Knights Grange

Cheshire West and Chester Council has committed to working with the local community to enhance grassroots sport and community uses at the Knights Grange complex in Winsford.

The Council will be working with local stakeholders to develop investment plans for the facility. At the heart of this is ensuring Knights Grange remains a sustainable, multi-use complex for sport, recreation and nature conservation. The site will be protected from housing and other commercial development. Investment will be made to ensure that it remains an important community asset for the people of Winsford long into the future.

The project will directly involve local sports clubs to support participation in grassroots sports such as football, tennis, cricket, athletics, and fishing through improvements to facilities. It also aims to connect local communities to nature and the outdoors. Improved cycleways and footpaths will link the park with Weaver Valley and Whitegate Way. New and improved woodland, nature conservation sites and habitats will be created to encourage wildlife, improve biodiversity and help to combat the effects of climate change. Unused buildings on the site will be refurbished and redeveloped for use as part of the wider complex.

Over the past four years, Cheshire Football Centre Ltd had been working on proposals for a new multisport facility and associated hotel at the site. The Council had been supporting this project, however, increased construction and borrowing costs, and the lack of availability of external grant funding, mean that it wasn’t financially viable to progress the scheme any further.

Knights Grange is a key part of the Council’s Sports Facilities Strategy. Working alongside stakeholders and other sports bodies, the Council wants to develop an investment programme to increase participation in sports and outdoor recreation, support existing and new grassroots sports organisations, tackle health inequalities and improve wellbeing, and promote active travel such as walking and cycling.

The Council has a small operational budget to manage the annual maintenance of the sports pitches on Knights Grange. This will allow clubs to continue using the site throughout the year as we explore a new operational approach that will help improve the facilities for sport and recreation. User groups can assist the ongoing maintenance by helping to keep the site as tidy as possible after attending.

The Council has also allocated additional budget towards the repair and refurbishment of the Knights Grange barn buildings. We recognise this offers significant potential to provide toilet, shower, and changing room facilities for those using the site and we are keen to get these reinstated. Recognising the listed status of these buildings requires sensitive consideration. A building survey is currently underway, which will inform what works are required. We anticipate repair and improvement works will begin towards the end of the year.

It will take more time to develop plans for the long-term vision for Knights Grange, particularly in respect of the former golf course. We recognise the importance of introducing uses to secure the future use of the site for sport and recreation, as well as being financially sustainable in the longer term. We will be involving the Knights Grange user groups and local residents to help shape the long-term vision for the site.