Who are we?

The Town has Councillors, elected by the residents every four years, who are unpaid volunteers.

There are 15 Councillors, each representing one of four wards (illustrated in the map above).

You can contact any of the Councillors in your ward to express a point of view and / or to seek their support.

The Town Councillors attend monthly Council meetings and also are allocated Committee responsibilities where they make decisions in smaller groups on behalf of the entire Council or make recommendations to the Full Council.

Currently, the Town Council is made up of representatives of the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Residents of Wilmslow Group.  The next elections are due in May 2023 although any vacancies arising before that time will be filled as and when they arise.

Elections are organised and administered on behalf of Wilmslow Town Council by Cheshire East Council who are the formal elections authority. Any queries relating to Wilmslow Town Council elections should be directed to Cheshire East Council's Elections Department.

What do we do?

Wilmslow Town Council works within the legal framework set out for Town and Parish Councils to enhance and supplement services and to recognise and promote local initiatives.

Wilmslow Town Council operates within the Cheshire East Council area but is an entirely separate council, making its own decisions without influence from the Principal Authority (Cheshire East Council).

The primary roles for Wilmslow Town Council are to enhance and supplement services provided by the primary authority, to provide services and facilities that Cheshire East Council would not otherwise provide but which Wilmslow residents value, and to support and promote local initiatives and community groups. Wilmslow Town Council also has a significant role in voicing the views and concerns of residents. Wilmslow Town Council’s full aims and objectives can be found below.

The divide between the responsibilities of the two Councils is often confusing and sometimes frustrating for residents but Wilmslow Town Council is happy to be contacted in order to point residents in the right direction.

Wilmslow Town Council is funded via a precept collected with the Council Tax by Cheshire East Council and passed down to Wilmslow Town Council. In 2023-24 this precept is £27.31 for a band D property in Wilmslow (national average £67). Wilmslow Town Council only receives funding from residents and does not receive any funding from businesses through business rates.

Our aims:

·       To have a town with a strong sense of community where residents feel supported, included and safe.

·       To have a vibrant town centre, attractive to residents and visitors.

·       To achieve a community with an appreciation of the countryside in and around the town and a desire to value the preservation and enhancement of this countryside.

·       To have an evolving built environment which enhances and complements the distinctive existing urban and countryside setting and meets the specific needs of the town.

·       To have a town where residents and visitors utilise, when possible, sustainable forms of transport

·       To have a community that recognises its impact on the wider environment.

·       To have a community that values active play and recreation including engagement with local history, culture and the arts.

·       To provide effective, transparent and accountable local government which offers effective leadership within the town, and effective representation on behalf of the town.

Our objectives:

·       To champion the Wilmslow Neighbourhood Plan and deliver on its aspirations.

·       To form alliances and working partnerships with public bodies to enhance services and to address aims that are directly out of scope.

·       To encourage local community Groups and organisations supporting our community to flourish by providing Community Grants and support.

·       To directly deliver and encourage others to deliver community strengthening events and services throughout the year

·       To encourage the development of the Town Centre as an attractive and safe social space to complement a vibrant commercial offer.

·       Encourage effective Town Centre Management through the encouragement of a Business Improvement District.

·       To foster an open and cooperative relationship with Town Centre Management.

·       To deliver, or support the delivery of, key Town Centre Events which encourage Town Centre Vitality and foster community spirit.

·       To impact positively the physical appearance of the Town Centre through public realm enhancement.

·       Both encourage the delivery of adequate long stay car parking spaces to recognize the needs of the significant office community and those utilizing Wilmslow as a hub for accessing sustainable transport links.

·       To encourage projects that encourage walking and cycling into and within the town and that make alternatives to car transport more attractive.

·       To support and encourage initiatives and events that highlight wider environmental impacts.

·       To champion projects the celebrate our local heritage and to encourage participation and engagement in the arts.

·       To support initiatives that raise an awareness and encourage interaction with our local countryside and open spaces.

·       To encourage and support the preservation and enhancement of our local countryside and local green spaces.

·       To encourage physical and mental health in all age categories and support the provision and enhancement of associated facilities.

·       To maintain an effective awareness within the community of the activities of the Town Council and its role and of issues important to the community.

·       To provide and seek officer and member training and guidance to constantly improve governance practices.

Some examples of what we do:

• Fund the Citizens Advice service in Wilmslow with an annual grant.
• Provide floral planters throughout the town (currently working with commercial partner 'Oak Nurseries' and community partner 'Wilmslow in Bloom').
• Maintain benches and other street furniture.
• Own and maintain the public toilets and kiosk block at the Carrs.
• Organise and fund events events such as the Cinema on the Carrs, the Christmas Lights switch-on event, the partial funding of the Wilmslow Community Show and the organisation of the Remembrance Sunday event in conjunction with St Bartholomew’s Church.
• Fund the Christmas Lights.
• Fund and replenish lifesaving defibrillators throughout the town.
  (In an emergency, the first action is to phone 999 and the North West Ambulance Service will direct the caller to the nearest operational device).
• Fund the CCTV service in the Town Centre (operated by Cheshire East Council).
• Review and comment on planning applications that have been submitted to the Planning Authority (Cheshire East Council), speaking up regarding local concerns and ensuring that the Planning Authority has full regard for local planning matters including the content of the Wilmslow Neighbourhood Plan.
• Liaise with relevant authorities regarding infrastructure/policing/community issues to represent residents’ views and get the best advantage for the local area.

When do we meet?

Wilmslow Town Council usually meets on the third Monday of each month except for the month of August (subject to how Bank Holidays fall).

Committee meetings are also normally scheduled for Monday Evenings. The Town Council standing Committees are: Finance and General Purposes, Planning Committee and Community and Order Committee.

All meetings are open to the press and members of the public. 
For more details on the dates, times and venue of Council meetings, please visit the Meetings page of the website.

The Town Council would be happy to hear from you should you have any thoughts, ideas, concerns or observations. You can contact the Wilmslow Town Council office using our contact details at the top of the page. The Principal Officer of the Town Council is Matthew Jackson, Town Clerk. Alternatively, you can speak to one of your Councillors directly.

If your query is about Parking Enforcement, Highway Repairs, Council Tax bills, Refuse Collection, Planning or Adult/Children's Services then you would be best suited, in the first instance, to communicate direct with the Primary Authority, Cheshire East Council, click here for details.