THE local plan for Warrington threatens to destroy the character and social fabric of our town.

Communities will be ripped apart by a widescale tide of urban development which will severely affect our way of life. Twenty-four thousand extra homes would equate to at least 30,000 extra cars on our roads.

This will have a huge impact on traffic congestion but more dangerous than this is the increase in air pollution which would result from the extra vehicles.

According to a World Health Organisation report from 2016, Warrington already has the second highest rates of air pollution in the north west.

In the south of our town areas such as Grappenhall, Stretton and Appleton threaten to be swamped by the ‘Garden City Suburb’.

Warrington Borough Council proposes that the green belt is done away with so that 9,000 new homes can be built to satisfy Government projections of growth.

At the consultation meetings there was scant detail about the infrastructure needed to support these new homes despite many promises by the leader of our council.

Most importantly, once the green belt is built upon, there is no going back.

The green belt is important for our wellbeing and health. Each of the parish areas should have an input in terms of developing a neighbourhood development plan.

The borough council is quick to adopt the mantra, ‘There is no alternative’.

We completely disagree with this and feel that it is time that the council is honest with the people of Warrington and open a transparent consultation process with all information on the table.

LYNDSAY MCATEER Green Party Warrington