Village residents could get their own council if plans get the green light.

Cheshire West and Chester (CWAC) is running the rule over an application for Willaston to create its own village council. If approved, it would have seven councillors who would each be elected on a four-year term.

CWAC was petitioned this time last year by a group of Willaston residents requesting that the council undertake a review of the local governance arrangements for the village.

It has now published the outcome of the second stage of a local consultation. A report to CWAC said the consultation with locals had shown 'strong and widespread sypport'.

It said: "Residents repeatedly stated that they felt that Willaston currently lacks a formal voice and that decisions affecting the village, especially around planning, traffic calming, social isolation and and development, did not have enough input from local residents."

It said key themes from the feedback included the need to protect the village's identity, its green belt land and surrounding countryside.

But it said respondents also raised several concerns.

It added: "Many said due to the ongoing planning applications they would welcome the establishment of the new governance structure sooner rather than later and questioned the length of time for this review."

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Located near Neston, the village is under the jurisdiction of Cheshire West and Chester Council but is less than a mile south of the Wirral Council boundary.

The recommendation to create the new village council will have to be approved by CWAC's Community Governance Review Committee when it meets on April 23.

There will then be a third public consultation and any final decision will have to be made at a meeting of CWAC Full Council.