At last – new station scheme to come before planners

DETAILED plans for the long-awaited new West Warrington railway station at Chapelford are due to come before borough planning bosses next week.
Oultine proposals were approved several years ago and the current scheme has been amended following a value engineering exercise.
A report to be considered by the borough council’ s development management committee says there are number of differences between proposals approved in 2015 and the current application.
The main ones are a reduction in the size of the station building, re-positioning of the station building, reconfiguration of the car park lay out and provision of a separate car park for mobility impaired drivers and electric vehicles.
Covers on the platforms, footbridge and stairs are now omitted – and there total number of car parking spaces is reduces from 284 to 285.
As previously, the station will be an entirely new facility on the southern edge of Chapelford with the aim of improving accessibility across the west and north of Warrington and servicing Chapelford itself, along with areas of growth such as Lingley Mere and Omega.
It is expected the station will attract abouot 800,000 passengers by 2025.
The committee will be told that a public consultation indicated that more than three quarters of respondents were supportive of the station scheme and 77 per cent said they would use it.
Plans for a new station for the area were approved as far back as 2002.
But the borough council is also pressing for service level iimprovements at the existing Sankey for Penketh station.
Officers are recommending the scheme be approved.