Tag Archives: Community

Knutsford’s Tidy Town Days are taking off as once again residents came together to help improve access along the well-used footpath.

As part of its strategy to support active travel and accessibility for the community, and keep Knutsford well maintained, Knutsford Town Council arranged its third Tidy Town Day to help clear the build-up of detritus and overgrowth which has been narrowing the footpath from Kenilworth Avenue to Manor Park South

On Tuesday 25th August, 5 volunteers kindly gave their morning to cut back overgrowth, clear leaf litter and remove other vegetation from the route. The small but mighty team worked their magic, helping to make the footway tidier, safer and more welcoming for residents. 

Jeanette Hine, Corporate Support Manager said “I am really pleased with how the Tidy Town Days are bringing our community together.  It is lovely to see everyone getting stuck in and having fun to help make the town cleaner, brighter and easier to explore.  We would like to thank everyone who gave their time to help support our Tidy Town Day and make it such a great success”

The next Tidy Town Day will be Tuesday 15^th September, helping to clear another section on Sparrow Lane.  Anyone who would like to register an interest, please get in touch with Jeanette Hine at jeanette.hine@knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk or contact the council offices on 01565 653929.

Knutsford’s Tidy Town Day has been hailed a success after residents came together to help improve access along the well-used footway.

As part of its strategy to support active travel and accessibility for the community, and keep Knutsford well maintained, Knutsford Town Council arranged its second Tidy Town Day to help clear the build-up of detritus and overgrowth which has been narrowing the footway along King Edward Road.

On Tuesday 18^th August, 13 volunteers kindly gave their morning to cut back overgrowth, clear leaf litter and remove other vegetation from the route.  Working together, the group made a noticeable difference in a short space of time, helping to make the footway tidier, safer and more welcoming for residents. 

Cllr Scott Lowe said, “This particular pavement has been a problem for a long time and is used by both the young and old to get to school and the local shops.  I’d like to say a massive thanks to all the people who volunteered to get stuck in and make it better.  A full maxi skip and 3 van loads of waste show you what an effort it was. There are lots of wonderful people who want to help make things better and I’m pleased the town council is helping to co-ordinate these types of activities so it can be achieved. I’m sure there are many more people who would volunteer to finish the job in the coming months”

Around 40 hours of volunteer time went into clearing the path. A second session is due to be arranged to finish the job along to Ash Court.

“The energy and enthusiasm from everyone who attended was fantastic. It’s great to see what can be achieved when the community comes together to look after our town! We would like to thank everyone who gave their time to help make the tidy town day such a success” said Jeanette Hine, Corporate Support Manager

The town council will be holding further Tidy Town Days throughout the year.  Anyone who would like to register an interest, please get in touch with Jeanette Hine at jeanette.hine@knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk or contact the council offices on 01565 653929.

Knutsford Town Council is appealing for users of Moorside to provide evidence of their use to support it being registered as a public right of way.

The Town Council has started the process to register ten new public rights of way across the town. The evidence for the first ‘Definitive Map Modification Order’ application, which applies for the route from Mallard Close to the Tatton Park Dog Wood entrance, has been gathered and an application has been submitted to Cheshire East Council. 

The council is now gathering evidence for the next route, Moorside. This is the unadopted section of Moorside, from where the adopted highway ends just past the Moor, through to Dury Lane. 

Often, historic public rights of way remain unrecorded despite long standing use by the community, and the need to register a path doesn’t get flagged until there is a threat to access and the council is therefore working proactively to ensure that where evidence supports it, these routes are formally protected for future generations.

Whilst applications are quite straight forward, the process to amend the Definitive Map is detailed and can take several years to complete once submitted to Cheshire East Council.

The Town Council expects to apply to register this route as a ‘Byway Open to All Traffic’, a form of public right of way which covers travel on foot, bicycle and motorised vehicles. Registration will strengthen the Town Council and Cheshire East Council’s powers to ensure the Moorside is passable but would not mean it was maintained to a standard of a typical road. So, the council are inviting evidence from anyone who has used the route on foot or by vehicle.

Applications require the submission of robust evidence demonstrating continuous public use for a period of 20 years, alongside other historic evidence of their existence.  The Town Council has identified ten paths which it believes would meet the legal tests and are not currently adopted highways or recorded public rights of way.

The council is inviting residents and members of the public who have used this path over the past 20 years or more (i.e. since 2006 or before) to contact the Town Council on 01565 653 929 or enquiries@knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk to obtain an evidence form. Statements, photographs, maps, or any historical documentation relating to the route may assist in supporting the application.

Cllr April Johnson said “This part of Moorside is an important right of way in our town centre. It’s a well used route and borders on the RAMSAR and SSSI site of the Moor Pool. 

This DMMO application is about protecting a historic route that has been used by local people for generations. It’s not about creating a new path, but ensuring that a long-established public right of way is properly recognised and safeguarded for future generations.

Moorside has long been an important route within our community. Securing its status through a Definitive Map Modification Order would help preserve an important piece of Knutsford’s heritage while ensuring residents can continue to enjoy safe and lawful access.”

The full list of routes the council plans to prepare evidence for is at available at www.knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk/prow

Sparrow Lane had a makeover with the help of volunteers on Thursday 11^th June.

Residents and volunteers from Bruntwood worked to help improve access along the well-used footpath.

As part of its strategy to support active travel and accessibility for the community, Knutsford Town Council arranged a volunteering session to help clear the build-up of detritus and overgrowth which has been narrowing the path from Delmar Road to Higher Downs.

Despite some rainy weather, 24 volunteers gave their time and energy to support the practical improvement day that will benefit residents.  By widening the footpath, the team helped create a more open and usable route, improving accessibility and helping to ensure the path can be enjoyed by more people through the year. 

Spirits were high with the sense of achievement for a few hours work, and the day highlighted the value of working together as a community and it is hoped that the event will inspire further community involvement in future improvement days.

Jeanette Hine, Corporate Support Manager said “We would like to thank everyone who took part in in the day and contributed to its success.  The strong turn out reflects the continuing commitment of local people caring for the town’s green spaces and public footpaths and we are very grateful for their support”

The town council will be holding further improvement days throughout the year.  Anyone who would like to register an interest, please contact Jeanette Hine at jeanette.hine@knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk or contact the council offices on 01565 653929.