KNUTSFORD has the lowest rate of vacant shops across Cheshire East, new figures have revealed.

Cheshire East Council’s strategic planning board was presented with the borough’s authority monitoring report for 2017-18 at Wednesday’s meeting.

Knutsford had the lowest vacancy rate in Cheshire East of 3.3 per cent for 2017-18 – down from 5.4 per cent in 2016-17 – while Nantwich had the second-lowest rate at 4.4 per cent.

Crewe town centre had the highest vacancy rate of 25.8 per cent in 2017-18 – with 59 empty shops in town – followed by Congleton at 18.2 per cent with 55 empty shops.

Adrian Fisher, head of strategic planning at CEC, said: “With the [Grand Junction] retail in park in Crewe you can perhaps see why with Crewe town centre – although there is redevelopment on its way.

“Congleton perhaps is less apparent as to why that vacancy rate is so high.”

The towns were the only two in the borough to have a vacancy rate higher than the national average of 11.2 per cent in 2017-18.

The report was discussed a couple of hours after the same committee rejected plans for a retail park in Sandbach – with councillors raising concerns about the possible impact it could have on the town centre.

Cllr Janet Jackson, Labour, is a councillor in Macclesfield – which had a vacancy rate of 9.5 per cent in 2017-18 and 53 empty shops.

In opposing the Sandbach application, she said: “I have seen the effect on a town centre which an out-of-town retail development can make.

“In Macclesfield we had a really vibrant town centre and once Handforth Dean was given permission, that was the death knell for our town, and it has never recovered.”

Vacancy rates for towns and large villages across Cheshire East:

  • Alderley Edge – 6.1 per cent in 2017-18, no data in 2016-17
  • Alsager – 8.4 per cent in 2017-18, 7.6 per cent in 2016-17
  • Congleton – 18.2 per cent in 2017-18, 19.1 per cent in 2016-17
  • Crewe – 25.8 per cent in 2017-18, 20.9 per cent in 2016-17
  • Handforth – 6.7 per cent in 2017-18, 9.3 per cent in 2016-17
  • Knutsford – 3.3 per cent in 2017-18, 5.4 per cent in 2016-17
  • Macclesfield – 9.5 per cent in 2017-18, 11.4 per cent in 2016-17
  • Middlewich – 10.3 per cent in 2017-18, 6.7 per cent in 2016-17
  • Nantwich – 4.4 per cent in 2017-18, 2.8 per cent in 2016-17
  • Poynton – 7.5 per cent in 2017-18, 7.9 per cent in 2016-17
  • Sandbach – 5.3 per cent in 2017-18, 7.7 per cent in 2016-17
  • Wilmslow – 9.3 per cent in 2017-18, 9.2 per cent in 2016-17
  • CHESHIRE EAST TOTAL – 10.2 per cent in 2017-18, 10.6 per cent in 2016-17
  • NATIONAL AVERAGE – 11.2 per cent in 2017-18, 12 per cent in 2016-17