HOW can we ensure bus services reach health facilities in Penketh and Great Sankey?

That was the concern of Wendy Boardman from the Older People's Forum.

She was speaking at a special bus summit organised by Warington Borough Transport at the Town Hall last Wednesday.

Penketh has just lost bus routes that cover the health centre - which is fighting to retain its services.

Meanwhile, new bus services are proposed for Chapelford in Great Sankey, where a large health centre will be created.

It is also competing for Penketh with services.

Wendy Boardman asked at the meeting: "Will you be working to ensure that older people will have access to these centres?"

Nigel Featham, managing director of the company, did not provide a direct reassurance.

And his comments may suggest Penketh will lose out to Chapelford.

The problem, he explained, was that developments out of town and not on major roads were hard to serve.

He said: "People often say to me that Warrington has a transport problem.

"For example, the cinema is in Westbrook which means it doesn't have many buses.

"That is not a transport problem, that is a planning problem.

"If those health centres are located on existing bus routes, then we may be able to serve them. But it's very difficult if the centres are in out of the way locations.

"The bus services we withdrew from Penketh were an example.

"It's no longer possible to go from one part of Penketh to another by bus.

"But we were talking about one person per bus on average on that route."

Mr Featham added: "It's just not financially possible to sustain that service.

"I believe Warrington has to be planned in a way that lends itself to public transport."