IN the words of the Pet Shop Boys, it’s time to Go West.

An open goal may have loomed large for those interested in the libraries debacle. But let’s park that one for now.

The first nailed-on blueprints (fingers crossed) for Warrington’s first railway station for 36 years or more have been released.

Opinion may be divided on the merits of the venture – and Lord knows the wait for Warrington West has hardly been encouraging.

But just like Birchwood’s arrival in 1981, the project is designed to serve a burgeoning former New Town area so I’ll give it a cautious thumbs-up.

You can’t strain every sinew to promote the town as a fledgling city and deny basic transport connections for Chapelford, an urban village many boroughs would kill for.

Like several others, the protestations that the western halt won’t spell the demise of Sankey for Penketh station appear a little too brittle.

If the peak hours stopping service significantly disrupts travel times for more popular destinations along the line then SfP will be gone before you can mutter ‘Dr Beeching’.

Even little Glazebrook could rival it for arriving and departing trains, hardly a solid business case by anyone’s reckoning.

Regardless of which – and not really fancying the fussy design it’s been lumbered with – I’d just be thankful to get Warrington West off the drawing board and into the construction.

In another bonanza for Warrington’s ill-defined ‘western’ frontier, the proposed link road from Chester Road to Sankey Way, across Arpley, is back in the spotlight.

Councillors were asked on Monday to back the release of £998,944 from the Department of Transport and £250,000 of WBC moolah to fund the outline business case for the Warrington West Link.

Two minor niggles. Both surmountable. Why does every major public works project these days have to incorporate a hefty consultancy payout? (Mott McDonald being in line for £250,000 plus this time around).

And when will the calculators be pocketed over the anticipated benefits of this initiative? The latest literature pledges 4,271 jobs and 4,785 houses, which appears to surpass some equally boastful estimates going back around five, seven and 10 years.

Once complete it will bring huge rewards, leave it at that. One high-level bridge and a slight easing of rush-hour traffic flows and we’re sold.

Ensure Podium’s retirement flat near the Mersey loop, overlooking the Guardian’s old home at the Academy and new HQ on Centre Park, is available by 2040 and we will say no more about it.

  •  Born prevaricators lie constantly, just ask the deputy editor, Because I faithfully promised not to whinge about the Wire’s trip to Perpignan.

Although the Away Day Crew was not among those hardy souls hitting gracing that lovely Catalan enclave, our gracious host laid on nibbles and brews for our Sky French frolics.

Once the game was over we trotted over to one of South Lancashire’s finest curry houses and stuffed ourselves silly with everything from the bland (my Kashmir Chicken) to something swimming in chilli seeds and gunpowder, downed by my compadre with the iron gut.

Of course the only aspect you would want to draw a veil over from a fine evening was the rugby.

Our season will not be dictated by what ultimately transpired at the Stade Gilbert Brutus. Neither were the debut of Andre Savelio and industry of props Ashton Sims and Mike Cooper factors to be sniffed at.

But while Sir Alf Ramsey may have famously created sporting history with his ‘wingless wonders’, I’m not sure Tony Smith can translate that approach into RL glory. The edges (and centre partnerships) need addressing pronto.