I AM writing an open letter to the people of Warrington affected by ‘Omega Warrington’.

Owing to the economic downtown, planning conditions were relaxed in 2011 resulting in less restrictions regarding construction work and led to this next phase of development at Omega South.

Omega was subsequently granted a £3 million Government grant and Warrington Borough Council invested £7.5 million to ease congestion, even though the council cut funding to vital programmes in our community in order to save £16.2 million.

The Omega slip road is now open – has anyone found this eases congestion?

Will this just be aggravated with further plans to build 1,100 homes and a new school there?

One of the companies at Omega is Asda, owned by Walmart, a company which makes £7 billion a year in profits. A company whose workers recently had to go and protest, go on strike protesting for a fair minimum wage and equal pay for women and men.

The council has accepted the planning application and building on Omega south has begun.

Accepted, even though an ecology report stated that a wildlife haven has blossomed there over this time and there is a wide and varying species of animal living/ nesting on the site. In particular the protected and vital great crested newts and lapwing bird.

People in Warrington have been kept in the dark for far too long.

The real information about Omega has been cherry picked for us.

Now the council has accepted this development and it seems too late to protest it.

My hope is the next time a major corporation moves in near you investigate it. Question it and question them.

PAULA MCDONALD