A PARISH council covering parts of Crewe has drafted a petition urging Cheshire East Council to take heed of the results of recent polls against its abolition.

Minshull Vernon and District Parish Council has placed the petition on Cheshire East Council's website in a bid to get residents to pressure the authority into "honouring" the parish polls.

Votes were held on June 10 in the separate wards of the parish council, Leighton, Woolstanwood and Minshull Vernon, in response to a proposed consultation on changes which would ultimately see the council vanish.

In Leighton and Woolstanwood there were 98 per cent and 97 per cent votes respectively against the wards being drafted into the jurisdiction of Crewe Town Council.

While in Minshull Vernon ward, 68 per cent voted against a merger with neighbouring Church Minshull Parish Council.

The proposed changes have arisen from a Cheshire East Council review of town and parish council wards aimed at adapting to changes in population and settlements.

Parish councillors now claim the borough council is to embark on another consultation process.

The parish council petition states: "We the undersigned petition the Borough Council to remove their proposals to abolish the Leighton and Woolstanwood Parishes and merge the Minshull Vernon Parish, from their next consultation.

"In the three parish polls residents voted by massive majorities against the changes proposed by the Cheshire East Council. Despite this, the borough council are now proposing to have yet another consultation.

"We call on the borough council to remove their proposals from their next consultation and to honour the overwhelming outcome of the parish polls.

"The residents of Leighton, Woolstanwood and Minshull Vernon have resoundingly rejected the abolition of their parish council in three Parish Polls."

Parish councillors have claimed residents in Leighton and Woolstanwood will be hit by higher council tax bills imposed by Crewe Town Council.

Cheshire East Council has said the results of the polls are not binding, but those who called them "can make reference to them at public consultation".

A spokesman said: "Such submissions will then be given full consideration, alongside all other consultation responses."

The online petition, entitled Save YOUR Parish Council, runs for a month up to September 24.