READERS of the Local Plan article in the Guardian last week voiced their own negative and positive views on a Middlewich community page on Facebook.

A total of 33 comments were posted, some suggesting that Middlewich high street is being neglected in comparison to other surrounding towns, and others with more of a positive angle.

Theresa Kay wrote: “Middlewich as a town is dead. No one wants to spend money to help develop the High Street - Winsford has so much more than we do.

"Even our Christmas lights were pathetic in comparison. Nobody seems to care about Middlewich! How long have we been begging for a bypass, swimming pool, train station?

"Stop building more houses until we have a bloody town worth living in!... I'd like to see Middlewich a bit like Sandbach but better... More like a mini Knutsford. Why not for goodness sake? #WishfulThinking.”

'Planners have wrecked Middlewich in the past'

Stephen Dent, former assistant town clerk, added: “Planners have wrecked Middlewich in the past though by not doing any proper planning.

"Apart from the stupid idea of putting our bypass through the middle of the town, it has been entirely led by developers and still is now in the case of Morrisons, Tescos, Cheshire Fresh and the new proposed housing sites.

“Even the Eastern bypass is developer-led. You didn't get that in Alderley Edge did you?

"We may have had a say in what happens in our town as in the Local Plan and Middlewich Vision which I was involved in but I have seen dozens of local plans in my career and have never seen one that has been implemented to the letter.

“They are only a guide and sure as eggs are eggs someone will manage to deviate from it. This one might happen to a limited extent but only because the developers got their way with what went into it.

'The town centre as a shopping centre is dead like everywhere else'

“The town centre as a shopping centre is dead like everywhere else in the country and will get much worse because people buy on line and use supermarkets.

"We need to think of town centres not as shopping areas but as communal areas which bring the town together. Middlewich is doing better than other areas at this.”

'I love living in this little town'

Anita Ash further commented: “This maybe a sad thing to say, but I love living in this little town. The people are friendly, lots of lovely open spaces to walk and I feel safe here.

"Yes there is always something to gripe about, most towns and villages do. I know that there was talk of the bypass, pool and train station when I moved here 23 years ago, and it would be fantastic to see that happen; if any community can make it happen this one can.

"After all we're not having to suffer having an incinerator on our doorstep. I love the sense of community which Middlewich has.”