Latest News (as published on the MiA web site)

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8 October 2012 - Welcome to ASDA!

WELCOME TO ASDA – the second ASDA/College public consultation happened just over a week ago and residents were confronted by "security" who could only let "five in/five out" whilst we were there:

MARPLE IN ACTION held a rally in Market Street and walked with residents affected by the proposed development, to the Hibbert Lane College site to let Asda know that over 8000 people have now said they don't want an ASDA at any price!

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25 September 2012 - Join us on Market Street on Saturday

PLANS TO BUILD an ASDA on Hibbert Lane would pose a huge threat to the food shops, independent retailers and small multiples like M&Co, Boots and Iceland. Events like the Food and Drink Festival could become a thing of the past in an ASDA dominated town.

...but with the "I LOVE MARPLE" campaign, Marple in Action are determined to keep up the fight. On SATURDAY 29th SEPTEMBER, members are gathering for a rally at 1PM on MARKET STREET from where we will be walking to Hibbert Lane and the latest ASDA "consultation" exercise. They will claim to be making concessions but how long before the 25,000 square feet store expands into the 40,000 square feet they are planning. Remember TESCO in Stockport centre? How how long before they extend their hours, their services etc to satisfy their owners, Wal-Mart in America?

SO JOIN US – 1PM Saturday 29th MARKET STREET, MARPLE!

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24 September 2012 - MIA at MARPLE FOOD FESTIVAL

What has Marple in Action to do with Marple Food Festival?

WELL EVERYTHING! If you were in Marple town centre on Friday and Saturday, and thousands were, you will have enjoyed all that makes Marple a great place to live in. Friendly people walking in from Hibbert Lane, Rose Hill, Station Road etc., or arriving by car or on the bus from High Lane, Offerton, Romiley, New Mills and beyond, to enjoy the community spirit that flourishes in Marple and buy local foods from local shopkeepers. There was music from local bands and buskers, charity events and the spirit that MARPLE IN ACTION is fighting to preserve. We have a town that has a centre that works for us all. Building an ASDA supermarket on Hibbert Lane will destroy that by spoiling a pleasant residential area with heavy traffic, late night opening and a floodlit car park and threatening the existing town centre businesses that are the backbone of the Food Festival.

AND WHAT FOR? To produce more profit for ASDA's American owner's Wal-Mart, based in Bentonville, Arkansas who are reputed to be the world's third largest public corporation. They are not interested in improving the education of Marple's youngsters or improving our town with a 'neighbourhood store'. Local shopkeepers live locally, employ local people, buy local produce and recycle money spent with them in the area rather than by transfers out to Asda head office or to Wal-Mart in the USA.

JOBS - ASDA claim to be creating jobs in Marple. Any supermarket jobs going to locals would be years away as the construction of the Buxton Lane site would have to be complete and the College moved before the supermarket could even be built. In the meantime local businesses will be under threat and jobs will begin to be LOST. Evidence in other towns shows that more local jobs are lost than are created by supermarket developments.

A SUPERMARKET ON CHADWICK STREET is an issue that MIA has not so far commented on. We were set up to fight a supermarket on Hibbert Lane and to try to protect the householders and businesses affected by that - and we think we will win. The Council in the meantime have put their car park on Chadwick Street up for sale with the possibility of a supermarket gaining planning permission. The facts are:

This land is in the Marple District Centre retail zone
It belongs to the Council who will receive a substantial sum from selling it
The Council can grant planning permission (subject to normal guidelines)
They appear to be willing to as it fits into the SMBC Strategic Plan for Marple

So Hibbert Lane or Chadwick Street – which is best for Marple?

Many will have noticed that the company selected by Stockport Council to develop their site, Kirkland Developments, placed an advert in the Marple Review Festival Edition. Why didn't ASDA think of that?

We await with interest to see the plans and proposals for Chadwick Street as they will have a major impact on Marple centre, and on the prospects for an ASDA store on Hibbert Lane.

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6 September 2012 - A warning to us all!

Well known, and unfortunately now ex-cafe restaurant owner, Dan Stringer of Toast, is quoted as saying:

"I think Marple residents need to be VERY clear about what they want. Toast's demise at the hands of Costa is a perfect, albeit small scale example of what happens when the national brands move in to a town. That's not to say Toast didn't make mistakes, but when a business's core income stream is affected so much it's very very hard to survive."

"Beware Marple, ASDA will come and the town will change drastically."

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28 August 2012 - Urgent - Marple Area Committee Meeting

URGENT – MARPLE AREA COMMITTEE MEETING Wednesday 29 August – starts at at 6pm at the Marple Senior Citizens Hall (in the Memorial Park). This will probably be the last Area Committee Meeting before the planning application is submitted. Please attend to show your councillors the continued strength of opposition that there is in Marple to an ASDA supermarket on Hibbert Lane.

ASDA SECOND CONSULTATION – please read Marple in Action's latest newsletter (August seventh edition) which we were distributing at the stall in Market Street on Saturday last by clicking on this link. As well as distributing newsletters and new "NO TO ASDA/WALMART" posters, we were able to answer questions from members of the public and also added a considerable number of signatures to the petition against a supermarket on Hibbert Lane. If you have not already signed the petition, please come to the stall on Saturday and do so. We are now approaching 8000 signatures!

ANDREW STUNELL SPEAKS OUT – Marple in Action does not have any political bias but we do welcome actions by any politician that supports our cause, which is to stop a supermarket being built on Hibbert Lane.

Local MP, Andrew Stunell says this in the latest 'News Extra';

ASDA SUPERMARKET COULD CAUSE GRIDLOCK FOR MARPLE – Plans for a new supermarket in Marple are causing outrage locally, with fears of traffic congestion and long term damage to the town's shopping centre.

Asda have applied to build on Hibbert Lane – outside the shopping area, and, the traders say, it will be a direct threat to local shops and jobs. Residents fear extra traffic will bring gridlock. "It's in clear breach of planning rules which say new shops and supermarkets should be put in existing centres, not dumped in a residential area" says Andrew Stunell MP.

Angry local residents launched a campaign against the plans last year, and have vowed to fight the application 'all the way'. Local councillors have joined the battle.

"Marple's excellent range of shops would clearly be at risk, and I have grave reservations that Hibbert Lane is able to take any more traffic than it already does." says local Councillor Shan Alexander.

Andrew Stunell has launched a supermarket petition "calling on the Planning Inspector to refuse ASDA's supermarket planning application, and to uphold the 'Town Centre First' policy for any new local supermarket". Clearly Mr. Stunell expects the application to go to appeal for consideration by a Planning Inspector and it will important that the Inspector knows the strength of opposition in Marple.

Please support this petition by filling in the cut out in the 'News Extra', or just writing a supportive note with name and address, and sending it to FREEPOST SK791, Stockport SK6 4YD.

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19 August 2012 - New Marple in Action Newsletter

ASDA/CAMSFC are holding a second consultation on 14 and 15th September, no further details have been made available at this stage, but presumably will follow the same format as before. MIA hope that ASDA will invite householders directly affected by the development this time, as they were missed out in favour of residents from Offerton!

Cheadle and Marple VI Form College "Marple Household Telephone Survey" included New Mills, Disley, High Lane, Hazel Grove, Offerton, Romiley and Bredbury. These areas make up approximately 35,000 homes compared to Marple North and South Wards 9,800 homes. Draw your own conclusions as to where ASDA are intending to pull customers from and the implications for Marple of an ASDA ‘neighbourhood’ store. Read more in our latest newsletter:

Download latest newsletter here: www.marple-in-action.org.uk/MiA-newsletter7.pdf

ASDA Wal-Mart's Secret Weapon?

In our newsletter you will learn of John Braggins, ASDA's hired consultant spin-doctor. Read more about him here:

John Braggins - ASDA Spin-Doctor: www.marple-in-action.org.uk/JOHN-BRAGGINS-BIOG.pdf

18 August 2012 - New Poster NO to ASDA on Hibbert Lane

Marple in Action have created a new poster. Please help us by downloading and displaying prominently in your window or on your property.

Download the new poster using this link: www.marple-in-action.org.uk/NO-to-ASDA-Walmart-poster.pdf.

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10 August 2012 - ASDA Proposal for Willow Grove?

MIA have received a copy of a flier containing this message:

ASDA PROPOSE PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY ALONG WILLOW GROVE
ASDA are proposing to develop a pedestrian walkway along Willow Grove to connect their proposed new store on Hibbert Lane with Marple Town Centre. They would demolish the garages at the far end of the Grove and open up a passage directly onto the petrol station they plan at the store.
As the houses on Willow Grove front straight onto the pavement increased pedestrian traffic with the accompanying noise etc. would make life very difficult for residents, especially as the store will be open until 10pm (and possibly 24 hours per day in the future). It would also remove any screening and the store and petrol station will be highly visible at the end of Willow Grove.
We already have traffic and parking problems on the road and this would increase . as people will find it handy to park on Willow Grove to shop in the town centre and the supermarket. .
If you wish to object to this proposal (and plans are moving quickly so you need to move fast) then you can email Richard Wood at the Planning Department in Stockport (Email address removed.)

We didn't know where this came from so we asked SMBC's Planning Officer Richard Wood and this is what he told us:

Proposal to use Willow Grove as a walkway

The Council have said that they are not aware that this is part of the proposals but it may be that Asda / the college are looking to add it to their scheme as a way of improving access between the site and Marple centre. As a matter of principle the Council would wish to see walking connections improved as part of any development – but the benefits of such improvements would have to be balanced against other factors such as residential amenity, highway safety etc.

Asda / the College have recently undertaken public consultation on their proposals (which did not include a walkway along Willow Grove) – they invited people to send comments to: Asda Stores, C/o The College Principal, Cheadle and Marple Sixth Form College, Hibbert Lane, Marple, Stockport SK6 7PA.

The Council have not yet received a planning application and therefore there is no benefit to sending them your comments at this time as they will not be able to take them into account. If and when a planning application is submitted there will be a statutory period of public consultation which will be your chance to have your say and inform the Council's decision – details will be available at that time as to who comments should be sent to.

Marple in Action suggest that worried residents of Willow Grove and surrounding areas should take up their concerns with Asda and the College at the above address.

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5 August 2012 - After the ASDA / Walmart exhibition what do Local Councillors and our MP think now?

In the past our MP Andrew Stunell, and councillors Candler, Alexander and Wright have aligned themselves with the aims of Marple in Action by robustly declaring themselves against a supermarket on Hibbert Lane. The previous Leader of Stockport Council also spoke strongly against it. Now we have a new Leader of the Council (Sue Derbyshire) and ASDA have exhibited some of their plans for a supermarket on Hibbert Lane to service Marple and the surrounding districts.

What do our representatives think now? On the 13th July Marple in Action wrote to each separately to invite them to restate, for the MIA web site, their position after seeing the ASDA/Walmart plans. Here are their replies:

Councillor Derbyshire:

Thank you for your letter about proposed development on the college site.

So far a planning application has not been submitted and if /when one is it will be assessed as all applications are against the council's planning policies.

My understanding is that the site is outside the Marple District Centre and likely to have a detrimental impact on the existing center. It is also likely to have an impact on highways and residential amenities that are material planning issues.

Any assessment of a planning application will take these issues and the Council's planning policies into account and the election results have produced no change to that.

If any planning application is refused and goes to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate the council vigorously defends its decision and has the resources to do so.

The rules on what councillors may say before a planning application is considered have been relaxed by the Localism Act. However, it may be worth noting if an applicant believes and can show that their application did not get a fair hearing based on planning law and the existing polities of the council that in itself is a basis for an appeal, or application for Judicial Review.

I am confident that the council will deal professionally with any application submitted. It will apply its existing policies, which do not favour retail use on this site, and that the decision will be robust. I would regret if it does come to an appeal if the basis of that were declarations made by councillors in response to resident pressure, in advance of the application being submitted.

Yours sincerely.

Cllr Sue Derbyshire.

Councillors Candler and Wright replied referring to their previous statements of objection:

Councillor Candler's election statement:

"Proper planning control is essential for the survival of communities like Marple. There is a widespread consensus in the area that says that we don’t need a large supermarket outside the district centre. Stockport Council’s planning policy says so and I agree with it. Personally, I have always opposed the development of the College site in Hibbert Lane, be it for a supermarket or housing. We all know that there is too much motorised traffic in the village centre now, so a large supermarket or housing estate are in my view equally undesirable."

Councillor Alexander has not yet replied.

MP Andrew Stunell's reply is receiving attention in his office.

We also invited the Stockport Director of Place Development to restate the council’s position on the proposal for a supermarket on Hibbert Lane. This is his response:

The Hibbert Lane site is not specifically allocated for residential development but it is within a predominantly residential area - as such there are policies in place to ensure that residential amenity is protected from harmful development but not necessarily a specific preclusion of non-residential development. The playing field areas are allocated as Local Open Space.

Appropriate uses of the site include: residential, educational and community uses, and some leisure limited to existing levels of provision. Current policy states that existing levels of open space should be maintained. Local retail development (less than 200 sq. metres in area), may be acceptable, should the developer be able to demonstrate that there were no alternative and suitable sites within or closer to the centre.

We consider that in planning policy terms, larger scale retail development on this site, above 200 sq. metres, is not acceptable. Any retail schemes in Stockport, outside existing shopping areas, need to show that there are no possible alternative sites within or closer to the centre. In addition, an 'impact assessment' would need to be carried, to determine whether or not the development would affect the vitality and viability of existing centres.

Paul Lawrence
Service Director, Place Development
Stockport Council

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14 July 2012 - ASDA Exhibition was biased!

ASDA EXHIBITION WAS BIASED – if you went to the recent two day "public consultation" exercise and felt that it was simply a PR exercise on behalf of Asda and the College, we would urge you to write to the planning office to tell them that any conclusions drawn from it, should be disregarded in the event of a planning application. Individual letters are important but a draft letter is attached for your use if needed.

Click here for draft letter to the Director of Planning: www.marple-in-action.org.uk/Draft-Letter-to-ASDA-exhibition.pdf

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7 July 2012 - Marple on the March Again!

Around 200 Marple residents assembled on Market Street today and went as a group to visit the Asda PR exhibition at the College on Buxton Lane. Thank you to everyone who turned to let Asda know that a supermarket on Hibbert Lane is not wanted.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE INTERVENE:

As a result of contact with Marple in Action, Lady Margaret Hodge MBE MP, the Chair of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has asked the Education Funding Agency (formerly YPLA) to explain their role in the sale of Hibbert Lane to ASDA. She shares our concern over the lack of public accountability in the proposed sale of the Hibbert Lane site to ASDA by Cheadle and Marple Sixth Form College. We are awaiting to hear more from Lady Hodge in due course.

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4 July 2012 - Marple In Action Newsletter 6

If you object to the proposed 25,000 sq ft ASDA supermarket on Hibbert Lane (1½ times the size of Marple Co-op) then join MiA on Market Street at 1pm on Saturday 7 July and walk with us to meet ASDA’s consultants at the Buxton Lane Campus.

Download MiA's latest newsletter here: www.marple-in-action.org.uk/MiA-newsletter6.pdf

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2 July- ASDA CANCEL SUPERMARKET PLANS in Exmouth - see link below:

www.thisisexeter.co.uk/Opponents-celebrate-Asda-sinks-plans-store-estuary/story-11796593-detail/story.html

So it can be done!

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Marple Area Committee have published a "Marple Review" newsletter on developments in Marple.

It is understood that this is only being made available for download and will not be distributed to homes:

http://democracy.stockport.gov.uk/documents/s20130/The%20Marple%20Review%20-%20Summer%202012%20Edition.pdf

(Not to be confused with the "Marple Review" newspaper).

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29 June 2012 - Consultation Details Changed (taken from SMBC web site):

The statement on the SMBC web site has changed since we copied and pasted it here on 27 June.
The new statement is detailed below and note the venue is now Buxton Lane:

Consultation Events – Friday 6 July 2012 10am – 6pm and Saturday 7 July 10am – 5pm,
Cheadle & Marple 6th Form College, Buxton Lane Campus off Hibbert Lane.

Cheadle and Marple sixth form College and Asda have organised an exhibition for residents to find out about their plans for the Hibbert Lane and Buxton Lane sites. The College plans include a re-modelled campus on the Buxton Lane site for its students and the local community. The plans include refurbishing the Buxton buildings along with a new build facility which includes a new 6,000sq m teaching block and new sports hall. The site will be unified through a multi-use learning ‘street’ for informal and social learning and a new 3G all weather sports pitch and upgraded changing facilities.

Asda will present their plans for a neighbourhood supermarket on the Hibbert Lane site. It is understood that the proposed supermarket will occupy a site smaller than the current college buildings.

These consultation events are being run by the college and Asda, prior to the submission of a planning application. Should a planning application be made, there will be further opportunities to have your say.

Use this link to confirm the details as it may change again: http://democracy.stockport.gov.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=138

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27 June 2012 - Consultation Details (taken from SMBC web site):

Consultation Events – Friday 6 July 2012 10am – 6pm and Saturday 7 July 10am – 5pm
Cheadle & Marple 6th Form College, Hibbert Lane Campus.

Cheadle and Marple sixth form College and Asda have organised an exhibition for residents to find out about their plans for the Hibbert Lane and Buxton Lane sites. The College plans include a re-modelled campus on the Buxton Lane site for its students and the local community. The plans include refurbishing the Buxton buildings along with a new 6,000sq m teaching block and new sports hall. The site will be unified through a multi-use learning ‘street’ for informal and social learning and a new 3G all weather sports pitch and upgraded changing facilities.

Asda will present their plans for a neighbourhood supermarket on the Hibbert Lane site.

These consultation events are being run by the college and Asda, prior to the submission of a planning application. Should a planning application be made, there will be further opportunities to have your say.