CONFIDENCE is high that the new 'people's stadium' and Tesco Extra store will score a public inquiry victory - if the club can hang around long enough to see the day!

With the backing of the community and leading politicians, entwined with the community benefits of the development, Warrington Wolves bosses remain optimistic they are on to a winner.

Club chiefs were surprised the stadium was not rubber-stamped by the Government the first time round so now they have to win over a public inquiry.

Chairman of the Wolves' owners Warrington Sports Holdings Ltd, Norman Summers, said: "We may have lost a battle but we have not lost the war.

"The professional view that I have received is that ultimately we will be successful.

"The community benefits are so strong and significant and the development is so close to being a town centre development, which the Government are actively supporting.

"There is a wide acknowledgement that we've selected the best site both for the stadium and the store.

"And, particularly, it is considered that this plan is the best for what is a currently redundant brownfield site, which is, in effect, in the town centre.

"We've found this use for it and what a great use it is.

"The stadium and superstore could be the springboard for the regeneration of that part of the town centre.

"As far as Tesco are concerned, they are first class retailers - the premier retailers in the country.

"They are proposing to bring into Warrington a new state-of-the-art retailing concept. It isn't an ordinary Tesco store. And the fact they have selected to bring this concept to Warrington is a compliment to this town. They wouldn't just do this anywhere.

"They are renowned as first class employers and they will bring more than 650 jobs to the town.

"Alongside it, the stadium will be of use for the whole community and it could become a flagship facility for the town. It too will bring jobs with it.

"The proposal is that we set up a community trust so that it will be a community-owned asset.

"As a flagship facility it could help to put Warrington on the map."

There are further pluses for disappointed Wolves fans to cling too as the campaign starts again to 'Say Yes To The Stadium'.

Mr Summers said: "The referral to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's office is not as bad as it could have been. They have not referred us for an environmental study which would have been a big issue, very technical and very lengthy.

"They have referred it to public inquiry for obvious things like the need for retail, the need for a stadium and the community benefits.

"We don't know why John Prescott's office have decided to call the public inquiry.

"For whatever reasons we're going to a public inquiry and Warrington Borough Council, most of the leading politicians in the town and the area will be fully supportive of the application during this public inquiry process.

"In fact, the council can now take their gloves off. They have supported the application through its planning committee and can now put their full weight behind the application.

"Collective responsibility says we would hope that the whole council would firmly support the plan in a public inquiry.

"The will of the people of Warrington in this process and in this inquiry must come through and the politicians understand this."