THE councillor responsible for transport in Warrington says he is worried the Government is ‘not really listening’ to concerns about the HS2 Golborne Link.

Warrington Borough Council is fiercely opposed to the spur, which would connect the high-speed railway with the existing West Coast Mainline between Warrington and Wigan.

Town hall chiefs would prefer to see the existing railway upgraded instead to allow HS2 trains to stop at Warrington, rather than avoid the town completely on their way towards Scotland.

But at last Friday’s Cheshire and Warrington local transport body meeting, Cllr Hans Mundry, executive member for highways, transportation and public realm, claimed the council feels it has not yet been taken seriously.

“We have been looking at the Golborne Link and we do think it needs a good looking at and changing,” he said.

“The economic benefits of the link that were envisioned at the start of the process aren’t there, and the more you look into it you find out that the figures don’t stack up.

“It needs to be looked at seriously and not to just have lip service paid to it. We have had lots of conversations on this and we believe we have not been listened to very seriously.

“We have had conversations with the Government and with HS2, and the impression that we got was that they were not really listening to what we were saying.”

But Pete Waterman, chairman of the Cheshire and Warrington local transport body, told members that if Crewe’s proposed HS2 hub takes five to seven high-speed trains an hour as is hoped, it could open up the possibility of revisiting the Golborne Link.

And the music mogul-turned transport chief looked to give Cllr Mundry reassurance that the council’s cause is being supported.

He said: “We have always questioned the Golborne Link at every Government meeting. We have spoken with one voice.

“Let’s see what comes out now that there is a different game in town.

“It’s a situation that is not going away and it is being addressed I think – I won’t say more than that.”