I NOTE with increasing concern that council fights against overdevelopment of areas and other issues such as the tip extension to operations at Arpley are often protracted.

It appears that if developers and operators make continued appeals, the council is unable to sustain defence of their decisions.

Legal costs in defence of their decisions are prohibitive, especially in the current climate of austerity.

Having to defend decisions costs the council money that could be spent on other projects in the town.

Changes in Warrington, lost industry, loss of green spaces, decline in the town centre, high rise housing and apartments, and on top of this continued tipping operations, are detrimental to the town and need defending.

This can only happen if real power is given to councils so that they can make decisions that benefit the town and that these are made on consideration of concerns from residents and businesses.

This is the only way that Warrington and other local authorities can maintain and protect our communities.

It is time that such power was devolved from Westminster so that repeated challenges cannot sap resources and force detrimental decsions on the town

TONY BRIGGS Appleton