THE council’s executive board is set to approve an extra £2.7million of funding to develop plans for the Western Link before the government announces its decision on the route in May 2018.

And the cost of the project has increased again from £195 million to £212.74 million.

The Department for Transport is expected to announce if Warrington Borough Council’s bid for money for the route has been successful next spring.

Members of the council’s executive board will meet on November 13 to discuss the scheme, which will link the A56 Chester Road with the A57 Sankey Way in Great Sankey.

The red route was selected in September following a four-week consultation.

And documents published ahead of the meeting show councillors have also been invited to approve plans for £9.6million to be put aside for claims from residents and businesses affected by the Western Link.

The red route originally meant 13 homes would be demolished to make way for the road.

But updated plans mean eight properties, four occupied and four unoccupied, would need to be knocked down.

The Sloop Inn on Old Liverpool Road is one of the buildings facing the bulldozers.

If the plans are given the green light next Monday, council officers will begin negotiating with homeowners who might be hit by the route, with compulsory purchase powers used as a last resort.

The council received 2,236 responses to their initial consultation in July.

Residents were invited to choose which route they thought would be the best option and the majority of people, 31 per cent, selected the red route.

Forty-three per cent said they supported the Western Link scheme while 52 per cent were against the plan and the remaining respondents said they had no preference.

Responses to the consultation show residents felt the red route would have less of an impact of people’s homes, would have a better impact on traffic and was the best option based on cost.

On respondent said: “The red option seems a very direct route with lower impact on residential properties than the other options.”

And another resident said: “It will cut out the Bridge Foot congestion and save time.”

A third consultation will be launched if the project is approved and will invite people to have their say on the design of the route before a planning application is submitted.

Residents will also be asked to comment on traffic management around Hood Lane and access to Saxon Park.