TOWN Hall bosses will continue 'lobbying very hard' to ensure Warrington doesn't suffer a reduction in services from Bank Quay as a result of HS2.

HS2 Limited briefed councillors, parish councils and action groups over the project at a secret Town Hall meeting last Thursday.

At the event, which the Warrington Guardian was denied permission to, HS2 Limited representatives delivered a presentation to those in the room and answered questions.

The council thanked the organisation for hosting the meeting and said its position remains 'unchanged'.

"We agree in principle to HS2 – but vigorously oppose the Bamfurlong, Hoo Green spur or Golborne link," said a spokesman.

"We are lobbying very hard to ensure that Warrington doesn't suffer any reduction in services from Warrington Bank Quay – north or south.

"The council is determined that Warrington should see improved services and associated benefits."

Campaigner Andrew Needham, who was at the meeting, said many in the room 'were not too keen' by the proposals following the talk.

"Nearly everyone was in doubt about it – there were not really any positives," he added.

Council leader Terry O'Neill is reminding residents that the authority remains frustrated with the Government.

He said: "The council feels the continued delay surrounding the decision on the route north of it is adding another year of uncertainty and blight to residents."

The public have also been making their views clear on Parliament's e-petition website.

A total of 41 Warrington South residents have signed a petition named 'Stop HS2 and spend the money on a national long-term flood defence strategy', with 32 from Warrington North also signing it.

It has received more than 5,900 signatures – 10,000 are needed for the Government to respond to the document.

Liberal Democrat leader Bob Barr labelled last week's meeting as 'enlightening'.

He said: "Land and property on the outskirts of Lymm and near Culcheth and Croft is still at risk from the 'Golborne link' – not to service a maintenance depot but to hit an arbitrary target of getting travel times, sometime in the distant future, between London and Edinburgh or Glasgow below three hours. "This was despite the HS2 spokesman saying it was now about capacity not speed.

"It is unlikely that services between London and Warrington will improve much, though the challenge will be to ensure that they do not worsen. "Warrington will provide a connection between HS2 and HS3, now re-named 'Northern Powerhouse Rail', but, routes, speeds, levels of electrification and provision of new rolling stock are all still open to question.

"All parties in Warrington are agreed that the town's position as 'the nation's most central location' must be enhanced by the changes in rail service and not diminished.

"One dramatic announcement at the meeting was that the planning for HS2, and the resulting additional freight capacity, on the West Coast Main Line hasn't taken full account of the massive additional freight movements that will be generated by Peel's new 'super port' at Liverpool."