A MUSICIAN who performed at Glastonbury in 2014 has released a protest song objecting to the council's controversial local plan preferred development option (PDO).

Higher Walton resident Dave Buckley and the Watchwood have released the single titled Town Hall Gates under Reybridge Records.

The 63-year-old's previous work with the label include his solo album Genghis Kahn't, as well as the single Every Night as a member of The Pink Pumps.

On his latest piece of work, Dave, who enlisted the help of some friends in the industry for the project, sings and plays the acoustic guitar.

The motivation for the track came to the retired mental health nurse around four months ago.

There has been widespread public anger over the local plan PDO, which could see 24,000 homes built in the borough over the next 20 years, including 9,000 on the green belt.

Dave said: "I wanted to be involved in the whole process but I thought that I would need to use the skills I have, rather than the skills I would like to have.

"I write songs, so this was my effort to try to distil the feelings that I was getting from people.

"It is a protest song about the issues that concern me the most.

"The song has a good chorus and it is lyrically quite dense.

"Every line has a depth of meaning, it took me a few weeks to write it.

"By looking at the bigger picture, we know that 24,000 houses could be built.

"Obviously, the 9,000 homes on the green belt is a prime concern, as well as the infrastructure.

"With 24,000 houses there will probably be another 50,000 cars."

However, Dave, who played at Glastonbury in 2014 while he was part of Love Revolution, is open to development taking place, as long as it is done 'appropriately'.

He added: "We have to be realistic.

"Development has to happen but it has to be sustainable and ecologically sound – not at the expense of people in the area.

"It has to happen in a way which does not destroy the environment and add to the problems here.

"I think the problem I have with the council is that they seem to be completely immune to the feelings of the community, which I find utterly bizarre as we elected them.

"It is incredibly sad.

"Being realistic, I just hope that they drop building on the green belt and drop the Western Link project.

"I am not a town planner but I would like them to look at other alternatives."

Town Hall Gates is available to download from Amazon, iTunes, Google Music, Spotify and Geezer.

For further information visit the Reybridge Records Facebook page.