I WAS disappointed to hear the news that John Prescott has deferred the decision to a public inquiry for Warrington Wolves' new stadium. This resulting delay, reported to be a year, is a setback to the plans but if the Wolves' management, Council, Tesco and other backers of the new stadium keep faith with the project I think we can pull through this.

As reported in the Warrington GUARDIAN on January 11 the two officials who have not publicly supported the plan seem to have temporarily put a spanner in the works for the project.

Whatever their reasons, the town, businesses and supporters have now got to get behind a new campaign to convince the public inquiry that the plan should go ahead.

During the original campaign for the new stadium, many thousands of residents of Warrington and others including businesses, officials and supporters of other Rugby teams supported the project. If a new campaign was started the support would have to be just as good, if not better.

The reasons for the new ground have not gone away, without a plan for the future, Warrington Wolves' place in Super League is still in doubt and as we have seen from the winners of the Northern Ford Premiership, in the past few years they have not been allowed promotion into Super League. The current home at Wilderspool Stadium is restricted for development and to spend huge amounts now, still with the intention of moving is a waste of money. The hard work carried out by the management at the Wolves over the past three years should not be lost by this decision. The club have worked hard and have won awards and are seen as leaders in the sport for their community scheme. This and any new initiatives should be allowed to continue, preferably in a setting of the new People's Stadium.

If the land on Tetley Walkers is not to be used for a new stadium with a supermarket and other retail outlets, what will it be used for? There is no point leaving it as wasteland and the current owners will not want to lose out. If Tesco and the Wolves are not granted permission, there will be others who want to use the land. Manufacturing industry is disappearing from the UK, therefore other uses could be offices, small industrial units, warehouses, distribution centres, retail outlets, large cinema with other entertainment facilities etc. These all come with similar problems, i.e. heavy plant machinery for the development stage, car parking issues, traffic congestion, public transport issues etc. Whoever puts the next planning application forward, the opposition will have another fight on their hands similar to the campaign last year, eventually they will lose, they are only delaying a certain development on the old Tetley's site.

It was Warrington residents who put these two officials in office. The same residents can have their say at the next elections and remove them from office.

To all concerned, continue the support in the forthcoming year and we will win through and have the People's Stadium. Warrington has had a top flight rugby team for over one hundred years, let's keep it that way for the next 100 years

Come on the Wire.

STEVE WHITEHURST

Elizabeth Drive, Padgate