Town Council News | Knutsford Town Council

21Aug2024

£20 Knutsford Voucher Launched

Knutsford’s own high street voucher has had a makeover, with a new £20 voucher launched too.

The Knutsford Voucher was launched in 2020 with a simple idea: don’t buy an Amazon or Love2Shop voucher, instead buy a gift voucher that gets spent in Knutsford and goes direct to local shop owners and into the town’s economy.

Sandra Curties, Knutsford Town Council’s Town Centre Manager said, “The scheme is a cost-effective way to direct spend to our town’s independent shops, bars, cafes, and restaurants. We have redesigned the £10 voucher and added a £20 option. Both of these reflect our new Discover Knutsford branding, and the £5 voucher will soon follow suit.”

“We have also added a beautiful gift card, and these will be posted out with the vouchers making a perfect gift!” Sandra added.

A full list of business accepting the voucher can be found on the town council’s website alongside how to purchase vouchers. A broad selection of businesses accepts the vouchers including Flock of Arts, Detaljer, Arthur Lee, Hal Whittaker, and Knutsford Olde Sweet Shop. In the autumn you will also be able to purchase them on the council’s tourism focused sister-site – www.discoverknutsford.com

Omar Ashlan owner of Amador on King Street, who has recently signed up to the scheme, said “I am delighted to accept the Knutsford voucher. The scheme is a great way to support local businesses and keep spend local. As an additional incentive Amador will be offering 15% off any purchase paid or part paid by a Knutsford voucher. So, if you have some to spend pop down and visit us on King Street!”

Vouchers can also now be spent at Cheshire Granite worktops. Co-owner Donna O’Keefe co-owner said, “Not only are we going to accept the vouchers, but we are going to offer them as a thank you gift to customers. We are based on Stanley Road and love supporting our fellow Knutsford businesses”

The scheme is administered by the Town Council with businesses receiving 100% of the face value of vouchers redeemed in their shops.

King Street’s Lanigan and Hulme has also signed up to accept the voucher, Phil Lanigan said, “The Knutsford voucher is the perfect gift anytime of the year! We are excited to be part of the scheme. Our shop is full of womenswear, childrenswear and menswear that is solely made in the UK and Ireland so if you have a voucher come down and visit us on 23 King Street.”

Laura Christie co-owner of foodie haven Linden Stores on Minshull Street said, ‘We will be celebrating our first year in Knutsford this autumn and we love being part of this vibrant market town. We are more than happy to be part of this scheme so if you are looking for a unique present for someone, buy some Knutsford vouchers!’

If any Knutsford based business is interested in the scheme, they should contact Sandra Curties on 01565 653929. Please note only Knutsford based shops (not surrounding villages) can take the vouchers.

19Aug2024

Notice of Conclusion of Audit 2024

The audit of accounts for Knutsford Town Council for the year ended 31 March 2024 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 from Monday-Friday to 9am to 5pm. A copy of the completed AGAR can also be accessed here: AGAR 2023/24

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: 19th August 2024

17Aug2024

Fun family day out at Family Fest

The sun was shining on Sunday 11^th August for the second Knutsford Family Fest. Families flocked to the town to take advantage of the variety of family friendly activities across shops, restaurants and community spaces in Knutsford town centre.

Attendees had options to start the day gently with a yoga session from Sataya Sanctuary or enjoy a morning story time at Waterstones. Stable Minds also opened their doors for the day allowing families to do some mindfulness activities and view their art therapy rooms and sensory area.

For the creatives there were music taster sessions from Popcat, art sessions hosted by Kim Smart Art and even pizza making at Gusto. Party Time punctuated the end of the day at Charlton Lodge with a party session hosted by Bunny Business and Disney character Stitch.

The Knutsford Fire Service was in attendance outside the Lost and Found showing children around the fire engine and Knutsford Police were positioned at the top of Minshull Street allowing families to view the police car. Minshull Street and the area outside The Lost and Found were both bustling with diners as restaurants hosted alfresco eating.

Knutsford Olde Sweet Shoppe hosted a fancy dress competition presenting a prize from Hal Whittaker for the overall winner and a little bag of sweets for each entrant. The competition was judged by former mayor, Cllr Peter Coan.

The sponsor of the event, Evuna, put on a special Family Fest menu especially for the kids. They also had a visit from Disney character Stitch over lunch time, much to the delight of the children.

Sandra Curties, Town Centra Manager at Knutsford Town Council said; We were delighted with the response to our second family Fest. The sun shone and children of all ages seemed to have a wonderful time. Thanks to everyone who collaborated on this event, we can’t wait for Family Fest 2025!

Natalie Abrams from Popcats Music Time said ’I loved being involved in Family Fest this year. Getting to know new families and exploring music and movement together. What a fun day we all had! As a family we also enjoyed the activities that were on too’

16Aug2024

Knutsford At Home to return in September

Knutsford at Home, Knutsford’s home and interiors inspiration event, returns to the town centre this Autumn on Saturday 21^st September. Designed to inspire attendees with their upcoming home projects no matter how big or small, the event is the product of a collaboration between local interior businesses and Knutsford Town Council.

Highlighting the vast collection of home interior shops and specialists available in Knutsford, the day includes artist workshops, architect consults, exclusive offers, and the launch of new collections.

Participants can also attend a talk by former Head Gardener at Tatton Park, Sam Youd. He will draw upon his vast experience in horticulture to present a talk titled ‘Plotting & Planning’ held in the Secret Room at Lost & Found.

There will also be several artist workshops including one focussed on ‘Alcohol Ink Art’ at Havwoods, a flooring shop on Regent Street. Hosted by Louise Williamson from Big Canvas Art, this day long workshop will take you through the process to create stunning artwork. At Holly Johnson Antiques decorative surface designer Diane Marsland will be demonstrating her techniques for hand painting chinoiserie silk. The next day on the 22^nd September she will be co-hosting a taster Silk Painting Workshop alongside Julie Hamer where participants can further explore these painting techniques themselves.

Designer experts and architects will be available throughout shops in town to advise and inspire attendees with their projects. Many shops will also serve light refreshments for a relaxed shopping environment.

Business taking part include;

KQC, King Street
Havwoods, Regent Street
Detaljer, Princess Street
Oka, King Edward Road
Arthur Lee, Toft Road
R.I Home, King Street
Holly Johnson Antiques, Egerton Square
Oil Art Advisory, King Street
Susie Watson Designs, King Street
Terzetto Stone, King Street
Naturalmat, Tatton Street
Fired Earth
Bianca Morgan Architects
Hive Architects

The event has generously been sponsored by the Knutsford Family Law office of Slater & Gordon.

A leaflet containing information about the event including all booking details for activities has been distributed around Knutsford Town Centre. There is also further information on www.knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk and on socials @discoverknutsford.

9Aug2024

Alfresco Dining

The venues taking part in the final alfresco day of 2024 are hoping for a sunny August Sunday.

King Street (from after the junction with Church Hill to Egerton Place) will close to through traffic to allow the following venues participate in alfresco dining:

Rose and Crown
Gusto
King Street Kitchen
Wine and Wallop
Morgan Edwards
Smokehouse and Cellar

Ben Antoniak, General Manager of King Street Kitchen, said, ‘We are excited to take part in this event again. We are looking forward to greeting customers (new and existing) and offering our popular summer drinks and food menu. Last time the atmosphere was amazing so let’s hope the sun shines again!

Knutsford Town Council collaborated with local hospitality venues to organise four alfresco days for summer 2024. Two were for King Street venues and two for Minshull Street and outside the Lost and Found.

Sandra Curties, Town Centre Manager said, “These Sunday road closures provide additional outside space for our hospitality venues’ customers to enjoy the amazing food and drink Knutsford offers while also enjoying the iconic surroundings of Knutsford town centre. We hope August 18^th is busy and the town centre has a lively continental atmosphere.”

Sandra continues, “After each season we evaluate the programme with the venues and will plan for next year. We know the public would like more and if the venues agree (and the weather plays ball!) all we can say is watch this space. We do have factor in applying for road closure permission with Cheshire East and this does limit our flexibility to close roads when the sun is shining.”

Patrons are urged to contact their chosen venue direct to see whether they need to book a space in advance. If the evenings are cancelled due to adverse weather, the cancellation will be announced across both Knutsford Town Council, Discover Knutsford, and the participating venues social media platforms.

8Aug2024

Knutsford Town Council recognises longstanding businesses

Knutsford Town Council has introduced a rolling programme to recognise Knutsford’s long-standing businesses. The retail recognition scheme celebrates businesses who have traded in the town from a minimum of five years to a 75+ “lifetime achievement” award.

Town Centre Manager Sandra Curties said “Knutsford is home to independent, regional and national names who each contribute to the vitality of our town centre. This programme recognises the importance of the achievement of staying on our high street, especially in our post-covid, online shopping times. This will be a rolling programme that hopefully continues for an extremely long time!”

The programme was launched at the end of July with a mix of businesses receiving the first certificates and window stickers from Town Mayor Cllr Colin Banks. Colin said, “I was delighted to present our first batch of business recognition awards. Of course, our high street has changed but it still offers both locals and visitors a vibrant mix of shops and services. Meeting local shop owners from Booths to Partners Hairdressing was a lovely way to spend a summer morning and I am looking forward to meeting more local shop owners over the coming weeks”

Amongst the first to receive their awards was Hal Whittaker, the Princess Street toy shop that first opened its doors in the post-war era. Owner Stuart Andrew said, “We are proud to be part of a family business that served the local community through the generations.”

Helen Dufton co-owner of Arthur Lee alongside sister Vicky Wragg said, “As soon as the Mayor left, we placed our sticker in the window! We love running our shop and know our parents will also be pleased with this recognition. We’ve been here since 1919 and even supplied LS Lowry with an armchair so if you haven’t visited us yet, please pop in.”

The programme recognises those who have traded in the town for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 75+ years. The certificates will be handed out over the coming months.

6Aug2024

Heritage Open Days Knutsford 2024 – Bookings Live!

This September Knutsford will be host to a collection of events as part of Heritage Open Days, international festival of heritage and culture.

Heritage Open Days is England’s largest community led festival of history, involving thousands of local volunteers and organisations. Every year in September it brings people together to celebrate their heritage, community and history. Stories are told, traditions explored, and histories brought to life. It’s your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – and it’s all FREE.

Events in Knutsford will run across three days from 6^th – 8^th September and feature walks, talks and book signings about some well-known and not so well-known Knutsford history.

Planned events include screenings of Knutsford: Tales of War at Curzon, a talk on a brand new Knutsford history book, a tour of the Courthouse and underground cells and even a ghost walk!

Alex Molloy Events Manager at Knutsford Town Council said, “It is so important that we recognise and celebrate the rich and beautiful history of Knutsford. We are very lucky that so many local faces have come together to share their knowledge for this festival – everyone is going to learn something new!”

All events are free however several require booking to make sure we can accommodate numbers. You can view the schedule of events and book spaces at www.knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk/heritageopendays. Due to the nature of some of Knutsford’s historic buildings and open spaces, not all events are accessible so please read the event description fully.

29Jul2024

Developments fund upgrade to Ladies Mile Footpath

A footpath upgraded by Knutsford Town Council has been given the thumbs up from the staff and children at Poppies Day Nursery.

Until recently, the footpath along Ladies Mile ended in a muddy stretch before it reached the pavement on Tabley Road and in winter months this was particularly wet and muddy. Thanks to the work of Knutsford Town Council, it is now a compacted limestone path providing a solid surface for walkers and cyclists including the children from Poppies Day Nursery who use the path regularly.

This upgrade project was the first to be delivered using Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funds and approved by the council’s CIL Projects advisory committee through which volunteer residents help make decisions on spending local funds raised from development.

One parent of children who attend Poppies Day Nursery said “Before the path, on rainy days, the journey was so boggy with tree roots a pram wouldn’t go through so parents needed to walk on the road itself, with cars passing by. Now my toddlers are safely zooming along the new path on bikes and stopping to chat to their friends on the way. It’s really improved the way we get to nursery – from a safety point of view and socially.”

The need to improve this path was raised in the Knutsford Neighbourhood Plan process. The works were promoted by the Town Council’s Environment and Transport Committee and completed with permission of landowners, the Tatton Estate.

CIL funds are a form of development tax raised on most major residential extensions and new builds. 25% of the funds raised from CIL in Knutsford are passed to the Town Council to fund local projects whilst the balance is held by Cheshire East Council to fund borough-wide infrastructure. So far, CIL has been raised on a number of small developments and the Town Council currently holds a CIL reserve of just over £23k. The two current major development sites (Northwich Road and Parkgate Lane) were not subject to CIL due to being given outline approval before it was introduced in 2019, however future major schemes would generate significant CIL for long-lasting community projects.

CIL presents an opportunity to deliver a range of long-lasting projects and the Town Council’s CIL Framework sets out how it will use its share of CIL to benefit the community. This includes opportunity for community organisations to apply for future CIL funds to support investment in community facilities. More information about the Town Council’s use of CIL can be found at: https://www.knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk/services/cil

25Jul2024

Knutsford shop windows in full bloom for RHS Tatton Flower Show

Knutsford is adorned in flowers to coincide with the RHS Tatton Flower Show as many local businesses have decorated their windows with foliage displays.

Two competitions were held over the 17^th and 18^th of July. One was organised and judged by the RHS, with a specific criterion for entering and a theme of ‘Raising Awareness’ to interpret. The second, less formal competition was organised by Knutsford Town Council.

Naturalmat was awarded ‘Best Overall Window’ in the RHS competition. Their display, featuring sheep sculptures made from wool and foliage, was all made by the Naturalmat Knutsford team with help from their families. The display is a complete sensory experience with a calming soundtrack of the countryside (a sound recording taken outside the Naturalmat workshop in Devon) as background noise.

The Manager of Naturalmat’s Knutsford store, Faye Ravenscroft said “As a new store to the town, we have enjoyed being able to join in with other local business to take part in this competition. We, like everyone else who took part, have worked very hard to bring this together and are extremely proud to have won. Our awareness theme was ‘sustainability’ to reflect our company core values and demonstrate our materials in a fun and interesting way.”

“The local support has been fantastic! we have enjoyed all the fun new interactions with locals and visitors who have come to see our display and will look forward to more in the future.”

Morgan Edwards was awarded ‘Best Floral Inspired Window’ in the RHS competition. This is the second year in a row that they have gained an award in this competition with an impressive floral display. The theme for their installation is ‘Shop Local’ with the logos of Knutsford shops hanging from the display.

Winners for the Town Council’s floral walk were chosen after careful consideration from Knutsford Deputy Town Mayor, Cllr James McCulloch and Sam Youd, former head gardener of Tatton Park.

First place went to Detaljer for their beautiful display that aimed to raise awareness on mental health. Second place went to Gareth West for their abundant floral façade and third place went to Morgan Edwards.

A joint award went to Dafferns and Knutsford Olde Sweet Shoppe for ‘Best Small Window.’ Their displays cleverly used their space and reflected the identify of their shops. And ‘Best Charity Shop Window’ went to the Age UK shop.

Sandra Curties, Town Centre Manager said: “Knutsford is looking beautiful just now thanks to the great efforts our local businesses have gone to with these displays.

“Touring the shop windows is a magical experience and I would highly recommend taking them in if you haven’t already’

Cllr James McCulloch, Deputy Mayor of Knutsford, said: “A huge congratulations to everybody involved in the Best Dressed Window Competition this year! The effort the businesses have put in is evident and the displays have brought a lot of fun to the town centre’

Sam Youd added “The quality of the displays have really shone through as they have all held up well despite the hot weather. Well done to all involved ”

24Jul2024

Space Chickens to visit Knutsford Park

An open-air show of Space Chickens is headed to Knutsford this September as part of the Picnic in the Park event.

Earth’s unlikely hero: an adventurous chicken who is blasted into space to solve all our planet’s problems. Sounds ridiculous? Not for our heroic hen who will boldly go where no poultry has gone before…With stunning puppetry and original banjo synth music follow this rocket-fuelled tale all on top of a van. The show promises an intergalactic adventure from the henhouse to the milky way!

The Puppet Van has been confirmed for Picnic in the Park a new event from Knutsford Town Council that takes place on Sunday 22^nd September on St Helena’s Field (Longridge, adjacent to Adeleide Heath Academy). Picnic in the Park is a day of theatre, music and community.

Also joining us will be the brilliant Steel Drum Band, keeping everyone entertained in between performances and whilst they enjoy the other amazing activities on offer such as a Literary Tent, hosted by local author Kirsty Duncan.

A community picnic area will be set up in front of the stage and residents are encouraged to gather their friends, family, a blanket and chairs and enjoy a FREE fun day out for all the family!

The Mayor of Knutsford, Cllr Colin Banks will be making a visit to the Bake Off Tent to judge the best birthday cake creation. Keep an eye on social media for full details of how to enter the cake baking competition to mark 50 years of Knutsford Town Council.

Knutsford Town Council will be working with the community to build a Bug Hotel and they will need everyone’s help to create a 5-star luxury experience for the visiting insects so be sure to drop by and give us a hand with the construction!

More and more activities are being confirmed with our brilliant local businesses and community groups. For updates follow Knutsford Town Council social media pages or email enquiries@knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk

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