KNUTSFORD Heritage Centre bosses say a planned microbrewery next door would pose an unacceptable risk to the town’s 'priceless' Millennium Tapestry and the 1887 Royal May Day dress and crown.

Carl Ball from Cowyardtap Limited is seeking permission to change the use of a former carpet shop to a microbrewery and tap room.

The Warehouse, the building which is earmarked for the business, adjoins the rear of Knutsford Heritage Centre in Red Cow Yard off Princess Street.

Mr Ball is seeking a change of use permission for the empty former carpet shop from Cheshire East Council.

The heritage centre has written to the council this week to register its strong opposition to the scheme on numerous grounds, with Knutsford Town Council saying the proposed use of the empty building was unsuitable given its proximity to the heritage centre.

Christopher Henretty, chairman of the centre's trustees, said: “We consider it is unacceptable to site a microbrewery in the centre of Knutsford’s Conservation area, and adjacent to Knutsford Heritage Centre.

“A small business enterprise such as this should never be located next to premises such as Knutsford Heritage Centre (ie a museum), which cares for the town’s archives, some of which are priceless. It should properly be sited elsewhere on a small industrial estate.

“The proposed planning application is not in compliance with the Neighbourhood Plan, and can only be detrimental to the further development of Knutsford Heritage Centre, our aim which is to hold in trust the town’s historic heritage/archives for the townspeople, for the past, present and future.

“Knutsford Heritage Centre is located on a steeply sloping environment at the bottom between Princess Street and King Street.

“The centre has suffered flood damage during heavy rain in the past, which channels surface water down the ginnels connecting the two streets, which the poor drainage facilities provided by the utilities at times have been unable to cope with.

“A microbrewery we understand uses large quantities of water/liquids/grain/hops in tanks, vessels, pipework and pumps for the fermentation process, plus a bottling facility, and needs to have a reliable water supply and drainage system.

“Currently the water supply for the old carpet shop is a shared water supply from the Heritage Centre, and water pressure is known to be low in this area. Is this adequate for a brewery? This can surely only make the situation worse.

“Knutsford Heritage Centre is very concerned about the close proximity of the proposed microbrewery and Tap next to the Tapestry Gallery, which contains the renowned Knutsford Millennium Tapestry.

“Over 3,000 people contributed to its creation on three very large panels, and it is now in state-of-the-art museum display cases.

“The problem is that the Tapestry Gallery is situated partly underneath and adjacent to the proposed microbrewery building, with only a single brick wall between it and a first-floor ceiling above.

“The Tapestry is priceless and irreplaceable if it suffered water or flood damage. Also in the Tapestry Gallery is a further display case containing the dress and crown of the first Knutsford Royal May Queen Mary Ellen Howarth of 1887.

“The Tapestry Gallery has a remote temperature and humidity monitoring system for the protection of these two valuable archives.

“We consider the proposed microbrewery next door would pose an additional unacceptable risk of harm to the Millennium Tapestry, and the Royal May Day dress and crown of 1887.

“One of our aims is to become an accredited museum, and to achieve this the Arts Council would not look favourably to having a brewery next door, with all its additional risks of water and fume ingress which could cause possible harm to the archives.

“There is proposed to be two full-time employees and seven part-time employees. Some of these people will surely need to park somewhere, and space is already congested in Heritage Way.

“The Heritage Centre has reserved parking in Heritage Way for volunteers (we have no paid staff) and for disabled visitors to the centre.

“At times we have difficulty parking in our own reserved area, and this planning application can only make the situation a whole lot worse.

“In addition during the installation/and day-to-day operation of the microbrewery there will inevitably be building work, with delivery vehicles for grain, hops, export of barrels.

"These would inevitably cause damage to the flagstones and the Canute Mosaic, and blockage of Heritage Way for our volunteers, and visitors some of whom may be disabled and need access our reserved parking space.

“We are concerned about what noise and fumes would might be generated by the microbrewery, which could affect the Heritage Centre.

“The fumes might pose a risk of harm to the Millennium Tapestry and the 1887 Royal May Day dress and crown through ingress through the walls and ceiling into the Tapestry Gallery.

“The application proposes that the Microbrewery Tap would be open from 12 noon to 11pm seven days a week to the public.

“It is inevitable that members of the public might drive down Heritage Way to visit the tap. The Heritage Centre hosts a Bridge Club two nights each week.”

Knutsford Town Council’s planning committee said: “The council strongly believes the proposed use of this premises is unsuitable given its proximity to the Knutsford Heritage Centre.”

The committee said if the application was granted conditions should be attached to the permission requiring the strengthening of the single brick wall between the heritage centre and the former carpet shop.

It added that conditions should also require the fume-creating and wet operations to be carried out as far as possible from the party wall to reduce the risk of damage to the centre’s valuable displays, and to prohibit vehicles of more than 3.5 tonnes using Heritage Way for access to the premises to avoid damaging the Canute mosaic.

Anyone wishing to comment on the planning application – reference 19/1185M – can do so at the Cheshire East Council planning portal until April 11.