ANYONE who spends time in the draughty, half derelict town centre of Winsford, or who queues along the road to Middlewich would agree that an improvement plan is necessary.

We would all love to see Winsford develop into a vibrant, busy prosperous town with a soaring house market and a thrusting work ethic.

We feel like the poor relation.

Winsford has historically been a ribbon development connecting the two communities of Wharton and Over.

There has always been access to the leafy green countryside around the Flashes and along the river, making it a place where everyone has access to the countryside.

How many of us in our youth played along the river bank or through the Bluebell Woods?

Putting a path round the border of the Flashes is a poor recompense for building over the surrounding fields.

Why would you want to spend time there when it is the edge of a housing estate?

I believe that the current plan approaches improvements from the wrong direction.

We should start with better infrastructure to entice more commerce to the area.

The outlying countryside is some of the most expensive in Cheshire, and we should be encouraging inhabitants to shop here.

As wealth and prosperity increased we could then review the need for new housing stock.

Rushing to concrete over prime agricultural farm land is irresponsible; it’s irreversible, once it’s gone, it’s gone!

Our plan for the future should protect our assets, not squander them for a problematic short-term gain.

R J Davies Winsford