War of words over Omega site

A BITTER war of words has broken out over Warrington’s multi-million £ Omega development site – the embryo employment area seen by many as key to the town’s future prosperity.
Labour MP Helen Jones – backed by Warrington South Labour Prospective Parliamentary candidate Nick Bent – has accused the borough council of “risking the town’s future” by neglecting the site.
But the council leader, Liberal Democrat Ian Marks says they are making absurd claims.
He said: “I am astonished by just how out of touch they are about what is going on in the town.”
Ms Jones, the Warrington North MP, said:” The Omega site is vital for Warrington. If we want decent, well-paid jobs in the future we have to be putting the work in now to prepare this site.
“Yet the council is silent and I understand the Omega strategy group has not met for two years.
“We need to be ready when the economic upturn comes. If we are not, we will lose out to the big cities. They are preparing now. If we want a future for our young people, so must we.”
Mr Bent said: “Warrington must not become a dormitory town where people have to travel to work elsewhere. People living near the site expected a good quality, well-designed business park to attract high-tech industries. Yet the only plans the council seems to have are to put an incinerator there. They are blighting the site.
“Only Labour will ensure that Omega is used for creating good, modern jobs and not burning rubbish in an incinerator which only the Tories and Lib Dems seem to want.”
Coun Marks said he was “astonished” at how touch the Labour pair were.
He said: “The MP for Warrington North has no excuses and the candidate for the South has only recently parachuted in from outside.
“In the early days, Omega was delayed because of obstacles put there when Labour was running the town. If they had sorted these problems out, businesses would have moved to the site years ago.
“One of the early things we did when taking control of the council was to kick-start the process so development could take place. By the time the outstanding issues had been fixed, the recession was upon us.
“Although the MP likes to blame us for everything, we are not responsible for the country’s economic woes. For that, the blame has to be laid at the door of the government of which she is a member.
“Contrary to what is being claimed, the Council is having regular meetings with the developer, the North West Development Agency and the Homes and Community Agency, about the site. We remain totally committed to providing high quality jobs on Omega and are well placed to move forward once the market returns.
“It is absurd to say the town’s future is at risk. The recent ‘Centre for Cities’ report on 64 cities and large towns placed Warrington at ninth place for jobs and eighth place for earnings – the leading location in the whole of the North of England. Another study on small high growth businesses placed us top of the league table in the North West.
“Their electioneering scaremongering about an energy from waste incinerator is sad. How much better it would be, if they worked with the council for the good of local people instead of forever talking the town down.
“Let’s hope the general election will give us MPs who will support Warrington in the future.”
Pictured: an artist’s impression of how Omega might look.