Developer Mohammad Waheed is right to criticise Lymm Parish Council for lacking a vision for the future of the village (Guardian, March 8).

However, this is the very reason that an initiative announced by the parish council last year, Lymm Vision, will now provide an opportunity for interested residents to participate in the production of a parish plan for Lymm.

However, such a plan will reflect the aspirations of the people of Lymm, not the desire of speculative developers to exploit every opportunity to build unwanted developments against the wishes of local people.

Mr Waheed criticises the three borough councillors for failing to support his scheme to turn the village centre into a fully enclosed town centre by building on the former parkland surrounding Lymm Hall, and contributing to the danger and congestion at one of the busiest street intersections in the village. He was unable to persuade a single supporter to appear before Warrington's development control committee to back his scheme. Yet, a number of eloquent and well-organised opponents, representing the views of most villagers, spoke convincingly against it.

Mr Waheed also singled me out for criticism both at the committee meeting and in the Warrington Guardian. He fails to appreciate the difference between my presence at a meeting where the fact that he had applied for planning permission was announced, as opposed to one where the application was discussed. I declared my interest correctly and explained that I had left meetings where the application was discussed.

The future of Lymm should be discussed and the people given the opportunity to express their views. However, I doubt that, once the people have spoken, Mr Waheed will be satisfied with their views of the types of development he has proposed.

Clr Bob Barr Lymm