WE WISH that Mr Cawley had been a “fly on the wall” at the discussions at Vale Royal Borough Council about the proposed Winnington Village development.

He would have understood the lack of power that elected councillors had.

In fact, councillors did point out forcibly that the traffic situation would be untenable in the many discussions with Brunner Mond, who wanted to sell off their derelict land with planning permission; the county council’s traffic management experts, and our own council officers.

The responses were as follows: Brunner Mond argued there would be so many employment opportunities in the new “village” that no-one would need to drive away from it.

They laughed amiably at our suggestion that, in that case, why not build the new houses without garages?

Brunner Mond, with the co-operation of the traffic management “experts”, provided a computerised demonstration of how “smart” traffic controls would prevent queues building up at either side of the old bridge.

It bore no resemblance to real traffic conditions, of course.

Finally, and Brunner Mond played devil’s advocate by pointing out themselves all of the potential problems.

They treated the traffic situation as just one of many – and, to no-one’s surprise, managed to resolve all the others.

Then they informed the council that they had removed most of the obstacles.

We did point out the traffic situation should be a deal breaker but this too was laughed off benevolently.

Council officers argued that if elected members refused permission without the promise of a second bridge, Brunner Mond would appeal, and the governmental representative would almost certainly overturn our refusal.

This was despite the fact the new development was not part of the borough plan. In fact, that was the clincher.

It was not that councillors were convinced by the arguments of either Brunner Mond or the county experts. It was just that we knew we could neither afford nor justify to the public the costs of the appeal.

So we now have a Winnington housing estate – not quite the village with school and employment opportunities that were promised – and we have traffic problems, which are only going to increase, and we have no second bridge.

And, as councillors elected by the residents to be responsible for the area, there was really nothing we could have done about it.

Sorry.

Janet Mather (former councillor for Winnington, 1983-2003) Bob Mather (one-time leader of Vale Royal Borough Council, elected member 1983-2003) Barnton