HELEN Jones has been left 'annoyed' with the Government after it failed to 'look again at the evidence on costings' for HS2.

HS2 Ltd held an information event at Culcheth Sports Club on Friday to give residents the chance to learn more about the plans.

The Government confirmed the route for the proposed railway in July, claiming the decision to move the rolling stock depot from Golborne to a site north of Crewe will result in the route having a 'lower impact' on the area.

Project chiefs believe the arrival of HS2 services at Warrington Bank Quay station will 'provide new opportunities to reinforce the town's status as a transport hub'.

A HS2 spokesman said: "HS2 will deliver major benefits to the north west, including Warrington.

"It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to dramatically improve journeys between the north, Midlands and London, boosting capacity, improving connectivity and helping to rebalance the national economy.

"It is also becoming integral to local plans to drive business growth, create jobs and secure investment years before it arrives.

"While HS2s design continues to be developed ahead of presenting draft legislation to Parliament in 2019, we will hold more events like the one in Culcheth throughout the north west to provide opportunities for the public to talk with us.

"People can also take part in the parliamentary process as the hybrid bill for phase 2b is scrutinised by MPs and peers."

But Warrington North MP Mrs Jones remains extremely concerned with many aspects of the scheme.

She said: "I continue to believe, as do the majority of residents in Culcheth and Hollins Green, that this line will be enormously damaging to our villages.

"It will deliver no benefit to Warrington, although we will have to put up with major disruption.

"Indeed, it is likely that we will end up with a worse service as we currently have one train an hour from Bank Quay to London but we will have no station on the new line.

"I am especially annoyed that the Government has not looked again at the evidence on costings, which I presented in a debate on this issue and which the then minister promised to consider.

"HS2 claim that they will deliver benefits to Warrington but they cannot outline what they are and we know that the construction of the line will cause serious damage to local businesses, damage which has not been taken into account in the economic case."