GRAHAM Brady MP has pledged to do all he can to prevent the HS2 line ‘cutting right through the middle of Warburton’.


Presently, the West Midlands to Manchester section of the proposed high speed railway splits at Little Bollington – with one spur terminating at Manchester, with a stop at Manchester Airport, close to Hale Barns, and the other terminating at Wigan – cutting through Warburton en route.


The Altrincham and Sale West MP met with Warburton parish councillors on March 15, in response to widespread concern that has been raised by residents.
 

Addressing the council members, Mr Brady said: “It’s entirely possible that it will never happen, but at the moment HS2 has got pretty strong cross-party support.”
 

Speaking to Messenger after the meeting, Mr Brady said rather than contesting HS2 itself, he is petitioning the secretary of state for two key changes to the line.
 

The first change he wishes to achieve is to have the line moved to the other side of the M56, a amendment he believes is ‘entirely possible’ and will protect Hale Barns residents from impact.
 

In Warburton, Mr Brady is awaiting a response from secretary of state as to whether it would be better to tunnel under the village or, indeed, whether the spur is required at all.


Mr Brady said a concrete viaduct is proposed ‘to cut right through the middle of Warburton’, creating a ‘serious eye sore’.
 

“The proposed HS2 line comes through Crewe and so does the WCML, so there’s a logical argument for an interchange between the two at Crewe.”


Florence Swinton, who has lived in a 200-year-old house on the door step of the proposed line for 25 years said: “I think the way the government just put it up on the internet was just wrong, there should have at least been a letter. It came as a horrible shock.”


Fellow parish councillor, Cliff Dunbabin, said: “We’re dead against it, but we don’t want to move it, we want to scrap it completely.”