KNUTSFORD’S outgoing mayor has called his year in office a ‘great honour’ as he passed on the role to a fellow councillor this week.

Clr Tony Want – together with the help of Mayoress Clr Jennifer Want – raised £2,000 during his year in office, with the money being split between the Knutsford Lions, Toft Taverners and the Stroke Club.

At the annual meeting of Knutsford Town Council on Monday, May 10, Clr Peter Coan was elected as the new mayor, with Clr Stewart Gardiner being elected in the role of deputy mayor, replacing Clr David Lever.

Clr Want has been a councillor for five and a half years and it was the first time he had been mayor of the town.

“It was a great honour because we do meet a hell of a lot of people and learn about how other councils in the area run and how we can do things better,” he said.

“We have a propensity for working parties at Knutsford and hopefully I have squashed that and we will just work things through in committees.

“It took a lot of time to carry out and hopefully it will carry on in the future.”

He added that the town council’s new quality council status was one area that he was proud to be part of in his time in the role.

“The quality status was quite a benchmark and it has been started in earlier years but it wasn’t pushed forward,” he said.

“There are people in the council now who want to do the work so were able to push it on and it is a good thing for the council and the town.

“We are waiting to see what Cheshire East will devolve to us.

“We would like to take over all the open spaces, the cemetery and allotments and maybe things like street sweeping.

“Hopefully we will be directly responsible for the town in the near future.”

Pick up next week’s Guardian for Clr Coan’s first interview as mayor of Knutsford and his plans for the year.

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