THE owners of a vital access road leading to a site proposed to accommodate a traveller transit site say they ‘vigorously oppose’ the plans.

It has been a week of twists and turns after news broke last Thursday that Warrington Borough Council had found a site it believes is suitable.

Such a site has been long sought after for around a decade in Warrington, but the council said it could not find a suitable location, until now.

Cllr Neil Johnson, a then-Labour borough and parish councillor who represents Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft, issued a statement breaking the news.

He said he was ‘stunned’ to learn of plans to build a transit site on land on Kenyon Lane near Culcheth, the former Kenyon Lane Nurseries site, which is currently listed for sale for £800,000.

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In protest over the ‘secret plan’, which he branded ‘shady skulduggery’, Cllr Johnson resigned from the Labour party to stand as an independent and promised to fight the plans.

Despite his opposition, the issue was discussed at the meeting of the council’s cabinet at the Town Hall on Monday evening.

As recommended, the cabinet approved in principle the acquisition of the properties compromising the site.

However, a statement has now been issued by Robert Hodgson and Kaeren Ralph, the owners of the access road to Kenyon Lane Nurseries.

They said: “Following Warrington Borough Council’s decision to go ahead with the purchase of the Kenyon Lane Nurseries site, for development into a traveller and gypsy transit site, we wish to issue the following statement.

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“We understand the urgent need for a traveller and gypsy transit site in Warrington, and the difficulties that Warrington Borough Council faces in finding an appropriate location.

“The council has stated that the purchase of Kenyon Lane Nurseries is conditional on the inclusion of unencumbered title, freehold of the access road and highway access visibility splays.

“As the owners of the access road, land controlling the splays and also as beneficiaries of a covenant on the land occupied by the nurseries that strictly controls its use, we are happy to support the development of the land in line with the current planning permission for two houses.

“However, we will vigorously oppose any attempt to develop the site for use as a transit site, and under no circumstances will sell the road or any other area of our land for this purpose.

“We hope the council will withdraw this proposal, and that it is successful in finding a suitable site in the near future.”

A council spokesman said: “At its meeting on Monday, October 14, where the matter of the traveller transit site was discussed, a decision was taken by the council’s cabinet to proceed with the acquisition.

“On this basis, the council will now be speaking to its agents to agree on the next steps, and the cabinet will be kept informed of developments in due course.”