MIDDLEWICH is through to the finals of a national competition celebrating market town regeneration.

The town will go head-to-head with seven other regional winners at the Market Town Awards in Chippenham in October.

Middlewich was recognised for its ‘Masterplan’, a community project which aims to link the canals to the town centre and promote the town’s history through festivals and cultural events.

Town clerk Jonathan Williams said: “Nurturing our strong sense of place and a rich timeline of heritage, the project is the product of a genuine partnership between the Town Council and Middlewich Vision, supported by Cheshire East Council and British Waterways.

“The process aims to make Middlewich a nicer place to live and a more vibrant and attractive place to visit.”

Middlewich Masterplan qualified for the finals when it scooped the main prize at the North West Market Town Awards in Wigton, Cumbria on June 15.

The project was named the overall regional winner after claiming top spot in the ‘Partnership and Strategic Working’ category.

Clr Jamie Macrae, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for prosperity added: “This is an excellent result for everyone at Middlewich Vision who has been involved with this outstanding project.

“The improvements made to the area thanks to the project can be seen across the town: to the canal towpaths; traffic enhancements to Wheelock Street and the Bullring; the campaign to re-open the railway line, along with the highly successful heritage projects and events demonstrate that this is a thriving community in control of its own destiny.

“My congratulations go to everyone who has given their time and effort to a project which has proved such a success.”

The awards are organised by Action for Market Towns, the national organisation which supports the regeneration and vitality of small towns.

Judge Debbie McGrath, from Action for Market Towns, said: “The Middlewich Masterplan project had stood out as a good example of how the various groups in a town should work together to identify and address its needs and aspirations.”

The accolade is another achievement for Middlewich after the town won a ‘Waterways Renaissance’ award from The British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA).