Harry Styles fans are being encouraged to sign a new purpose-built wall as an alternative to the Grade II listed Twemlow viaduct that has become a shrine to the pop superstar Twemlow viaduct is a 183-year-old Grade II listed structure which takes trains from Manchester to Crewe through Holmes Chapel on the busy West Coast main line as in recent years fans from across the world have made the pilgrimage to the 23-arch viaduct and marked their names into the bricks where fans believe Harry Styles spent time in his youth Network Rail has carried out some changes at the viaduct will protect the ‘golden’ bricks from potential offering an alternative place for fans to leave messages to Harry Network Rail is urging “Harries” to leave their messages on the new wall which may sustain long-term damage if the artwork continues at its current rate Network Rail’s principal route engineer said: “Twemlow viaduct is not only a historic railway structure that transports important passenger and freight services on the West Coast main line but it also attracts people travelling far and wide to see it in person “We understand how much the viaduct means to Harry Styles fans but unfortunately some visitors are writing messages on its brickwork “To preserve the viaduct’s historic status and not spoil anyone’s fun we have fitted an alternative wall to allow ‘Harries’ to continue to leave their messages of love and support.”  said: “We are delighted to see Network Rail recognise the attraction that Twemlow Viaduct has become by installing a new blank canvas that allows Harry Styles fans to express themselves creatively when visiting “This new wall is an important next step in both protecting the heritage of Twemlow Viaduct and continuing to raise the profile of Holmes Chapel on the tourist map for Cheshire “We are excited to see how fans react and take ownership of the wall over the coming weeks while ensuring the viaduct remains a cherished landmark for future generations.” to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years vice chair of Cheshire East Council’s environment and communities committee the environment and communities committee made a number of decisions relating to how the council’s available budget to support leisure services can be targeted to where it will have the biggest impact while ensuring leisure services can become more financially sustainable “These decisions were made in the context of the council’s medium-term financial strategy and the need to secure savings in leisure services of £1.3m in 2024/25 “While the council receives no permanent income stream from leisure services it is responsible for paying building maintenance and utilities costs – which are rising drastically – and it also invests in leisure services through the payment of an annual management fee “As part of the decisions made last year it was agreed that the council’s interest in leisure centres in Middlewich and Holmes Chapel would be withdrawn which means the facilities are handed back to the schools and they are then free to explore alternative ways of operating them it was recently confirmed that Middlewich Leisure Centre will close in its current form on 31 May  “We are aware of the concern surrounding this decision Everybody Health & Leisure will be contacting their members with information about accessing their other leisure centres across the borough “The facilities at Middlewich will continue to be used by Middlewich High School students for curricular and extracurricular activities.” Cheshire East Council is committed to equality and diversity © Cheshire East Council Artwork featuring Harry Styles has been unveiled at Holmes Chapel railway station in Cheshire The work is one of several to be installed at the station that celebrate the village and surrounding area The stunning piece in tribute to Harry Styles was created by local artists Eamonn Murphy and Victoria Holland actor and songwriter features alongside local landmarks such as St Luke’s Church and Hermitage Bridge said: “Artwork that pays tribute to a local area – or in this case a very famous former resident – is always a welcome addition to a station “This new artwork adds to the station’s personality and charm and will no doubt prove very popular with Harry Styles fans visiting the village.” chair of Holmes Chapel Partnership that led on the creation of the artwork commented: “Eamonn and Victoria are both incredibly talented local artists and we are delighted with how they have brought our vision for this mural to life "This new installation not only honours Harry Styles and the impact his global success has had on our community but also enhances the station and creates a colourful new welcome to the village.” In 2024, one of Northern’s employees (Graham Blake) was nominated for a National Rail Award for his work with Holmes Chapel Partnership to help ‘Stylers’ (fans of the singer Harry Styles) when visiting the musician’s hometown Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK with 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England Cookie Settings Powered by Onclusive PR Manager™ Sign our campaign for a grant funding review Zoo2U is behind the plans for a zoo and wildlife centre in Holmes Chapel After being forced by a legal challenge to reconsider Zoo2U’s application to construct a three-acre wildlife park in Holmes Chapel the council greenlit the scheme for a second time the decision made at yesterday’s Cheshire East strategic planning board meeting was made contrary to officer recommendation Zoo2U’s plans to build a visitor centre with several animal enclosures on the Orchards Farm site had fallen afoul of the council’s planning officers due to its impact on the countryside Local councillors on the Cheshire East southern planning committee had decided that the downsides were outweighed by the zoo’s economic potential, approving the scheme in July. The decision was challenged by activist group Freedom for Animals, who said that the council had not provided sufficient reasons to depart from officer recommendations This sent the application back to committee it was debated by the council’s strategic planning board The board added on a condition to the application to enhance the landscape with additional planting would reduce the impact on the countryside and justified the ignoring of the officer recommendation They also pointed out that the scheme was deemed appropriate for the area given that there were other businesses nearby – including a dairy farm that had received planning consent in 2022 You can see the plans for the zoo by searching reference number 24/1108C on Cheshire East Council’s planning portal The project team includes Daniel Matthias Architecture Read our comments policy Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" but how will it impact regeneration and development in the area Find out at Place North West’s half-day conference in June The developer is seeking outline consent for a residential scheme on the 13.5-acre site at Clive Hall Farm in Winsford Register for free North West property intelligence Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Join more than 13,000 property professionals and sign up to receive your free daily round-up of built environment news direct to your inbox By subscribing, you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy. Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value" It's back to committee for Zoo2U's Holmes Chapel wildlife park application Animal rights group Freedom for Animals was successful in its legal challenge of the council’s decision to approve Zoo2U’s application for a Holmes Chapel wildlife park Zoo2U’s proposals sought to enable the group to relocate from its premises at Hall Farm in Alsager to a larger three-acre site at Orchards Farm in Holmes Chapel This larger site would include a visitor centre and several animal enclosures The decision had been controversial when it was made in July with Cheshire East councillors unanimously going against planning officer recommendations in order to give the scheme a green light Cheshire East Council’s planning officers had suggested refusal because of the impact the zoo would have on the countryside They said that approving the scheme would be a departure from policy Freedom for Animals stated that the council had not provided adequate reasons for choosing to not comply with officer recommendation The group also took issue with the council’s treatment of animal welfare concerns With the high court siding with the activist group Cheshire East Council will need to reevaluate the application Freedom for Animals has also recovered most of its costs as part of the decision “Local authorities must take all factors into account when considering planning applications for new zoos and must ensure that any decision taken is lawful,” said Freedom for Animals director Andrew Kelly “We call on all local authorities to reject planning applications for any new zoos in the future.” Freedom for Animals was represented by Landmark Chambers at the court search reference number 24/1108C on Cheshire East Council’s planning portal The project team for Zoo2U’s application includes Richard Lee Project Planning “We call on all local authorities to reject planning applications for any new zoos in the future.” – this seems rather dismissive and suggests we shouldn’t particularly take them seriously to begin with… Does rather suggest they’re not that keen on zoos… Fence and message boards put up at Twemlow viaduct where One Direction singer is said to have had his first kiss It has survived two world wars and nearly 200 years of northern English weather – but nothing threatens critical infrastructure like a Harry Styles fan A Grade II-listed railway viaduct in rural Cheshire has had to be guarded by a wall to stop souvenir-hungry Harries damaging the 183-year-old structure The Twemlow Viaduct, which carries England’s busy west coast mainline, has become a shrine for Styles fans from across the world as it is reputedly the site of his first kiss Thousands of people have scrawled their name into its Edwardian arches leaving messages such as: “You are home,” “We’ll be alright” and even “Harry – I’ve had your baby.” ‘Love everyone always’: messages from fans on the brickwork Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The GuardianMany fans have written their names on the historical structure while others have taken their hunt for a souvenir one step further “People are putting murals and messages of support on; however the paints and solvents are actually damaging the brickwork and people have been taking bricks out,” said Rob Stephens The rail firm has now fenced off part of the 23-arch structure and erected a specially constructed wall with black boards for fans to inscribe their names Harries from as far away as the US and Germany had left messages on the new wall had made “Harry’s wall” their first sightseeing trip while visiting the UK from their home in Denver placing a pebble in the colours of the Colorado flag by one of the arches “It doesn’t feel real but in the best way possible Sophia Trey (left) and Emmagin Warner Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The GuardianWarner said: “It’s like a dream It’s a place to bring everybody together because all of us get to sign the wall The two friends had made the 4,500-mile trip to the UK for Trey’s 20th birthday and were making a flying visit to Holmes Chapel before travelling to London to see a concert by Niall Horan Trey said she approved of the new protective fence: “I think it’s great because once it starts to become harmful it’s like had made a shorter trip to the viaduct – she attends Styles’s old school in Holmes Chapel – and was pleased to see village’s heritage being protected: “Harry would definitely approve of it It’s nearly 200 years old so it’s good to stop it being ruined and fans can still come down and sign it.” Caitlin Dixon (left) and her mother Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The GuardianAbout 10,000 Styles fans are expected to have visited Holmes Chapel by the end of this year – nearly double its population and twice the number who made the pop pilgrimage in 2023 Peter Whiers, chair of the Holmes Chapel Partnership, which launched the guided tours in June said concerts by Horan and Taylor Swift – Styles’s former girlfriend – had brought legions more Harries to the once-sleepy village rejected the accusation that the firm was being a party-pooper by fencing off the arches “We’re trying to promote it in a safe and sustainable way that isn’t going to cause vandalism to a Grade II-listed structure,” he said we are actually preserving messages that have already been left.” the main question is what to do once the new signature boards have been filled It is one Network Rail will have to answer sooner than they thought dozens of fans had already tramped across muddy farmers’ fields to leave their mark at the site “There were more people here than I thought there would be Despite the authority’s southern planning committee approving a wildlife park in Holmes Chapel the proposals may still be sent to the council’s strategic planning board for a final decision says it has outgrown its previous premises at Hall Farm in Alsager where it offered on-site educational animal experiences with meerkats The company wants to relocate to a site to complement an ongoing farm diversification development and broaden its wildlife conservation activities Cheshire East Council’s southern planning committee unanimously approved the plans for the visitor centre and several animal enclosures at a three-acre site at Orchards Farm The committee’s decision went against the recommendations of planning officers who had suggested refusal on the grounds the zoo would infringe on the countryside and impact its character and appearance Councillors felt the potential positives outweighed any harm to the countryside but officers said the approval was contrary to policy and depending on legal advice could still be referred up to Cheshire East’s strategic planning board to make the final call Buildings at the site would be single-storey and the majority apart from the reception areas would be enclosed by 1.8m timber security fencing Zoo2U would also need a zoo licence to operate the venue The project team features Richard Lee Project Planning search for reference number 24/1108C on Cheshire East Council’s planning portal Councillors did follow recommendations to refuse plans from Plus Dane Housing for 68 homes off Linley Road in Alsager All homes on the six-acre site would have been made available for affordable rent or shared ownership 36 two-bed properties of which seven would be flats But planning chiefs recommended refusal due to lack of contribution towards health insufficient private amenity space proposed Cheshire East Council’s southern planning committee followed those recommendations and refused the plans The project team featured Levitt Bernstein search for reference number 23/2129C on Cheshire East Council’s planning portal Recommendations have been made to the council’s southern planning committee that it turn down wildlife park proposals for Holmes Chapel and 68 homes in Alsager Here is what is in front of Cheshire East Council’s southern planning committee when it meets on Tuesday A visitor centre and several animal enclosures feature in proposals for a three-acre site at Orchards Farm This is a revision of a previous scheme rejected by Cheshire East Council planners last year because it was decided that the zoo would infringe on the countryside and impact its character and appearance The company wants to relocate to a site to complement an ongoing farm diversification development and broaden its wildlife conservation activities Buildings proposed for the Holmes Chapel site would be single-storey Most of the site apart from the reception building would be enclosed by 1.8m timber security fencing Zoo2U would still need a zoo licence pending planning approval but Cheshire East Council planning chiefs have recommended refusal Reasons given for this recommendation include encroachment into the countryside which would harm its character and appearance Also on the agenda and recommended for refusal are plans from Plus Dane Housing for 68 homes off Linley Road in Alsager All homes on the six-acre site would be available for affordable rent or shared ownership The development would feature a mix of four one-bed flats But several reasons have been provided for the recommendation of refusal from planning chiefs These include a lack of contribution towards health The project team features Levitt Bernstein Correction People wittering on about ‘NIMBYs’ is growing I think zoo2u should go ahead- it would be a wonderful educational asset for the locality as well as combining wirh an already popular visitor attraction Its size in relation to the open space available would not detract from the overall green expanses Seems a wonderful idea and should be allowed as an American I can vouch for the fact that many of us do know what a cow looks like It’s not a zoo though is it and whatever it pretends to be it’s totally unnecessary They’re building badly needed housing Drop the insistence on contribution to health Beluga Group is seeking to overturn Cheshire West and Chester Council‘s decision to reject plans for a residential scheme at a disused farm on the strength of objections from Jodrell Bank which claimed it would impact its ability to study space A famous wall in Harry Styles' home town has been fenced off after years of his fans writing messages all over it Harry Styles grew up in a quaint village in Cheshire called Holmes Chapel, and since his success on X Factor, and his time in One Direction and his solo career it has become a hotspot for his fans and one spot known well amongst Harry's fans is a wall on the railway bridge Twemlow Viaduct It's supposedly where Harry had his first kiss and has been dubbed 'Harry's Wall' But 11 years after Harry wrote his name on the wall Harry fans who are yet to have made the journey to 'Harry's Wall' don't fret as in the fencing off of the wall a new place to share your admiration has been created A green fence by the wall has become the new 'Harry Styles tribute wall' as they've added blank panels designed to withstand the elements and any messaged left by fans Some fans have already added their messages on these blank panels The new wall has been set in place as concerns grew over the long-term preservation of the 183-year-old Grade II listed structure This way fans can still visit and leave their mark while the bridge keeps its historic status ✨Introducing: Harry's Wall ✨🍉 Harry Styles fans have been visiting our 183-year-old Twemlow Viaduct in Holmes Chapel & leaving messages on the irreplaceable bricks. 🍒We've built fans a new wall with blank panels to sign instead.More: https://t.co/2838RgysOE pic.twitter.com/CNy95O989J Some fans are not happy with this change with one saying on X that "it looks like a school play ground" Another said: "It's actually sad that a fence has been put up around Harry's wall like.. I'm so glad my message isn't written on that wall I can't lie." that was my dream to write on there." However some understand the purpose as one commented: "It's to prevent damage It's a listed structure and part of a working train line." Also, one fan wrote on X that the original wall isn't actually covered they said: "We were there when the guys put the fence up he said you’re still allowed to write on the wall Harry wrote on "They just don’t want people to write on the other walls further down the bridge and only blocks you from going further down." Listen live to Capital, and catch up on any shows you missed, on Global Player. See more More News See more Exclusive Videos TV & Film Rihanna One Direction News Dua Lipa See more Featured Artists Guided walks around Holmes Chapel take in the bakery where the singer used to work and a viaduct featured in a One Direction documentary In recent years, the ticket office at Holmes Chapel station in Cheshire has become something of a shrine to the village’s most famous former resident A lifesize cardboard cutout of the music megastar Harry Styles stands at one side of the small building fans crowd round to sign a guestbook filled with messages to the star the village has become a mecca for his fans – known as “Harries” – so much so that from this week Holmes Chapel Partnership is running official guided tours the tours – which last about three hours and cost £20 a ticket – take in Mandeville’s bakery where Styles once worked part-time and where fans can pose with another giant picture of the singer The last stop is Twemlow Viaduct where the star reputedly had his first kiss and later returned to write his name on the bricks caught on film in the One Direction documentary This Is Us Daisy Photograph: Mark Waugh/The GuardianPhoebe Hodges They have been travelling around Europe for the past two-and-a-half months and on their way from London to Scotland they have stopped off at their only other English destination – Holmes Chapel “Phoebe is a huge Harry fan,” Tesolin said we went to his house.” They found out about the tour in the village from Stoke-On-Trent is also walking in Styles’s footsteps – her dad dropped her off at Holmes Chapel station this morning “I’ve been a fan of him for a long time now since I was a little girl,” she said of the star Fans were accessing the viaduct via a dangerous road and so the tour takes them along safe paths Photograph: Mark Waugh/The GuardianShe saw him in Coventry last year and constantly re-watches the videos on her phone saying “it’s become a daily routine for me” the vice-chair of Holmes Chapel Partnership said that last year they designed a free map of the village to hand out to the ever-growing numbers of Harries – and 5,000 were picked up fans were accessing the viaduct from a dangerous main road and so the tours were set up with safety in mind – taking Harries through the fields that Styles would have walked through himself Sutcliffe first became aware of Styles when he appeared on the X-Factor talent show “I’ve been a customer at Mandeville’s pretty much all my life,” she added “but I didn’t know he was going to be a global phenomenon I was just concentrating on my bread and cakes and boiled ham.” The interest in Holmes Chapel is “having a positive impact for the local businesses” Many are offering discounts to fans on the Styles tours Graham Blake passes on books full of messages to Styles via his father Photograph: Mark Waugh/The GuardianAnd in quiet periods – such as the days between Christmas and New Year – tourism supports local trade “I’ve spoken to retailers who said the only people they had coming in were Harries,” Peter Whiers Some residents had complained about fans scrawling names and messages to Styles in graffiti on the viaduct fans are given slate hearts to write messages on and leave instead “What we’d really love is to sneak [Harry] down here and give him a heart and let him write a message,” Whiers said The partnership received more than 150 applications for the job of tour guide during a recruitment drive in April with at least 30 of those from overseas including by people from Minsk In the end 11 part-time guides were recruited He said: “I’ve been a fan since I was six years old Since I’m local I thought it would be a really good experience It’s created a really good mood around the village that everyone can get involved with Instead of writing on the walls of the viaduct fans will be given slate hearts on which they can write messages Photograph: Mark Waugh/The GuardianLast year the ticket office at Holmes Chapel station was threatened with closure but it was saved – to the relief not only of older passengers buying paper tickets but also the legion of Styles fans from Japan He passes the books full of messages on to Styles via his dad Blake remembers Styles taking the train to London every week when he was on X-Factor Tickets for the tours went on sale on Thursday; by Friday about 5% of them had gone With the station marking the start of the tour Blake’s guestbooks are likely to get even fuller