Call to scrap cross-border plans

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A 15,000-name petition opposed to a plan tightening links between Welsh and English counties is being discussed.

The People's Council for North Wales (PCNW), wants councils to withdraw from a plan it claims would damage the "identity" of north Wales.

Flintshire, Wrexham and Denbighshire are part of the the scheme covering north east Wales and west Cheshire.

The Welsh assembly petitions committee will hear evidence at Wrexham's Glyndwr University.

The plan is supported by the Mersey Dee Alliance, a partnership which was formed in April 2007.

The partnership includes the local authorities of Cheshire West and Chester, Denbighshire, Ellesmere Port and Neston, Flintshire, Wirral, Wrexham, and the plan has been adopted by the Welsh Assembly Government.

The PCNW's petition claims the strategy is "ill thought out" and "extremely damaging".

It claims the plan would be damaging to the "identity, language, culture, character and expression" of north Walians.

It also claims the plan was initiated without consulting with the people of north Wales.

A spokesman for the Welsh Assembly Government said: "In this densely populated part of Wales where people regularly cross the border for jobs, services and leisure it is common sense to collaborate across local authority areas.

"This in no way affects the democratic process or the uniqueness of the area.

"It is to sustain economic development and maintain a high level of services for the benefit of the people living in the area."