AN INVISIBLE boundary separates Vale Royal and Chester, but it is enough to make the difference between rural villages being developed or left alone.

The Chronicle's Country edition reported last month that parish councillors in Kelsall want Chester City Council to put a ban on executive houses that are pushing local residents out of the housing market.

Ten per cent of the village is located in Vale Royal, which prevents the release of 'windfall' sites like those in Kelsall that have not previously been allocated for development in the council's planning strategy.

But the rest of the village lies within Chester City Council's district, where development of such sites is permitted if planning officers are satisfied that more appropriate brownfield sites are not available and the proposed development is suitable for its surroundings.

Cllr Noel Dutton, chairman of Kelsall Parish Council, said if Kelsall had stayed in Vale Royal when the district boundaries changed at the end of the 1980s, the village might look different today.

'Vale Royal has taken a very sensible line throughout the district, whereas Chester seem to have promoted a lot of development on the periphery of the district.

'Persimmon Homes have gone for developments in a village where they can talk more easily to Chester City Council.

'I don't think they would have got anything through in Vale Royal.'

A spokesperson from Chester City Council said Persimmon Homes have recently withdrawn an application for the demolition of existing dwellings and construction of four houses on Quarry Lane and have asked to meet the council to discuss the provision of affordable housing in Kelsall.

But a similar application from Persimmon Homes is still pending for a site on Chester Road and Cllr Dutton says it is not good enough for Chester City Council to let any more executive developments go ahead.

'We need an outright ban on these developments, they are not putting out a strong message as Vale Royal have done and it is causing long term problems for the village.

'We do not want them negotiating with developers, if they put out the message that they will not accept applications for anything but the affordable housing that we need it will stop the developers trying their luck.'