COUNCIL chiefs have admitted they could not justify spending £2m on a key Northwich Vision project.

Cheshire County Council said this week that moving Northwich Library and the Salt Museum to the town's proposed cultural centre would have cost Council Tax-payers £2m - plus a further £600,000 in revenue costs each year.

Chief executive Jeremy Taylor said: 'The cost of this part of the project was unjustified and unsustainable. It was simply not practical to continue.'

Mr Taylor said Vale Royal Borough Council had first known last February that the county was having doubts about the costs of the scheme and the lack of any added value to services.

A lottery bid for cash for the cultural centre failed later in the year and the county said in December it would not fund such a large scheme.

Mr Taylor added: 'When the lottery bid failed Cheshire County Council was asked to find £2m to fill the gap. This was just not feasible at a time when every penny was needed for front-line services.

'Costs entailed would have increased from £189,000 to £487,000 in the case of the museum and roughly doubled for the library, involving an extra £300,000.

'Not only would we have incurred unjustifiable expense on behalf of the Council Taxpayers but there was no increase in space or facilities offered to us.'

The borough council says it will continue to look at how it can establish a cultural centre - including a theatre and other facilities - without the library and salt museum.

A spokeswoman said: 'It is correct that the council was advised in December that Cheshire County Council could not continue with the transfer of the library and salt museum.

'Since that time, Vale Royal Borough Council has been exploring how it can facilitate a cultural centre - minus the library and salt museum.

'We are hopeful that we can refocus the proposal.

'The Northwich Vision Partnership is very keen to ensure that the community of Northwich will be involved in the evolution of this project, and are engaged and contribute as much as they have done in the emergence of the plans for Baron's Quay.'