RESIDENTS are appealing for action in what they describe as a neglected part of the town centre.

Residents of Oak Street and Ash Street appealed to Northwich Town Council for help to get something done to tidy the area up and improve parking.

Frank Fallows, of Oak Street, said: "I've been a resident of Northwich all my life and I have a great love of the town.

"My complaint is the way that streets within the town centre are neglected time and time again by the people responsible for that job."

He said he was frustrated by people leaving their wheelie bins out and not putting them at the back of their property.

He also added that there was an area of land that Vale Royal Borough Council had promised residents it would asphalt over to be used for parking 15 years ago.

"We live in Oak Street by choice," Mr Fallows said.

"We pay the highest taxes in the town centre because of the convenience of shopping and we feel we should be given some consideration in terms of some of our complaints – we are completely ignored."

Cllr Paul Dolan, a town councillor and a Northwich ward councillor for Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC), said he would make enquiries at CWAC.

Town councillor Andrew Cooper suggested that a Give and Gain Day could be organised to tidy up the area using volunteers from the town council, CWAC and Weaver Vale Housing Trust.

Mr Fallows said: "You're asking for volunteers to do the work and it should be provided by the council."

Cllr Dolan said: "That's one of the issues we have because resources of local authorities are diminishing, including staffing, so we have to look at how we stretch resources to meet priorities.

"It will require volunteers in some places to do that – it seems a ludicrous situation but we haven't necessarily got the resources or staffing."

The town council agreed to discuss the issue further at its environment committee meeting.