THE prospect of more affordable housing in Knutsford is welcome, especially if, as suggested, the units are not all the standard four bedroom configuration but of different sizes that will attract younger first home seekers as well as the more elderly “downsizers”.

Increased housing capacity alone is not enough to support our growing community.

The recent article featuring the proposal from Bill Gore to build a medical centre could be an important addition to our access to health care both local and economical, hopefully with an increased complement of healthcare professionals to cater for our expanding population.

What are the plans for education and transportation?

Our nursery and primary schools are already stretched, what provisions are there for increasing their capacity?

Do we let the builders walk away making relatively little contribution to the needs of the larger community they have helped create?

If developers can re-site a cricket club then surely it is not too much to ask them to contribute to a primary school?

And what of Knutsford’s roads that are all too frequently blocked with the local car population augmented by the mass exodus from the M6 every time there is a tailback or major incident?

Is it time now for a wider discussion that move the focus from how and where we build houses to how we build and enhance our community?

Mark Jones Knutsford