THE news that Talgo have decided not to come to Newton-le-Willows is extremely disappointing. 


We can’t and shouldn’t paint it to be anything other than the massive missed opportunity that it is.

It’s not a time for pats on the back. It is a time to learn and improve.


Longannet, the site they have chosen, is currently a power station and 230 miles from the proposed HS2 route. 


Parkside sits on two motorways, two railways, a mile from the proposed HS2 route, has a proposed new link road and sits 15 miles from Liverpool Docks. 


It is better in every way on paper than Longannet. 


The circa 1,000 jobs that would have come with the company could have easily been supplemented by five times as many jobs in the supply chain which would have been stratospheric in changing the fortunes of Newton-le-Willows, with hi-tech employment opportunities. 


What we need to do now is regroup and learn from this.

If opportunities like this for our borough come by again, then we need to compete and win.


We need to assess the resource and skillset available to capture these opportunities when they arise. 


Too often, people talk our borough down, but we deserve the best. 
That starts with employment and growing the economy so that people have disposable income to spend in town centres and our village centres.

Locomotive manufacturing was invented and pioneered in Newton-le-Willows. 


I’m so disappointed that it isn’t coming home. 


But as Labour councillors in Newton-le-Willows, we will continue to push and strive to bring employment back here so that we can prosper once more.

Onwards and upwards.


Cllr Seve Gomez-Aspron,
Newton-le-Willows councillor