MORE than 1,000 letters objecting to development on green belt land in Burtonwood have been handed into the council.

A petition was also given to officers at New Town House, on Buttermarket Street, last week to demand more time on the draft local plan consultation.

The nine-week consultation on the draft local plan and local transport plan closed last Monday.

Under the authority’s 20-year vision set out in the draft local plan, green belt land in Burtonwood – bounded by Phipps Lane, Green Lane and Winsford Drive – will be allocated for a residential development totalling 160 homes.

But a newly-formed Burtonwood and Collins Green residents’ group is battling to protect land in the area.

Residents say the implications on wildlife in the unique area ‘were not even considered’.

But the group has vowed to join other campaign groups in the borough to fight the authority’s controversial development proposals.

Emotions ran high during the consultation period, as well at the leader’s forum events where the proposals have been discussed.

On Friday, council leader Cllr Russ Bowden (LAB – Birchwood) tweeted on the matter.

He said: “The local plan debate can be highly charged but it can never be an excuse for outright abuse, libel, slander, trolling & blatant lies.”

But it sparked criticism from some residents, with one replying to say people are confused as to what the council leadership are up to as it seems ‘so different’ to what people want.

Another urged the authority to listen and ‘not just be defensive’.

Town Hall bosses say they have to carry out the consultation in accordance with Government planning legislation and policy.

They have also told residents the plans aim to respond to the increasing population by providing the homes and employment space required, while protecting green belt land ‘as much as possible’.