1:43pm Wednesday 7th November 2007
By Ian Ross
VILLAGERS have given their backing to a new health centre and housing scheme for Scholar Green.
Thursday's parish poll produced a majority of 131 for the plans over an alternative scheme for a centre and attached pharmacy.
Oakapple Primary Care is seeking planning permission for a health centre and 56 houses off Portland Drive.
Scholar Green Greenfields Association is opposing the housing, and is proposing a centre on the former Scholar Green garage site with an attached pharmacy.
Thursday's vote was the first parish poll in Cheshire, and was called by residents who organised a public meeting about the centre scheme.
Those attending the meeting were overwhelming in favour of the pharmacy-linked scheme and opposed to the housing-linked plans.
However the scheme incorporating housing won the day at Thursday's Odd Rode poll, with 649 people in favour of it and 421 against.
The pharmacy-linked centre plans attracted 518 votes, with 434 people against the scheme.
The average turnout was almost 26 per cent, with the highest turnout in Scholar Green at more than 42 per cent.
Turnout in Mount Pleasant was 19 per cent, the Rode Heath turnout was 18 per cent, and the lowest was Mow Cop at 15 per cent.
The £5,000 costs of holding the poll, which was run by Congleton Borough Council, fall on Odd Rode Parish Council.
The Oakapple scheme is to be considered by borough councillors at next Tuesday's planning committee.
While the poll and its result are not a material planning consideration they will be reported at the meeting.
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