WARRINGTON North MP Helen Jones has accused a neighbouring authority of riding roughshod over her constituents in an attempt to find a site for a new railway station.
Ms Jones slammed Wigan Borough Council after trying to obtain information from the authority over their proposals.
She said: “They are treating Warrington people with contempt.”
Wigan wants a new station to serve the Leigh area and has agreed with Transport for Greater Manchester that a feasibility study should be carried out.
Some of the sites under consideration are in Warrington North, including Kenyon Junction and Glazebury.
Ms Jones said: “Residents will have different views on these sites but the important point is that they have to be consulted. There are serious issues about traffic congestion and the impact on the Green Belt as well as transport accessibility to be considered.
“Yet when I tried to get information from Wigan Borough Council they gave a very poor response to my Freedom of Information request, missing out emails I know exist and details of meetings I know have taken place. It makes me wonder what they’re trying to hide.
“Wigan should stop trying to plant its flag in Warrington. They’re as bad at recognising our boundaries as they are at rugby.
“If they want to consider a station in Warrington they need to engage in proper discussions. Trying to impose things on Warrington people doesn’t work.”
Leigh-based community transport group Transport for Leigh has already come out against the proposals.
They want the station to be located closer to Leigh town centre.
Concern has also been expressed at Culcheth over the proposals. The parish council has not been consulted and would almost certainly be opposed to it.
Leigh MP Andy Burnham says he has discussed the proposals with Secretary of State for Transport Phillip Hammond.
Kenyon Junction station closed in 1963 and nothing remains of it. Glazebury station – one of the original stations on George Stephenson’s 1830 Liverpool and Manchester railway – closed in 1958.
MP's anger over railway station bid
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
4 Comments
Perhaps the woman should wait until the feasibility study has been carried out before she cries wolf. Must be frightened of dropping off people’s radar. Should an MP be criticising another town’s rugby team? Not very professional in my opinion.
Why would the Parish Council oppose it, has the woman forgotten the campaign to re-open Glazebury station?
I agree that suggesting that Wigan is bad at rugby is childish and pathetic.
There’s a real difference between Warrington’s two MPs… David Mowatt MP (Conservative) and Helen Jones MP (Labour)… one seems to conduct their business in a quiet and dignified manner…. the other seems to stomp their feet like a spoilt child and hurl abuse.
I live in Glazebury, near where the old station was and I would LOVE a station back there again. Our transport network sucks in Warrington!