WILMSLOW could be in line to welcome the likes of cycling great and the winner of this year’s Tour de France Chris Froome.

It is all part of a plan currently being hatched by Cheshire East Council to bring the cycling’s premier UK event The Tour of Britain, back to the the area in 2018.

Last year the tour bypassed the centre of Wilmslow and instead headed through Alderley Edge. However, if the bid in 2018 is a successful one, Cheshire East councillor Rod Menlove said he would be delighted to have it was to come through.

Cllr Menlove said: “The tour in itself in Cheshire East causes only minor disruption. By definition yes, I would like it to come through Wilmslow although I have no knowledge of the technicalities involved in doing so.

“It would certainly bring lots more people into Wilmslow.”

A meeting of the Cheshire East’s cabinet members a fornight ago approved a proposal to make the bid.

In a cabinet meeting, report prepared from last year’s event claimed that the previous stage 3, in 2016, which started at Congleton and finished at Knutsford’s Tatton Park, had cost the local authority £397,100 which was offset against £129,721 in sponsorship and the generation of £3.5m into the local economy. The stage was won by team Sky’s Ian Stannard

It also helped attract 300,000 spectators along the route and the stage was watched by 1.23m TV viewers on ITV4.

The meeting heard that based on the 2016 event a gross budget of £430,000 is anticipated, requiring net funding by the local authority of £300,000

Long time resident Dave Tutton added: “I think on the whole people would be in favour of it and I wouldn’t stand in its way and it’s definitely a good thing for the Wilmslow community.”

The report underlines that Cheshire East has developed a strategic approach to events in order to realise a range of social and economic impacts including showing it is a great place to live, work and visit.

It could also generate a number of benefits, including attracting more visitors to the area, enhancing a positive image of its communities, showcasing cultural diversity and the heritage and history of the area, promoting cycling and physical exercise as well as providing learning and skills development opportunities.

The event would also be used to promote opportunities for children and young people to increase the time spent on exercise and social activity.