Angry Councillors stood on a road objecting to a road closure

Council opposes Church Hill Closure Plan

Knutsford Town Council is calling on Cheshire East Council to abandon proposals to close Church Hill for six months of the year.

Cheshire East Council has proposed to close the cobbled street from December to April under a planned “experimental” traffic regulation order. The proposal is in response to issues in previous cold weather issues where cars have failed to stop at the bottom of the hill and on occasion collided with the building opposite.

Whilst the Town Council recognises the necessity to close the road during prolonged ice and snow periods, and supports these temporary closures as a proportionate response to the safety concern, town councillors are flabbergasted by the excessive and disproportionate plan to shut the street for five months of the year.

The proposal would involve the installation of a physical barrier on Church Hill near Jessica Stone Salons, closing preventing access along the remainder of the street. Any vehicles accessing the road will be required to turn around and exit back onto Toft Road – including refuse vehicles, delivery vans and funeral hearses at St John’s Church.

Town Mayor, and Cheshire East Councillor Peter Coan said “I consider it unacceptable to close a well used route in weather that makes it safe to use. There are bespoke ways to maintain pedestrian safety in icy and snowy conditions that should be implemented.”

Cllr April Johnson, Chair of the Knutsford Town Council Town Centre Committee and councillor for Bexton and Town Centre ward said “This road is an important part of our town’s infrastructure, serving residents, local businesses and visitors. Its closure risks creating unnecessary disruption for access to our main car park, increasing traffic on King Edward Road and Adams Hill and negatively affecting the daily lives of those who live and work in the town.”

The proposal was initially mooted in 2023, when the Town Council first set out its objection to the idea. Cheshire East Council data suggests 1,000 vehicles a day will be displaced onto Toft Road and Adams Hill, which it considers negligible due to the high volumes of traffic already on these roads. The Town Council has highlighted the value of Church Hill as a local route taking pressure off congested roads and enabling easy access to the town’s main car park.

The Town Council has also highlighted the impact of previous closures on traffic flows and business footfall, raising concerns that the proposal will impact the high street at an increasingly challenging time for small businesses. The Town Council has also challenged the financial cost of the proposal, estimated at around £8,500, compared with the temporary closures which a Cheshire East Council Freedom of Information request response put at £130 per closure.

An experimental traffic regulation order would be put in place for a period of 18 months and formally reviewed after 6 months where any feedback during this period is considered. The borough council may then retain, revoke or vary the order.

In a meeting with Cheshire East Highways officers, the Town Council was told the borough council was determined to press ahead with the experimental order despite opposition from the town council, stating it was the only safe solution to the problem.

The town council challenged the weight which will be placed on feedback from the ‘experiment’ if the borough council insists the full closure was the only safe measure and urged alternative solutions to be explored in more detail, including improved surfacing, gritting and continuing the current temporary closures.  

A petition against the closure of the road has been launched by local businesses and already reached 600 signatures, this can be found at www.change.org/p/stop-the-five-month-closure-of-church-hill-knutsford-protect-our-independent-businesses

Cllr Johnson added “We believe the community deserves to have its voice heard and its concerns taken seriously. We oppose Cheshire East Council closing our local roads without valid justification. The Town Council therefore calls on the council to reconsider its decision, and work constructively with the Town Council to find a proportionate solution that reflects the needs and wishes of local people.”

The Town Council is writing to Cheshire East Council Highways Portfolio Holder Cllr Mark Goldsmith and Interim Executive Director of Place Richard Kenny seeking their intervention to stop the proposed closure.

The Town Council is encouraging those concerned by the closure to sign the petition and to contact Cheshire East Council outlining their concerns.

Cheshire East Council has published information on the proposal at: https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/highways_and_roads/roadworks/church-hill-knutsford-winter-weather-closure.aspx

Town Mayor Mike Houghton outside the Stanley Centre

Council urges Stanley Centre closure to be abandoned

Knutsford Town Council is calling on Cheshire East Council to abandon plans to decommission the Stanley Centre in Knutsford.

The proposal to close the building which provides services for people who have a learning disability, people with physical disabilities and older people was included as part of the Cheshire East Council budget consultation and has drawn criticism from the borough council’s own Adults and Health Committee.

The Town Council has today issued a letter to the leadership at Cheshire East Council requesting the proposed cut is removed from the budget. The Town Council has further requested that if the borough council wishes to explore the building’s closure a thorough consultation must be undertaken before a decision to cut the funding is made.

“With the continually growing need for local social care provision, we are bemused by this ill thought out proposal to cut access to the vital services provided at the Stanley Centre.” said Town Mayor Cllr Mike Houghton

“We are especially concerned that the proposal has been presented through a budget consultation as a cost saving measure rather than a properly formulated proposal that enables a detailed assessment of the impact of the closure of the building on the local community”

An old sign stating "to car park"

Council responds to CEC Parking Survey

Knutsford Town Council is encouraging residents to ensure their voices are heard on all matters parking as part of the Cheshire East Council paring survey. The borough council, which operates the majority of car parks and parking enforcement in the town, will use the feedback to develop its parking policy for the next five years.

The Events and Town Centre Management Committee of the town council has agreed its own submission to the survey where it calls on Cheshire East to closely involve the Town Council with any proposed changes to parking charges and policy in Knutsford.

The Town Council’s response, available here: Town Council Parking Survey response, urges Cheshire East to implement the parking proposals in the From Top to Bottom Street report which was supported by 79% of respondents at consultation in February 2020.

Amongst the points made by the Town Council it is calling for the development of at least one well designed multi-storey car park to increase parking provision, the introduction of long-stay parking at the Booths car park and a redesign Tatton Street car park to increase the number of spaces.

Responding to questions on potential changes to parking policy, the town council has lodged its objection to parking charges being introduced on Sundays and says that charging in the evening should only ever be introduced in a town if its town council consents. The Town Council has also said that on-street charging shouldn’t be introduced and that each town should have parking charges appropriate to the needs of the specific town centre.

The Town Council has also urged Cheshire East to move the coach parking from Tatton Street car park, where coaches cannot actually get to them, to the Bus Station. This will enable the town council to commence work on promoting the town to coach operators and boost tourism.

The Town Council is also calling on Cheshire East Council to invest in parking enforcement and ensure that illegal and inconsiderate parking is enforced and targeted at problem areas with local knowledge.

Town Clerk, Adam Keppel-Green said “Effective and appropriately enforced parking is vital for the success of our town centre and this is an opportunity to ensure Cheshire East Council hears directly from residents to help shape future parking policy.

We have made a number of proposals for improvements to parking and offered our commitment to work closely with Cheshire East to ensure that any changes are right for Knutsford”

The Town Council has also highlighted that more must be done to address the inequality of access to the town centre by non-car users and is committee to work with Cheshire East Council to deliver covered cycle parking at all car parks.

The survey can be completed at: https://surveys.cheshireeast.gov.uk/s/vztq7t and closes on 31st January.