WHERE did this come from?

I refer to the latest piece of lunatic planning that dropped through my letter box last week.

The plan is to remove the railway embankment of the disused Manchester/Liverpool line that runs from Bridge Foot over the ship canal through to Lymm.

In its place they will build an elevated highway plus a new high level crossing over the canal.

This has to be the craziest plan to emerge from our already crazy town planning department.

In one stroke it has blighted the value of hundreds of private households along its proposed route.

It would cost millions, if not billions, in construction costs alone.

Why not reinstate the existing railway line as a light tramway to connect up to the Metro system in Altrincham?

Like the Ribbleshead Viaduct on the Settle/Carlisle line I am sure independent engineers would find the existing high level bridge quite fit for purpose.

Communication is the hub of the so-called Northern Powerhouse so at a fraction of the cost a new environmentally connection linking Warrington to Manchester would be created.

Alas I think there is a hidden agenda, remove the embankment, destroy a fine piece of Victorian bridge building then run out of funds and scrap the plan.

What is left is a wide swath of land ready for industrial and commercial development.

How much more of our heritage can we allow to be wiped out either by the bulldozer or fire?

G CULLEN Thelwall