PROPOSALS for a Cultural Festival to be held in the borough are close to being finalised.

The idea for the festival has come about after suggestions from residents and it is planned to take place the week before Crewe Carnival.

Including a wide variety of arts events, music and dancing, street entertainment and workshops, the festival will launch in Nantwich Town Centre on Saturday, August 18, culminating with the carnival on August 25 and 26.

The event is set to be one of the largest community events the borough has ever organised.

Cllr Jayne Wright, chair of the leisure committee, said: "The festival will be the ideal opportunity for people of all ages to be entertained by and get involved in a comprehensive programme of activities."

A report put before a meeting of the leisure committee earlier this week said the aim of the festival was to create a celebratory community event.

It is hoped the festival will also bring an increase in tourism.

Events will be designed to cater for all with particular emphasis on the younger and older generations and also people from rural communities.

Intended to be borough-wide, the festival will also make use of varied venues including village halls, cafes, pubs, town squares and others.

A new Cultural Festival Group is to be established including community representatives and councillors to keep the event on the right track.

The money for the festival is expected to be taken from the budget approved for the carnival by full council.

Cllr Wright added: "We hope that this very ambitious project will help to put our borough well and truly on the culture map."

Conservative leisure spokesman, Cllr Brian Silvester added: "The borough has a wealth of enthusiastic and accomplished local arts groups and I am sure they can help us make this event a real success."