The Olympic Flame will blaze a trail through Knutsford as the country gears up for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
The Council is delighted to announce that four Cheshire East towns will form part of the Olympic torch relay route.
On May 31st 2012, people from Knutsford, Crewe, Congleton, Macclesfield and the surrounding areas can join in the excitement of the arrival of the torch and celebrate the achievements of the torchbearers.
They are four of more than 1,000 villages, towns and cities announced by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) through which the Olympic Flame will be carried in the relay, which is presented by Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung.
LOCOG has worked closely with Cheshire East Council to devise the route which includes visiting Jodrell Bank where local schoolchildren will be be on hand to see the torch pass through the Cheshire countryside and arrive at the Observatory. Street by street detail of the route will be confirmed next year.
Councillor Rod Menlove, Cabinet member with responsibility for environmental services at Cheshire East Council, said: "I am sure this will mean an awful lot to the people of Cheshire East and the surrounding area to see the Olympic Flame and to witness the spectacle of the Olympic torch relay.
"I would urge everybody to join in the Olympic spirit and mark the countdown to the start of the Games. This will shine a light on Cheshire East as its people come to welcome the flame and support the inspirational torchbearers who have volunteered."
Sebastian Coe, chairman of LOCOG, said: "We are thrilled to confirm that Crewe, Congleton, Macclesfield and Knutsford will act as host locations for the Olympic Flame, extending an invitation to people in the area to welcome the Olympic torch relay during its journey around the UK.
"This is the UK's moment to shine and I want to encourage people across Cheshire East to start planning how they can be part of this once in a lifetime opportunity and show their support for the inspirational torchbearers chosen to carry the Olympic Flame as we count down to the start of the Olympic Games."
The 70-day relay will start at Land's End, Cornwall on the morning of May 19th, 2012. On leaving Land's End, the Olympic Flame will travel an estimated 8,000 miles around the country, meaning that more than 95% of the population will be within just 10 miles of the Olympic Flame next summer.
An interactive map of the entire route can be viewed at www.london2012.com/olympictorchrelaymap
Photo: Councillor Rod Menlove, Cabinet member with responsibility for environmental services; Councillor Roger West, Mayor of Cheshire East and Councillor Wesley Fitzgerald, Leader of Cheshire East Council look ahead to the torch relay.
