Cheshire Independent Issue 203

3 JUNE2025 Visitourwebsite: www.independentnewspapers.co.uk ADATE has been set for this summer’s 1261 Festival after last year’s event saw tens of thousands of people flock toMacclesfield. The festivalandparadedaywill takeplace onSaturdayAugust23withorganisersprom- isinganother celebrationof the town’s creativ- ity and communities. This yearMacclesfield TownCouncil has createda ‘community funding stream’ thatwill enable local individuals,businessesandgroups to apply for financial support to contribute “uniqueandengagingactivities” to theevent. It is offering up to £250 to use towards a project for the festival. Funding can be used to host livemusic performances, create cos- tumes, props or stage designs or to organise live artdisplays. The cash can also beused to support other “innovative and engaging activity” that con- tributes to the festival atmosphere. Official figures from Macclesfield Town Council showed almost 30,000 people vis- ited the town centre last year to take part in the activities,which included livemusic and street theatre. The new festivalwas a celebration of the town’s creativityand community. Itwasnamed afterMacclesfield’s charter year.More than 300 people took part in the festival’s ‘One World Parade’ through the town centre. It was co-ordinated by Macclesfield Commu- nityArtSpace and featured ahost of commu- nity groups. Otherevents sawMacclesfieldConcertBand entertain visitors toVictoria Parkwith an afternoon ofmusical favourites. And ‘1261: The After-Party’ featured14 musical acts entertaining across six venues in the town.Theweekendalso saw the town’s popularTreacleMarket attract visitors. Town’s summer festival returns Bigparade:Hundredsofpeople tookpart in theparade through town (Photocredit:Maccles!eldTownCouncil) CALL FOR MAJOR TRANSPORT CASH Jointstatement:NickMannion (left)andMichaelGorman ‘Don’t leave us behind!’ CHANCELLOR Rachel Reeves has beenurgedtodeliver the major invest- mentneeded to fund vital transportpro- jectsthatwillrelease the fullpotential of CheshireEast. The call came in a joint statement from the local authority’s leader and deputy Nick Mannion and Michael Gorman, issued days before her government Spending Reviewannouncement. And it followed the government’sunveiling of a £15.6billion fund- ing package for trans- port projects in city regions, includingMan- chester andLiverpool. Manchester is to get £2.5bn forprogrammes includingextensions to theMetrolink. The council has warned: “Without invest- ment in our plans we willbe leftbehind.” Cheshire East’s ‘shopping list’ includes improved rural con- nectivity, funding for the Middlewich East- ern Bypass, the A500 and its ambitions for the Crewe360 hub rail station. CheshireEast’s joint statement said: “For too longwe have been rely- ingongovernmentdeci- sions and investment to deliver infrastructure thatwillrelease the full potentialofourborough and thewider region. “With devolution on thehorizon forCheshire andWarrington,aspart of the government’s pri- orityprogramme, trans- port prioritieswill be a key catalyst to realise the growth ambitions for our region as a com- binedauthority. “Funding such as the £15.6bnwhichhas been announced forcombined authority areaswill be crucial to that. “However,we are not thereyet,and it isvitally important to recognise that investment in trans- port infrastructure in CheshireEastandother parts of the country is needednow ifwe are to trulydelivergrowth.” The statement added: “For some considerable timenow,wehave been waiting for a decision onGovernment funding forMiddlewichEastern Bypass tobeapproved– a critical infrastructure improvement for the town thatwouldunlock up to 1,950 new homes and employment land andpotentiallycreateup to6,500 jobs in the local area. Without invest- ment inourplanswewill be left behind.We need to gainmomentumnow workingwith this gov- ernment on our journey through to devolution andanelectedmayor. “We cannot afford to stall our infrastructure plans forover12months –we have to deliver for residents and busi- nessnow.” Meanwhile, invest- ment plans have been announced for Chesh- ireEast’shighways and transportnetwork–with thebiggestamount in10 years set to be spent on improving the condition of theborough’s roads. The council says it will invest more than £53m in 2025/26 in its transport infrastruc- ture.Over the next 12 months, the councilwill complete a programme of schemes thatwill see keyA-roads across the borough treated. Itwill also carry out complex investigation and repairworks along theB5470Macclesfield Road inRainow,which wascloseddue toa land- slip following a signifi- cantamountofrainfall. A council spokesper- son said: “The council understands how frus- trating thisclosure is for residentsandbusinesses and isworking hard to reopen the roadas soon as it is safe todo so.” It also aims to com- plete phase one of a 1.5-mile walking and cycling route between Wilmslow town centre and Handforth, along the existing B5358 ManchesterRoad. Otherprojects include the repair and recon- struct a collapsed sec- tion of theMillHouse Bridge on the A523 Manchester Road, Adlington, as well as replacing thebridgeover WaterlessBrook along the B5391 Pickmere Lane inTabley,which had to be demolished earlieryear. The ‘16-19BusSaver’ discount scheme for youngpeopleaged16 to 19who live inCheshire Eastwill be continued as will the Silk Town Ticket trial, which will run until March nextyear. The multi-operator weeklybus ticketallows passengers to travel on any of the bus services provided by four dif- ferent operatorswithin the trial area using a single ticket.