A sculpture of King Canute in the council office gardens, with a tree

Notice of Conclusion of Audit 2023

The audit of accounts for Knutsford Town Council for the year ended 31 March 2023 has been completed and the accounts have been published.

The Annual Governance & Accountability Return is available for inspection by any local government elector of the area of Knutsford Town Council on application to:

Adam Keppel-Green, Town Clerk – townclerk@knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk

Monday-Friday to 9am to 5pm.

Copies will be provided to any person on payment of £ NIL for each copy of the Annual Governance & Accountability Return.

Announcement made by Adam Keppel-Green, Town Clerk

Date of announcement: 29th September 2023

A copy of the completed AGAR can be accessed here: AGAR 2022/23

A CGI render of the revised frontage to the market hall

Funds awarded for Market Hall Renovation

Plans to renovate Knutsford Market Hall have taken a significant step forward with the announcement of major grant funding to help deliver the project.

Knutsford Town Council has secured a grant of £560,000, 80% of the estimated £700,000 costs of undertaking a complete refurbishment of the market hall.

The grant comes from the Community Ownership Fund, a £150m fund from the UK Government as part of its Levelling Up agenda. The fund aims to help communities save cherished local assets and the Market Hall is one of a number of projects awarded funding across the country.

The project is at an early stage, with more detailed plans to be developed and announced in the coming weeks ahead of a planning application being submitted by the end of the year. Once a timeline for the works has been agreed, the council will be able to determine how to accommodate traders whilst works take place. 

The renovations will include a complete refurbishment of the interior of the market hall, a redesigned frontage to create a more open and welcoming space and replacement of the stall structures creating more storage for traders within each stall.  The works will also deliver significant improvement to the energy efficiency of the building including installing insulation, closing doors and solar panels.

Speaking of the award, Town Clerk Adam Keppel-Green said “It was incredible to receive the news of our success in securing this game-changing level of funding for the Market Hall. Thanks to the Community Ownership Fund, we will be able to deliver a significant improvement to the Market Hall in 2024, securing its future for decades to come”.

Knutsford Market Hall was built in 1964, and with the exception of minor works in the 1980s, remains largely the same building as it was almost 60 years ago.

Town Mayor, Cllr Peter Coan said “Knutsford Market Hall is a fantastic space for small businesses and a vital part of our high street, we are delighted to be able to celebrate its 60th Birthday in 2024 by giving it a new lease of life”

The Community Ownership Fund provides grants of up to 80% of the project costs. The council is currently exploring how to provide the balance with options including use of its capital reserve and borrowing. The council is also seeking a further grant through the Shared Prosperity Fund.

This round of the Community Ownership Fund was the first to be open to Town and Parish Councils, thanks to the lobbying work of the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) and Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC), and Knutsford is one of nine local councils that has secured funding in this round.

Scary illuminated pumpkins

Knutsford Pumpkin Path 2023

Knutsford’s family friendly Halloween event, the Pumpkin Path, returns this Halloween – Tuesday 31st October, from 4pm to 7pm.

The Pumpkin Path takes place on King Street, Minshull Street and Regent Street which will be closed to traffic. This year’s event is very kindly sponsored by Slater & Gordon, Neptune, Knutsford Admin and Travelbag whose generous support helps make the event possible.

Families can collect an entry form in advance of the event or on the night and follow the hints on the included map to find 11 pumpkins hidden around the closure area. All the pumpkins have a letter carved into them; find all the pumpkins and use the letters to spell the hidden phrase.

You’ll find lots of fun on your way, from themed character actors to live entertainment! Fuschia School of Dance will entertain you on King Street near Giovannis at 5pm and 6pm, while Knutsford Beats will sing some songs at the bottom of Regent Street at 5.30pm and 6.30pm.

Don’t forget to visit Wallwood (the wooded area at the top of King Street, opposite Tatton Park) for some spooky fun!

Remember to vote for your favourite Halloween window display on your entry form and drop off your completed entry form to one of the post boxes in Wallwood or at 60 King Street .

The event is free to enter however an optional donation of £1 per child will be graciously accepted to help cover some of the event costs. Entry forms can be collected on the night from one of four desks on King Street and one on Minshull Street. To find out more about the event, visit www.knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk or email enquiries@knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk, or alternatively you can call 01565 653 929

Two ladies standing with cakes

Knutsford at Home

Knutsford was a mini ‘Ideal Home Exhibition’ on September 16th, with its home and interior design shops hosting its second Knutsford at Home Event.

The event was a collaboration between home and interior shops and businesses in the town centre and coordinated by Knutsford Town Council. It offered shoppers a ‘menu of inspiration’ including talks from artists such as Diane Marsland in Holly Johnson Antiques, a Fired Earth pop-up in Detaljer plus Farrow and Ball talks from the Arthur Lee team.  The full list of shops taking part was Aperture Doors, Arthur Lee Interiors, Detaljer, The Flock of Arts, Havwoods, Holly Johnson Antiques, Kendal Quality Carpets, Oka, Sofas and Stuff, Susie Watson Designs and Terzetto Stone.

Holly Johnson co-owner of Holly Johnson Antiques said, “This was our second Knutsford at Home event and our most successful! Having Diane Marsland as our artist in residence for the day proved a real draw with guests finding her talks informative and inspiring. We also enjoyed watching customers both new and existing enjoy our showroom and its range of antiques.”

Lyndsey Dyson, of Havwoods, said: ‘’At Havwoods we really valued the Knutsford at Home event, and meeting with both new and existing customers discussing our latest flooring and cladding collections. Many visited our showroom and the Routemaster bus on the day, and we felt there was a great atmosphere present.’’

Lillie Carter of King Street newcomer Aperture Luxury Doors said, “This was an exceptional event by Knutsford Town Council. It’s great to be part of a community where we support each other as businesses to keep Knutsford at the forefront of retail.”

Sandra Curties, Knutsford Town Council’s Town Centre Manager, said, “These events are all about promoting Knutsford as a destination shopping venue and offering a bespoke shopping experience that cannot be replicated online.  We loved the way our shops worked together and seeing visitors mapping out their day using the flyers was fabulous.  We look forward to a better and bigger event next year.”

man standing with products at a market hall stall

Alpy and Becs opens in Knutsford Market Hall

Looking for a unique fragrance? Some handmade skincare or bath bombs? If so, make a visit to Alphy and Becs the latest addition to Knutsford Market Hall.

Alfonso Esposito has opened in the centre of Knutsford taking a stall in the Market Hall. Alphy and Becs was established in 2011 and specialises in handmade cosmetics, fragrances, hair care, aromatherapy, and gifts.

Alfonso said, “I am delighted to open Alphy and Becs in Knutsford Market Hall.  The traders have made me feel most welcome. I look forward to introducing our range of handmade skincare and cosmetic ranges to Knutsford residents and visitors to the town. Please come in and pay us a visit!”

Sandra Curties, Town Centre Manager said, “Alphy and Becs range is bespoke and made with love and care. If you are looking for a unique gift or to treat yourself do pay Alfonso a visit. If you wish to get an early start on the Christmas shopping – the stall is a must! This latest addition to our market hall means we have a full house in the market hall offering everything from vegetables and vinyl to chicken and cards. If you haven’t recently visited the market hall, please do pop in, shop local and support our small businesses”.

The Market Hall is open every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 8am to 4pm. Inside you’ll find authentic Thai food, a deli offering olives and Turkish delight, a traditional barber, vinyl records, fresh fruit and veg, a butcher, greeting cards, dog treats and accessories, mobile phone repairs and accessories,  a crystal stall, and a café.