Specific homes required for demolition for bypass will not be known until design work completed – hundreds voice objections

Hundreds of residents have voiced their objections to plans for the controversial new multi-million pound town centre bypass.

The council is considering six options to connect the A56 or A5060 Chester Road with the A562 or A57 Sankey Way in Great Sankey to tackle congestion.

In the past two weeks hundreds of residents have attended community meetings as concerns continue to grow.

And it has been revealed that there is a £130 million difference between the cheapest and most expensive route.

The yellow route is likely to cost £250 million, orange £190 million, purple £155 million, red £145 million, pink £130 million and green £120 million.

However, the pink and green routes have been described as being 'less likely to relieve town centre congestion' in comparison to the four pricier options.

More than 100 residents from the Sankey Squash the Orange group attended a meeting at King's Community Centre, on Marina Avenue, last Thursday.

Richard Flood, project manager for transport for Warrington, also made his way there to answer questions from the public and outline the need for the highway.

He said: "Warrington has been growing for the last 40 years and there have been plans to have a wider road network since the late 1960s.

"While a lot of Warrington is covered by a reasonable network, one of the areas that has not really been covered is the south west.

"This side of town has seen development and seen the traffic but never really had the infrastructure completed.

"We are also looking at how we can improve public transport links and cycling.

"The Department for Transport (DfT) will also be considering other schemes from elsewhere, we are in competition with other authorities as well.

"We have to prove a highway scheme is going to do what we say it will do.

"We have to use a modelling system to show how effective that road will be.

"But we needed money to put that model together, which we secured from central Government last year.

"We have not got that model finished to do that.

"We need the views from the public – that is why we are doing the consultation."

As well as houses, a number of business units on Penketh Business Park, which is owned by Network Space, could be demolished as part of the plans for the link.

Network Space confirmed Penketh Business Park is currently up for sale, although no tenants will vacate the site, if a future sale takes place.

The 'yellow' route would demolish an estimated 17 homes, 'orange' route 29 homes and two business units, 'red' route 13 homes and three business units, 'purple' route 17 homes and 13 business units, 'pink' route four homes and four business units and 'green' route eight homes and 14 business units.

But the specific properties that would need to be knocked down for each potential route are not yet known.

Mr Flood said: "We don't know which houses are going until we do detailed designs.

"There are some serious issues we have to deal with but we have to let people know.

"We have to get the strength of feeling to help us decide which route to go with.

"In mid-November the council would approve a route and business case and then submit it to the DfT in December.

"We will know by spring next year whether the Government will support it or not.

"Nothing is guaranteed and there would be lots of legalities and public inquiries to go through.

"We would look to start on the site in 2020 if we get the money and have the business case to support it.

"There would be three or four years of construction, so we would look to have a route open by 2023 or 2024. We want to limit the problems."

Fears over Marina Park being demolished and built on with the orange route were raised at the meeting but no guarantees have been given over the future of the site.

Mr Flood added: "There are no guarantees about the scheme funding.

"We know how valuable the open space is and it is crucial that we take all views."

There could be a road developed under the West Coast Main Line and Walton Viaduct as part of the scheme.

Highways chiefs have also stated no decision has been made on whether the link will be single or dual carriageway.

And it has been confirmed that the number of homes that would need to be demolished could increase, or decrease, depending on whether the road is a single or dual carriageway.

The exact figure will be revealed once detailed design work is finished.

Residents are gearing up for a battle to save the highway passing through their communities.

Last Thursday more than 100 Sankey Squash the Orange group members made their way to King's Community Centre to discuss the proposals with Mr Flood.

Group chairman Anthony Woods, of Buckingham Drive, praised Mr Flood for attending but was keen to highlight his major concerns.

He said: "I was delighted so many people came to our meeting again.

"We want people to get rid of the orange route.

"I am hopeful from how the community has been but I am not getting positive vibes from the council.

"What is more important to the council, congestion or the community?

"Squash the orange route."

Great Sankey South councillors Hitesh Patel, Amanda King and Jean Carter also attended the meeting.

Cllr Patel, who grew up in the area, said: “Marina Park was my park, I have empathy with everything being said in this room.”

Cllr King added: “Your voices will be heard.

“We are at an early stage, please don’t think it is a done deal, there are no guarantees.

“If someone else comes up with the best business case they may get the money and this may never happen.”

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road members also had a meeting on Monday night at Eagle Sports Club.

Group member Dale Solan, of Grange Drive, said: "It is one goal at the end of the day, we all have our own reasons.

"Penketh is quite an elderly population and a lot of people are not aware of this, we have to do more to make them aware.

"I am all about progress and all for the bid for city status, it is a wonderful thing and could put us on the map.

"Something does need to be done about congestion, trying to get to one end of the town to the other is absolutely horrendous at peak times.

"Something needs to be done but it is the way it is done."

A group titled ‘Say no to Warrington western link’ has also been set up.

Residents are invited to a meeting to discuss the plans for the road on Wednesday.

Penketh councillors will be holding the consultation event at Shannon Bradshaw Community Centre, on Meeting Lane, from 6pm until 8pm.

An illustrative view of the proposed £250 million ‘yellow’ route looking north from St Helens Canal. The council says it would be ‘likely to relieve town centre congestion’ and provide an ‘increased network resilience’.

An illustrative view of the proposed £190 million 'orange' route looking north from St Helens Canal. The council says it would be ‘likely to relieve town centre congestion’ and provide an ‘increased network resilience’.

An illustrative view of the proposed £155 million ‘purple’ route looking west from the A5060 Chester Road. The council says it would be ‘likely to relieve town centre congestion’ and provide an ‘increased network resilience’.

An illustrative view of the proposed £145 million ‘red’ route looking north west from Eastford Road in Lower Walton. The council says it would be ‘likely to relieve town centre congestion’ and provide an ‘increased network resilience’.

An illustrative view of the proposed £130 million ‘pink’ route looking west from Liverpool Road. The council says it would be ‘less likely to relieve town centre congestion’.

An illustrative view of the proposed £120 million ‘green’ route looking north over Sankey Valley Park. The council says it would be ‘less likely to relieve town centre congestion’.