Residents were 'disappointed' there was Makers Market on Easter Sunday

Town councillor Andrew Malloy said the recent Makers Market in Knutsford on Easter Sunday was the organisers’ most successful market this year.

However fellow members of the council’s Events Committee expressed concern about it being held on that day.

Cllr James Power said: “I have had a number of residents come to me to say they were really disappointed that there was a market on Easter Sunday.

“It wasn’t primarily a religious concern – it was just they felt it was nice to have a weekend off – it is fair that we as a town balance the needs of the businesses and the residents – this was an occasion where perhaps it wasn’t done correctly.

“It’s about time we stuck up for the residents and put a line in the sand – one weekend off a year is fair.

“The traders that wanted to take time off on Easter Sunday for personal reasons, couldn’t, because if they didn’t do that market they would have lost their pitch.

“It’s important we hear the views of the residents and say – no, we’re not having it - they could have moved it to the Monday – it was a Bank Holiday weekend – there were lots of ways around this.”

Cllr Malloy said the market organisers told him that because they had a number of markets now they probably would have found it difficult to move it to another date.

Cllr Hayley Wells-Bradshaw said: “Easter Sunday and Christmas Day are very special days, and from the religious element I think it’s wrong we go ahead with it [Makers Market] on Easter Sunday.

“That’s my personal view – I’m not saying its representative of the majority view in the town, but it’s appropriate that the next time this is an issue in 2021 we could move it to the Monday and could have it a week later.

“There are options – we have so much time, but I would prefer it not to go ahead on Easter Sunday.”

The committee agreed the market should not be held on Easter Sunday in future.