OUR investigation into the plans for Mr Smith’s throws up an interesting debate this week.

How much is too much?

In the age of austerity, we were always told the cuts would bite eventually.

And as Cllr Russ Bowden explained in his interview with Aran Dhillon this week, the council needs to find savings of multi-million pounds in the next financial year.

In the same way that it has in the previous few years too.

All this probably raises questions over the long term viability of smaller councils like Warrington – although that is a debate for another date.

Because the question here, as reporter Lauren Hirst has been finding out, is whether £3 million is too much to pay for a youth club in the town centre.

What cannot be denied is that if this happens, it will be unlike anything else in Warrington at the moment.

Warrington Youth Club currently operates from Great Sankey, thereby making it difficult for some young people to get to.

So a facility in the town centre is needed.

Mr Smith’s is available and there are private backers willing to fund much of the work.

So the decision then comes to down to this £3 million from the council.

In an age where every service in the town is being cut, is this a reasonable amount to spend?

Because there will be some interest to pay, too.

The example of Wigan a few miles up the road is that it is a price worth paying.

That club is thriving and has thousands of youngsters through its doors.

Ultimately this is a question and a debate for councillors, and it seems there are plenty sitting on the fence at the moment, weighing up what is not an easy choice.

And then finally, it is a question to voters come May when we get the chance to have on our say on our decision.

What does seem to be undeniable is that this is a fantastic opportunity for the town.

£3 million is a lot of money. But this project gives a lot of people both now and in the future a real chance to improve their lives.

So, in this context, can £3 million really be seen as a lot of money?

In the next month, councillors will have to decide.

THIS week we also tell the tragic story of Becci Dadswell.

The Warrington police officer who lost her life a month after giving birth to her first baby.

It is impossibly sad, and if you get chance, we recommend going on our website and watching the video put together by her family, featuring her singing.

Their words and actions have perfectly paid tribute to someone who will be sadly missed by many, many people.