A HUB-STYLE development could hold the key to transforming Penketh’s services over the next 50 years as concerns mount over the ‘disgraceful’ state of buildings in the area.

Residents packed out Meeting Lane Community Centre on Thursday evening during a special public meeting to discuss the mooted masterplan.

It could see a significant cash injection to regenerate the area around Honiton Way, including the library, pool and community centre.

Labour borough and parish councillor David Keane, who was tasked with looking at the ‘art of the possible’, highlighted the importance of delivering a vision for the next five decades.

He told residents that council chief executive Steven Broomhead endeavoured to ‘pull together’ the owners of the Honiton Way shops to discuss proposals for the area.

However, Cllr Keane says a lack of progress batted the prospect of a huge masterplan ‘out the park’.

But he did reveal four options for the ‘art of the possible’ before asking the public to share their views during the ‘interactive’ meeting.

They comprised maintaining the status quo and doing nothing, maintaining the current buildings and asking each partner to invest in their facilities, bringing services around Honiton Way area under one roof in hub-type format and, finally, a campus or hub-type facility on the site of Penketh High School.

Emotions ran high during the meeting and some residents opted to leave before it ended after becoming frustrated over the discussions – with one hitting out at the ‘waffle’ being presented.

But many people in attendance were united in asking for facilities to be kept around Honiton Way.

Resident Mary Ross, who is a member of the Friends of Penketh Library Group, has been calling for firm clarity over the vision for the area

During the meeting, she raised concerns over a lack of investment in the current buildings, which she labelled as an ‘absolute disgrace’.

It was also confirmed that Warrington & Co, the council’s business arm, has visited the area to look at the state of the properties.

Labour borough and parish councillor Linda Dirir confirmed she showed officers everything, including ‘every bit of dereliction’.

Cllr Keane added: “The political will and the community will is there, that is why we are looking at it.

“There needs to be a discussion with the parish council about how we take this forward.”

Concerns over transport-related issues facing Penketh were also raised during the evening.

Independent parish councillor Christine Wych believes the bus service for the area ‘needs to be sorted out once and for all’.

She added: “We have too much speeding on Warrington Road.”

“The speeding seems to be not local residents, but people who are using Warrington Road as a cut through to get through to Liverpool because of the tolls on Runcorn bridge.”