A HOLMES Chapel resident and councillor has received the British Empire Medal in the 2017 New Year Honours List.

John Clowes, 73, has been presented the award for ‘services to the community of Holmes Chapel’ thanks for his dedication to improving the village in more ways that one.

The former garden designer, who retired last year, has spent years enhancing areas of the village including Dane Meadow country park as well as securing grants to improve pathways and staging a celebrating exhibition to Holmes Chapel during the First World War.

He said: “I was delighted and shocked. It’s a great way to end the year. I feel very honoured that someone put my name forward. There are many people in Holmes Chapel who support the community on a voluntary basis and who also deserve recognition - so I hope I am only the first to be recognised. The process is secret even to the recipient so the first I knew was a letter in December from the Cabinet Office.”

John, who moved to the village with his wife Linda in 1979, said that Holmes Chapel has a ‘really friendly atmosphere’

Over the years the couple have made many friends in the area and have enjoyed being part of the community.

He added: “I always felt that when I had the time, I wanted to put something back for the benefit of the wider community.”

“When I began working from home in 1994 I was able get to know the village better and in about 2002 I was asked by the Parish Council along with another keen gardener to form a group to improve the appearance of the village centre.

“This group, which we called the Village Volunteers carries out gardening, litter picking and for many years, erected the Christmas lights around the village each year, that job we have now handed over to the professionals, I am still the coordinator of the group.”

In his spare time John also runs the U3A, the group which presented the commemorative exhibition to the First World War.

The latest major project in which he has been involved is the development of the Neighbourhood Plan for Holmes Chapel, which is now nearing completion.

Cllr David Savage, chairman of Holmes Chapel Parish Council, said: “This is well-deserved recognition for John for the amount of time and work he has contributed to enhance Holmes Chapel. He is an active member of our Parish Council and has worked tirelessly to make our village an even nicer place to live.”