AT the moment the Atlantic Gateway is just a concept – but it could soon be the talk of the town.

The project, designed to maximise the commercial usage of the region's waterways through port developments running from Liverpool to Manchester, has no doubt designated Warrington a key role, with the town standing between the two major cities.

During an update at Birchwood Park, hosted by Birchwood Forum, council and property officials from across the region gathered to hear the latest plan of action from those in charge.

Some were left disappointed with the information received but one thing was clear to see – Warrington will play a crucial role if the project does gather pace.

“Atlantic Gateway is one of our priorities and we don’t want to leave places like Warrington in the shadows,” said Aidan Manley, from Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

If, and that is a big if, the project does come to fruition, Warrington could join Manchester and Liverpool as a real force to be reckoned with.

However, authorities closer to home, rather than at national level, may be the ones who can force change, according to Liverpool city region LEP, Mike Palin.

“Local authorities are the most important player as they are the ones that can get things done," he said. "Atlantic Gateway is a collection of assets across the areas – it is part of a network between the areas," he said. “What we need is a common plan between Manchester, Liverpool and Cheshire,” he said."

After Mr Palin spoke on the issue, one audience member raised the issue of the lack of sites available in the north west that are actually ‘shovel ready’ for future development.

In response, Mr Manley acknowledged the need for the public and private sector to work in tandem.

“It needs a lot of bottle from the private sector to happen,” he added. “The mechanisms are in place if the private sector wanted to,” he added.

The powers behind Atlantic Gateway have vowed to deliver the major infrastructures to complete the project if all of the funding can be found. With the evening clearly still leaving a number of stones unturned, Warrington residents will no doubt be posing the question ‘what next?'