Town Council News | Knutsford Town Council

9Apr2021

By-Election Candidates Announced

Both by-elections taking place on May 6th have been contested meaning electors in these wards will go to the polls to vote for who they want to see representing them on Knutsford Town Council until 2023.

Bexton Ward

Two candidates have stood for election.

Amy Rosalind HOBSON of 111 Ashworth Park (Liberal Democrats)

Millie MORRIS (address in Cheshire East) (Conservatives)

Nether Ward

Three candidates have stood for election.

Annie Greer (address in Cheshire East) (Conservatives)

Scott Lowe (address in Cheshire East) (Independent)

Bill Tenger of 33 Manchester Road (Liberal Democrats)

Register To Vote

If you were registered to vote in the last election and your details have not changed, you don’t need to take any action. If in doubt, you can check with Cheshire East Council on 0300 123 5016.

It only takes 5 minutes to register to vote and you can do this online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

The deadline to register is midnight on 19 April 2021.

If you want to vote by post, you can apply to do this now. This will make sure your application is processed early, and your postal vote can be sent to you as early as possible.

To apply to vote by post you need to download, print and fill in a postal vote application form. If you can’t print the form, contact the Electoral Services Team at Cheshire East Council by calling 0300 123 5016 so that a form can be posted to you.

Once you have completed the form and signed it, you can email scanned forms to postalvoting@cheshireeast.gov.uk or post them to the Electoral Services Team, Cheshire East Council, Macclesfield Town Hall, c/o Municipal Buildings, Earle Street, Crewe, CW1 2BJ.

The deadline to apply for a postal vote in is 5pm on 20 April 2021.

If you are not able to vote in person, you can ask someone you trust to vote for you. This is called a proxy vote and the person is often referred to as your proxy.

To apply for a proxy vote, complete the form to vote by proxy, explaining why you can’t get to your polling station in person. The person voting on your behalf can either go to your polling station to vote or can apply to vote for you by post.

The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm on 27 April 2021.

29Mar2021

Notice of By-Elections

The countdown to two by-elections for Knutsford Town Council has officially commenced with the publication of the formal notice of election.

The elections, which if contested will both be held on Thursday May 6^th, were called following the resignation of Katherine Fletcher in April 2020 (Nether Ward) and the death of Barbara Hamilton Coan in November (Bexton Ward). The elected councillors will serve until the next full elections in May 2023.

Those vying for election can download nomination papers from the Electoral Commission website or from Macclesfield Town Hall and candidates now have until 4pm on Thursday 8^th April to hand-deliver their nomination papers to the Returning Officer at Macclesfield Town Hall.

Candidates need a proposer and seconder living in the ward in which they are standing and must phone 01270 685922 to make an appointment to deliver completed nomination papers.

Town Clerk, Adam Keppel-Green said “This is your opportunity to put yourself forward to represent the community and help direct the work of the town council. We will provide all the training and guidance that new councillors need, and councils are strongest with a diverse membership, so please don’t think that being a councillor is not for you.”

Unlike borough councillors, town councillors do not receive an allowance and freely give their time in service to the community.

Residents who are not yet registered to vote in the by-elections, which take place the same day as elections for the Police and Crime Commissioner, have until 19^th April to apply – applications can be made online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. Applications for postal or proxy votes must be made by 5pm on Tuesday 20^th April

Formal Notices

Notice of Election – Bexton Ward

Notice of Election – Nether Ward

22Mar2021

Music Festival Postponed to August

Knutsford Music Festival has been postponed to August 2021 by organisers Knutsford Town Council.

The festival, traditionally held in June, was due to feature from 11^th to 13^th June 2021, but has been rearranged for 13^th to 15^th August. This is to allow a better chance for the festival to proceed safely as the country slowly moves out of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions over the spring and summer months. The festival was launched in 2017 and enjoyed three successful years before the pandemic saw its cancellation in 2020.

The Town Council is keenly now planning for an August festival which will bring together an array of musicians in a three-day celebration of local talent. The event will feature festival staples including folk events, free Saturday afternoon session Music on the Moor as well as the fringe festival featuring many local businesses.

Music will also be brought directly to the town centre streets as musicians will entertain shoppers and visitors throughout the festival weekend.

Any musicians wanting to apply to perform at this year’s festival can still get in touch by contacting info@knutsfordmusicfestival.com.

Knutsford Town Council will continue to monitor the current lockdown situation and whether the event can go ahead and will provide updates to the public as plans proceed. For full updates and news you can visit www.knutsfordmusicfestival.com or follow the festival on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

16Mar2021

The Mayor’s Virtual Quiz – 26th March 2021

The Mayor of Knutsford is inviting residents for an evening of fun at home with his first fundraising event of 2021 – a virtual quiz next Friday (26^th March, 7:30pm)

The lockdown restrictions have meant that the quiz is Cllr Stewart Gardiner’s first fundraising event since his term began in November and he is keen to welcome as many people as possible to get involved and raise some much-needed funds for his chosen charities, the Royal British Legion and St Vincent de Paul Society.

Stewart said: “Do you think you have what it takes to be a contestant on The Chase or Pointless but not sure if you know your Archimedes from your archipelagos? Well, here’s your opportunity to test your knowledge and have some fun at the same time by joining the Town Mayor’s virtual quiz and helping me raise funds for my chosen charities.”

The quiz, which has been written by the Mayor’s Consort, Simon Hutchence, will take place using Zoom with teams working in breakout rooms to test their knowledge. Teams are capped at six people and with a £5 per person entry fee which supports the mayor’s chosen charities.

To register your team contact Dan Wheatcroft on dan.wheatcroft@knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk with the details of your team – a team name, the names of participants and email addresses for each Zoom group within your team.

26Feb2021

Redrow Homes Update Meeting

Knutsford Town Council is hosting a virtual community meeting with Redrow Homes to receive an update on the 190 home development at Northwich Road which started last year.

The meeting, which takes place on Wednesday 10th March at 7pm, will be chaired by the Town Mayor and has been organised with the hope that regular update meetings can be held on all strategic developments in Knutsford once they commence.

Adam Toseland, Development Site Engineer for Redrow Homes, will be attending to share with the community what works have been undertaken to date and the current programme of works on site.

Mr Toseland will then aim to answer any questions residents have on the development.

The Town Council is encouraging residents to submit questions in advance so that Redrow’s representative is able to answer them on the night. Questions can be submitted to townclerk@knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk up to 24 hours before the meeting.

You can join the meeting via Zoom at the following link from 6:55pm on 10th March: Join Redrow Community Update Meeting.

26Feb2021

Become a Councillor

On Thursday May 6th two by-elections will be held to fill the vacancies on Bexton ward and Nether ward.

The elections process will start at the end of March when the notice of election is published. Potential candidates will then have until 4pm on Thursday 8th April to hand deliver their nomination papers to Cheshire East Council, the elections authority.

We’ve added a new section to our website to help you understand how you could become a councillor. Check it out here: Become a Knutsford Town Councillor Page

Full details on the elections will be available on our Elections Page.

25Feb2021

Two Day Closure for Recycling Centre

Knutsford Household Waste Recycling Centre will be closed for two days in March for essential site maintenance.

The centre will be closed all day on Tuesday 2 March and Wednesday 3 March so that the works can be carried out safely.

Cheshire East Council would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

More information about Cheshire East’s household waste recycling centres can be found at: cheshireeast.gov.uk/waste

8Feb2021

St John’s Wood Meeting

“How can we improve St John’s Wood” is the question Cllr James McCulloch will be asking at a community meeting next week.

Knutsford Town Council is hosting a virtual meeting to discuss how the woodland, which is owned by Cheshire East Council and Great Places, could be improved for the community through the establishment of a Friends of St John’s Wood community group.

Cllr James McCulloch, one of six Over Ward councillors on the town council, is the council’s appointed representative for a Friends of St John’s Wood group and he lives close to the woodland in Gaskell Rise, Longridge.

Hosting the meeting using Zoom, the Town Council wants to hear from those who visit the woodland which sits between Longridge, Boothfields and Southfields as well as the residents living nearby. The meeting will also be streamed to Facebook where residents can comment along to have their voices heard.

The meeting will be an opportunity to discuss how St John’s Wood can be improved and what the community wants to see change and what it wants to stay the same.

At the end of the meeting will be an opportunity for people to put themselves forward to form a committee for a new Friends of St John’s Wood. All residents are welcome to join the meeting and there is no obligation to put oneself forward for the committee.

Cllr McCulloch said “St John’s Wood is a wonderful community space in the heart of over ward and is long overdue for investment and improvement. This meeting aims to kickstart this and hopefully over the coming months we’ll see some great changes to this much loved woodland“

If any residents are unable to attend the meeting but want to comment on how the woodland could be improved, they can email enquiries@knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk or call 01565 653929.

The meeting will take place at 7pm on Tuesday 16^th February. For details of how to join the meeting visit: www.knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk/sjw

27Jan2021

Knutsford Music Festival 2021

Knutsford Music Festival is set to return this summer from 11^th – 13^th June 2021!

Festival organisers at Knutsford Town Council are working on plans to bring back the popular event this summer. The festival was launched in 2017 and enjoyed three successful years before the pandemic saw its cancellation in 2020.

Organisers are hopeful to run the festival this summer, bringing together an array of musicians in a three-day celebration of local talent. The event will feature festival staples including Mark Radcliffe presents Folk at the Theatre, which runs across the three days of the festival and features Folk Award nominees and winners, hosted by the popular BBC Radio 2 and 6 presenter.

The festival will also bring back Music on the Moor, the open-to-all Saturday afternoon session which features live acoustic music, entertainment and activities for families and new features to include food and drink vendors at the free four-hour event. Organisers are also exploring a second Sunday afternoon session to offer more free and safe fun for local people to enjoy during the festival.

Some fringe events may return to local businesses which offer free alternatives to headline events, where local bars, restaurants, pubs and more will host local musicians for some relaxed entertainment.

Any musicians wanting to apply to perform at this year’s festival can get in touch by contacting info@knutsfordmusicfestival.com with some information about you, links to videos and websites or social media pages.

27Jan2021

Census 2021 is coming..

Households across Knutsford will soon be asked to take part in Census 2021.

The census is a once-in-a-decade survey that gives the most accurate estimate of all the people and households in England and Wales. It has been carried out every decade since 1801, with the exception of 1941.

It will be the first run predominantly online, with households receiving a letter with a unique access code, allowing them to complete the questionnaire on their computers, phones or tablets.

“A successful census will ensure everyone from local government to charities can put services and funding in the places where they are most needed,” Iain Bell, deputy national statistician at the Office for National Statistics, said.

“This could mean things like doctors’ surgeries, schools and new transport routes. That’s why it is so important everyone takes part and we have made it easier for people to do so online on any device, with help and paper questionnaires for those that need them.”

Census day will be on March 21, but households across the country will receive letters with online codes allowing them to take part from early March.

The census will include questions about your sex, age, work, health, education, household size and ethnicity. And, for the first time, there will be a question asking people whether they have served in the armed forces, as well as voluntary questions for those aged 16 and over on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Results will be available within 12 months, although personal records will be locked away for 100 years, kept safe for future generations.

For more information, visit www.census.gov.uk or email michael.cash@field.census.gov.uk

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