THE Warrington Guardian’s esteemed columnist Pete Magill has referred several times to the hiatus over the proposed Warrington West (Chapelford) train station.

Planning approval was given more than six months ago but there is still no sign of any activity.

The scheduled opening date of 2017 must now surely be in question, so why the delay?

Could it be due to problems over the borough council’s proposed contribution from its capital programme of £4.3 million (rising to perhaps £6 to 7 million when loan charges are added)?

Is this money no longer available?

Or maybe there are legal issues?

The Localism Act of 2011 changed the law by giving local authorities the power to do almost anything.

But (and it’s a big ‘but’) legal opinion from Tim Kerr QC states that ‘the usual public law constraints – rationality, relevant considerations, etc – will surely be applied by the courts in the exercise of this power’.

The department of transport refused finance for West Warrington station from its new stations fund at the very first round, for reasons of which I am sure the borough council are aware.

Is it possible that those reasons – not least, the proximity of Sankey station – cast doubt on whether local authority financing would meet the constraints to which Mr Kerr refers?

If they don’t, such funding could be open to legal challenge on the grounds that it would be ‘ultra vires’ ie beyond its powers.

Or is there another reason for the delay?

Who knows? I think we should be told.

CHRIS HAGGETT Penketh