CHESHIRE West and Chester Council has started a 12 week public consultation period on its Rural Regeneration and Rural Housing Strategies.

Regeneration and Housing teams have been working with other teams in the council, external partners, community representatives and elected members to identify actions needed to ensure our rural communities are vibrant and sustainable into the future.

The authority is seeking your views on its draft Rural Regeneration and Housing Strategies because the council wants to enable its rural communities to make decisions about their own future.

Councillor Mike Jones, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: “This represents a significant step towards ensuring the communities that are so important to us, and in many ways define the character of much of Cheshire, have the opportunity to thrive in the future.

“Cheshire West and Chester Council is committed to enabling these communities to make decisions themselves but also recognise that in order to keep them vibrant and sustainable we need to ensure they are living, working and developing places.”

The documents set out clearly the current trends, opportunities and issues within our rural communities and the challenges affecting their future.

They recommend actions that Cheshire West and Chester Council, local communities and partners can take in order to try to secure benefit, resolve some issues and support the communities to make the decisions for themselves.

Councillor Herbert Manley, Executive Member for Prosperity, said: “Cheshire West and Chester Council is already working to deliver on some of the actions in the plan including the Superfast Broadband Network and how we will adopt the changes in the Localism Bill and we will be providing further information on the progress soon.

“It’s important to us that the community gets the opportunity to comment on these documents and the 12 week consultation will allow that to happen.”

The 12 week consultation period started on March 28 and will run for 12 weeks.

You can access the documents on the CWaC websitewww.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/news_and_events/council_consultations.aspx and comments can be submitted to ruralsupport@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk.

You can also submit your comments in writing to Rural Regeneration, Backford Hall, Chester, CH1 6PZ.