A Hollywood-style Walk of Stars is to be created in Alderley Edge to honour local stars past and present.
As part of an ambitious project to support the local economy and rejuvenate London Road, the dilapidated pavements will be completely replaced and stars will be inserted at various points along the length of the road.
The Walk of Stars will honour individuals who have made a significant contribution in the categories of music, television, film, radio, theatre, sport, business, politics and literacy.
Commenting on the project, Cllr James Magrae said "We are bringing the glitz of Hollywood to Alderley Edge. We have some incredibly talented people in the area and we wanted to start honouring them in a way that shows how proud we are to have them associated with the village.
"I'm sure it will prove to be a major tourist attraction, as have similar projects in Birmingham and Brighton. The local shops will benefit from increased footfall and it will give the whole area an economic boost."
The organising committee have selected seven inaugural inductees to the Walk of Stars - they are novelist Alan Garner, footballers David Beckham and Rio Ferdinand, musician Peter Hook, TV star Denise Welch, the Lord of Alderley James Hadfield-Hyde and local politician Frank Keegan who has been instrumental in the project.
The public will have the opportunity to select a further three inaugural inductees by voting online.
We can exclusively reveal that the Lord of Alderley (also known as Lord Lust), who owns a Royal Charter granted to his predecessor the de Ardennes in 1254, has been honoured with a star on the Walk of Stars to avoid the potential of a legal dispute over rights purported to be conveyed under the ancient Royal Charter. You may recall the Lord of Alderley disputed local market rights back in 2011.
In response to the news, Manchester United footballer and prolific tweeter, Rio Ferdinand has just posted the following message on twitter:
Renowned Russian stonemason Arlo Lipof has been busy creating the initial ten stars. The first to be completed was for former Alderley Edge resident David Beckham (pictured top of article).
Work is due to commence on the pavements in June and will take approximately three weeks to complete. A lavish gala dinner will be hosted at the Festival Hall to mark the official opening, which many of those honoured will attend.
A website for the Walk of Stars is also under development to help attract visitors and to allow the residents of Alderley Edge to vote on the three remaining inaugural inductees. A short list of nominees has not yet been officially confirmed but we have been informed that the list includes David Platt, Helen Flanagan and Bernard Sumner.
The announcement of this project also ends months of speculation over the Heyes Lane allotments as it has been confirmed that Heyes Lane allotment site will be turned into a free 250 capacity car park to provide the additional parking required for tourists, the new medical centre and the refurbished Festival Hall. The allotment site will also accommodate a modest visitor centre.
If you have a business on London Road and would like to enter a ballot for a specific star to be located outside your premises, you are requested to telephone the Alderley Public Relations Information Line (For Organisations Operating Locally) on 0870 3211500 as soon as possible.
What do you think of the Walk of Stars and the inaugural inductees? Who would you like to see honoured with a star? Share your views via the comment box below.
UPDATE (12:00): I hope my April Fool's joke managed to amuse some of you! As midday has now passed I have published all the comments I have been holding back which gave the game away.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Have you been working on this story since last April!
May I also take this opportunity of recommending PCSO Jim Newns for a star.
Duncan Herald
A lderley
P ublic
R elations
I nformation
L ine
F or
O rganisations
O perating
L ocally
For some more April Fools amusement check out last year's "Triple yellow lines to solve parking problems" http://bit.ly/Hv4o3q and my personal favourite "Ancient gold bars found at construction site" http://bit.ly/HA0LWI
Russell Jenkins - you are such a newspaper type - so catty. Just because you were not on the list.
I did love the man who thought I had started WW2, the Great Plague, the SARS virus, and a few other things.
1. Dr Edward Hopkinson (Macclesfield Road) who did more for workers rights at Mather and Platt than any other industrial employer in the early twentieth century and who also invented the drive motors for the new London Underground electric trains, or
2. Dorothy and Margaret Pilkington (Woodbrook Road) part of the family clan that produced glass and tiles on a world-wide scale, and did so much as charitable benefactors. Most importantly the sisters purchased with assistance from Cheshire County Council most of the wooodland on the Edge, at Stormy Point, and Clockhouse Woods, that so many people enjoy today.
3. Isaac Massey who built many of the Edge Villas that are now in the Conservation Area.
So my money would be on the Pilkington Sisters. Any other serious offers ???
Graham Dilliway (once of Croston, Tempest Road)
Parking could be permitted anywhere on both sides of the street but of course not obscuring the new star studded pavements and even more importantly woe betide those who leave their cars beyond the curfew - a fine of £1000 would be imposed. Even the post arrogant of late night revellers would be respectful of such a penalty, surely...