Cross border links to push rail

The partnership will look at electrifying the rail line to Wrexham

Flintshire councillors have agreed to strengthen their links with neighbouring authorities in England.

They have voted to join the Mersey Dee Alliance, which includes Cheshire, Ellesmere Port, the Wirral and Chester.

One issue the new partnership will examine is developing the Wrexham-Bidston rail route, possibly with a new station at Hawarden Bridge.

A study last year found the rail scheme would be viable with two services an hour between Wrexham and Liverpool.

The Welsh Assembly Government, in partnership with Merseytravel, is helping to fund a feasibility study into the cost of replacing the current diesel service.

Members of Flintshire council's executive decided to join the Mersey Dee Alliance at a meeting on Wednesday.

Flintshire has been a member of the Four Counties Partnership, with Wrexham, Chester and Cheshire councils and the assembly government, for nearly 10 years.

The authority's acting director of environment and regeneration, Dave Faulkner, said a meeting of the partnership in December last year agreed in principle to a merger with the Mersey Dee Alliance.

He said: "There was general support for a more powerful partnership which would be able to exercise more influence at a European, national, regional and city region level, as well as reducing duplication of effort."