This Is Cheshire

Bid to hunt down Knutsford's pot of golden opportunities

From the Guardian Series, first published Wednesday 19th Mar 2003.

KNUTSFORD is still waiting for tens of thousands of pounds to be spent on improvements.

The money was pledged by developers when they were given permission by Macclesfield Borough Council to build in the town.

On Monday planning officer Hugh Smith said it would be difficult to work out how much was owed to the town. "Without doing a lot of research it will be quite difficult," he said.

"There have been quite a few in Knutsford, but it would be a case of going back through all the old agendas and seeing where we asked for them." The news emerged this week after resident Sandra Douglas had asked Knutsford Town Council where commuted sums - paid by builders to Macclesfield as part of legal deals - had been spent.

Talks are currently ongoing between officers and developer Philip Hughes to decide how much he will pay to build a new street in the town centre.

But Mrs Douglas, of Brook Street, said the cash raised should be made public. "I want to know how much has been received and how much has been spent in Knutsford," she said.

"If it is going into a general pot at Macclesfield then it becomes a political decision where it's spent." Commuted sums pay for affordable houses, new footpaths and car parking.

At Tuesday's meeting town mayor Tony Ranfield said the money belonged to the borough - not Knutsford.

But his colleague Jennifer Holbrook said there could be thousands of pounds waiting to be spent in the town.

"There is a pot that is identifiable as Knutsford's," she said.

"In the budget there is £276,000, which is possibly available to provide car parking in the town."

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