CONCERNED residents face an an anxious wait over whether their communities will be 'destroyed' after the Government delayed its HS2 route announcement for a further year.

Ministers were being pushed to reveal details of the route but it has now been confirmed a decision is unlikely to be made until next autumn.

The spur was set to travel through a number of homes in Culcheth, Rixton and Glazebrook and the Government proposed to include a link to the west coast main line at Golborne, known as the Golborne link, which has been opposed by many.

Warrington North MP Helen Jones labelled the latest development as 'very disappointing'.

She said: "Now we have to wait another 10 months which is simply adding more misery to those suffering from planning blight."

Cllr Chris Vobe (LAB – Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft), who believes the Government has been 'irresponsible' over its failure to make an announcement, raised the matter to council leader Terry O'Neill at Monday's full council meeting.

"I welcome the leader's commitment on HS2 that he will ensure Warrington's position on the Hoo Green to Bamfurlong spur is made clear to Government," he said.

"Will he agree with me, on behalf of my colleagues the members for Rixton, Cllr Matt Smith and myself, that delaying their announcement on the final route until autumn 2016 is typical of the contempt that the Conservative Party have for people in our villages and that by doing so, they are subjecting hard-working people in this town to another twelve months of uncertainty and housing blight?"

In his response Cllr O'Neill (LAB – Burtonwood and Winwick) backed the call for more clarity and reaffirmed his commitment to making Warrington's case to both the Government and HS2 Limited.

Cllr Vobe added: "I am pleased that the leader continues to lobby for Warrington on a regional and national level – another twelve months of blight and uncertainty is simply unacceptable."

Nick Bent, Labour constituency spokesman for Warrington South, has also condemned the Government's 'failure' to make a decision on parts of the line.

He said: "This is another broken promise from the Conservative Government and it leaves Lymm in limbo, with the threat of HS2 still hanging over the village.

"The unnecessary Wigan spur is opposed by thousands of people in Lymm and south Warrington and yet David Mowat is again being ignored by his own Tory ministers on a vital issue – Warrington deserves better than this."

Culcheth and District Rail Action Group (CADRAG) backed a public petition submitted to Parliament earlier this year and continues to pressure the Government to reconsider its plans for the spur.

CADRAG chairman Frank Allen said: "If the Golborne Link goes ahead it will be devastating for the people of Warrington and several of the surrounding communities affected.

"Over 700 local jobs will be lost, amenities will be destroyed and there will be major environmental damage."

HS2 Limited are set to brief councillors and action groups over the situation at the Town Hall on January 7.