KNUTSFORD Town Council is urgently seeking the support of the public to enable ward boundaries to be reviewed.

The council is petitioning Cheshire East Council to undertake a Community Governance Review.

This is the process whereby the town council boundary and warding arrangements are looked at.

Town council clerk Adam Keppel-Green said: “We are pressing for the boundary to be expanded to include the housing development on Northwich Road, which is technically in Tabley.

“We also want our wards - Over/Nether/Bexton/Norbury Booths - to be reviewed to fix some anomalies which will occur when the housing is all built.

“To progress this we need around 800 signatures from Knutsford electors - those registered to vote. So far we have around 580, so we need the public’s help.”

The signatures attracted so far are a combination of paper ones and those on the Cheshire East Council website.

The deadline for signing the petition calling for the review is July 31, and residents can sign at the Knutsford Town Council offices in Toft Road, Knutsford, 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

If you have queries call Adam on 01565 653929 or email townclerk@knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk Adam explained why the council was pressing for the boundary review.

“The new residents will think they live in Knutsford but not be represented by Knutsford councillors,” he said.

“The new residents will not pay the Knutsford Town Council precept (council tax) so not contribute to our services.

“Existing residents will therefore pay more, as the amount you pay is based on the number of council tax paying households.

“When all the houses are built the ratio of councillors to residents will be skewed in different council wards.

“The development on Longridge will be split between two wards, Over and Norbury Booths.”

The petition calls for Cheshire East to undertake a Community Governance Review of Knutsford Parish to amend the boundary of Knutsford Parish to include all strategic and safeguarded sites as defined in the Cheshire East Local Plan.

It also seeks a review of existing warding arrangements for Knutsford Town Council to consider the split in the strategic site at Longridge between Norbury Booths Ward and Over Ward and the large increase in population in the Nether Ward and Over Ward compared to other wards.

The community governance review should be concluded in time for the 2019 elections.