IN response to the planning development proposals for the Warrington area I consider the plans to be flawed based on the evidence outlined as follows: As a newcomer to Warrington, it has come as a great shock to witness what appears to be a decline of Warrington town centre with more or less than 50 per cent of the town premises being empty or in a derelict state.

It is therefore with much bemusement that the planning documents make reference to the building of new housing or apartment accommodation within the town itself when there are so many brown sites available to help regenerate the town centre.

Although such brown sites do attract significant costs in respect of site clearance works to developers it nevertheless presents itself with an unique opportunity to re-energise the business community.

There is no going back should Warrington Borough Council implement such an ill-thought and flawed plan, it will only generate significant resentment and distrust from the present community towards the council for future generations to come.

The plan is also absent of any reference to how the NHS will be able to provide the health and social care for the increase of up to 100,000 people who will be expected to occupy the proposed housing developments set out in the Local Plan.

The current level of patient care by the NHS in the form of Warrington Hospital, health clinics, GP surgeries, walk-in centres and emergency ambulance services is in many instances below the national average and has a history of year upon year failures in trying to satisfy healthcare Government targets.

Nor has the NHS any extensive plans in place to either rectify or take measures to improve the current situation within the Warrington area.

Other important factors which are not satisfactorily addressed include the lack of a robust employment strategy plus clear logistical proposals to improve the traffic infrastructure for the area.

The council must listen to the community instead of the developers who have no real interest in the long term future welfare of the community.

The council are servants to the community not the developers.

The recent Government statement set for 2050 net zero carbon target must also be included within any future plan on how this will be achieved.

JOHN WAITE Higher Walton