PRESENT

Councillors Gardiner, Houghton, Beswick, Coan, Dalzell, Forbes, Gray, Lowe, Malloy, Morris, Nicholson, Robertson, and McCulloch

A Keppel-Green (Town Clerk)

 

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies were received from Cllrs Abel and Power (personal business)

 

DECLARATIONS OF MEMBERS’ INTERESTS

No member declared an interest in any item.

 

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

A resident congratulated Cllrs Lowe and Morris on their election to the Town Council and Cllr Gardiner on his new term as Town Mayor.

 

CHESHIRE EAST COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS

Cllr Gardiner reported that Cllr Sarah Pochin had been elected Mayor of Cheshire East with Cllr David Marren elected as her deputy and that Cllr Sam Corcoran had been re-elected as Leader and Cllr Craig Browne Deputy Leader. Cllr Gardiner further reported the council had now moved to a committee system of governance and that he remained Deputy Chairman of the Strategic Planning Board and serves on four other committees.

Cllr McCulloch raised the lack of shelters on bus stops along Longridge, which Cllr Gardiner undertook to raise. Cllr Beswick enquired as to the status of the travelling show person site on Mobberley Road which Cllr Gardiner confirmed was included in the second part of the Local Plan which was now subject to formal inspection.

The poor condition of roads was noted and Cllr Gardiner highlighted the changes to local member ward budgets for minor highway improvements.

 

MEMBERS’ REPORTS

 Cllr McCulloch reported on attendance at a briefing on Cheshire East Council’s new scheme which allows parish and town councils to fund minor highway improvements.

Cllr Nicholson reported on attendance at a meeting of the Manchester Airport Joint Consultative Committee stating that Terminal 2 was due to reopen by now but was on hold. Cllr Nicholson further reported that Knutsford Heritage Centre was currently closed by had had a new heating system installed and was hoping to reopen shortly.

Cllr Malloy reported he had attended a meeting at Knutsford Railway Station with Knutsford in Bloom and the council’s Planning and Facilities Officer to discuss improvements to floral displays and further reported that an initial meeting of the Friends of College Wood had gone well and the group was now working to agree a constitution. Cllr Malloy reported attendance at a meeting organised by ChALC to discuss speeding where a number of councils in attendance discussed concerns regarding speeding in their parishes. Cllr Malloy reported he had met with the local PCSO on a patrol around College Wood where they had spoken to young people gathering in the wood and that the PCSO was keen to obtain an e-bike for patrols around the town. Cllr Malloy reported that he had met with borough councillors Tony Dean and Suzie Akers-Smith to cycle the Knutsford Revolution route where he highlighted the outstanding Active Travel proposals for Knutsford.

 Cllr Forbes reported on a meeting of the Shaw Heath and Longridge Connected Communities stating that it was finalising its priorities which would be circulated.

Cllr Dalzell reported that the Crosstown Community Orchard was progressing well with the trustees undertaking regular work on the site, recently planting 105 wild harvest saplings and creating a bug hotel. Cllr Dalzell further reported the group had secured additional grant funding from Manchester Airport and another, to be announced funder.

Cllr Houghton reported on attendance at meetings with Peaks and Plains and community representatives to discuss the developments at Warren Close and Winstanley House. Cllr Houghton reported that the discussions had been very constructive but that there remained concern over the  removal of sheltered accommodation provision, the method statement for demolition and the impact on neighbouring properties and the proposal to remove access to the new development from Northwich Road and the implication on traffic at Racefield Road.

 Cllr Forbes left the meeting.

Cllr Houghton further reported he had met with Esther McVey MP regarding the poor condition of Beeston Drive and that he had referred concerns from a resident over speeding on Beggarman’s Lane to Cllr Robertson.

 

ACTIONS LOG

The actions log was noted.

 

QUESTIONS TO THE TOWN CLERK

 The Town Clerk responded to questions stating that the council was still awaiting feedback on its re-accreditation under the Local Council Award Scheme as NALC was behind on processing applications; that there had been no response from Cheshire East Council regarding the From Top to Bottom Street proposals since the closing of the Local Transport Delivery Plans consultation and that he had been chasing the Head of Strategic Transport on a number of matters but received no reply and that the council was still awaiting resolution of two outstanding points on the transfer of the Council Offices.