Macclesfield's MP has addressed 'data mining' allegations surrounding a petition he launched.

On Wednesday, October 22, Tim Roca launched a petition calling on the Government to abandon plans for a proposed new town at Adlington, Cheshire.

However, Conservative councillor Chris O'Leary, along with several residents, claimed the petition was being used as a 'tool to gather data'.

Mr Roca's team say they are aware of the concerns but have provided reassurance that any data collected will be used for the sole purpose of presenting the petition.

A spokesperson said: "We're aware of a small number of concerns raised about clarity in the petition privacy notice. We do appreciate and value the feedback, and we've updated the privacy notice to provide clarity and reassurance for users and signatories.

 "To clarify, any data collected will be used for the purpose of presenting the petition. The option to opt-out of receiving further information regarding the petition was always available and in the privacy notice, but we've now added clearer opt-in and opt-out options for future contact. The only intended communication would be to confirm that a constituent's signature has been included.

 "This is not a data-gathering exercise, it's a genuine effort on Tim's part to ensure that constituents can make their views known and be represented appropriately.

 "Tim would like to thank the more than 1,900 constituents who have already signed the petition, showing the strong feeling within the local community against the proposed new town for Adlington."

READ MORE: Macclesfield MP launches petition to stop plans for new town in Adlington

The petition calls on the Government to block plans for a new town in Adlington (Credit: Nub News

Questions were also raised about why the petition was not set up on the government website.

Mr Roca responded to one such Facebook comment, saying: "I am following the advice of the Petitions Office in Parliament.

"This is not a gov.uk petition, this is the only way to present a petition on the floor of the House of Commons.

"It is really important we all pull together to get maximum number of people stating their view through this petition."

Residents can view and sign the petition online here.