanthorne passer-by (Winsford and Middlewich Guardian, September 2) for raising various questions which I and other residents of Birch Lane have also asked.

I would also like to raise a few points of my own.

Quite rightly, Stanthorne postcodes are CW10 and telephone numbers begin with 73 and 83, which means it is within the environs of Middlewich, as are Byley and Wimboldsley.

Stanthorne is neither a part of Middlewich nor Winsford towns, and so will not be on their town maps. It is its own place, albeit a small one.

The reason it is under Vale Royal is because it was part of the old Northwich Rural District Council, which became part of Vale Royal.

Valid points are made about bus shelters and grass cutting, as well as traffic problems and pavements.

I too sought answers from Vale Royal and also Cheshire County Council's chief executive in November 1996 and was told that Birch Lane had no reported personal injury accidents, and that it was not suitable for the use of many traffic calming measures, but that it had been added to the list for future assessments.

The county council passed on my letter to the relevant police department, but they must think that Middlewich Road, Birch Lane and Coalpit Lane are actually part of Oulton Park racetrack, as complaints about speeding traffic fall on deaf ears.

Maybe if a councillor or a figure in authority were to live in Stanthorne we would expect some results.

Stanthorne is a hamlet dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. It just happens to be eclipsed by its larger neighbours into one or the other's no man's land, but it would be nice after 700 years for our neighbours to acknowledge us!

Stanthorne resident.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.