Toilets on Marple Rec to become a Barber Shop!

[My login is Henrietta]

Hi Lee, I don't believe that there is anything stopping it apart from funds. The Rec needs a Friends of Group to fight for it. I know that there are a number of people who live near there interested but they need someone to pull them altogether. Also need to find out who is responsible for the flooding - I understand that there's a load of utility work been done around there and this may be related to the mess it is currently in but not certain of that. I believe that the football pitch would have to be available to all to satisfy the covenants but don't see why that would be an issue.

Sadly, when a "Friends of the Rec" was mooted earlier in this discussion there was a resounding silence. 

I see that the "No Horse Riding" sign has disappeared. ('S'OK folks, I won't be taking advantage of this. My horse doesn't live in Marple) I'm surprised not to have seen lots of Tory Horse Riders taking it over  

[admin]

Late reply to this topic but does anyone know if there is anything to stop the Rec being returned to a football pitch??? If funding could be secured to improve drainage etc what would local community think?

Hi Lee, I don't believe that there is anything stopping it apart from funds. The Rec needs a Friends of Group to fight for it. I know that there are a number of people who live near there interested but they need someone to pull them altogether. Also need to find out who is responsible for the flooding - I understand that there's a load of utility work been done around there and this may be related to the mess it is currently in but not certain of that. I believe that the football pitch would have to be available to all to satisfy the covenants but don't see why that would be an issue.

[Jerome Caminada]

Late reply to this topic but does anyone know if there is anything to stop the Rec being returned to a football pitch??? If funding could be secured to improve drainage etc what would local community think?

[Dave]

Private enterprise works

Oh good.  Looking forward to the day private enterprise replaces the swings at the rec.  And when it does, perhaps Duke could arrange for it to re-open the public loo as well.  Thanks Duke!

[wheels]

No Health  and safety like there is now  .easy come easy go in them days .

Tour not suggesting that's a good thing are you Amazon

[Duke Fame]

Lovely picture!  And quite thought provoking.  We like to think we live in better times than they did 100 years ago, but we don't seem to be able to provide our children with play facilities as good as those.   

Private enterprise works, we expect the state to provide it all now.

[amazon]

Lovely picture!  And quite thought provoking.  We like to think we live in better times than they did 100 years ago, but we don't seem to be able to provide our children with play facilities as good as those.   

No Health  and safety like there is now  .easy come easy go in them days .

[wheels]

The picture doesn't show you the bullying that would have been going on, just as bulling has always gone on in Parks.

Why do people always go gooey eyed over black and white photos.

[marveld]

We like to think we live in better times than they did 100 years ago, but we don't seem to be able to provide our children with play facilities as good as those. 

Come on Dave ... the facilities for small kids/teenagers in Memorial Park are better now than they've ever been!

[Dave]

Lovely picture!  And quite thought provoking.  We like to think we live in better times than they did 100 years ago, but we don't seem to be able to provide our children with play facilities as good as those.   

[admin]

Now that the planning application has been withdrawn I thought you might like to see how the Recreation Ground looked soon after Walter Hodgkinson donated it to the community in October 1910.

Notice the pathways running to the water fountain and the elaborate gardens around the toilets compared to today.

Also the Boys and Girls swings and separate ones for under 6s.

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[Duke Fame]

It's been for sale for some time, in fact Stockport council ran it's own estate agents complete with 5 staff and swanky office in Cheadle to promote it's sale along with a massive 9 other properties.

I'd not be so sure a barbers would work so well, better as an ice cream kiosk but good luck to the entrepreeurs.

When I lived in the south, the local authority sold off the changing rooms at the sports fields with a cevenent that they had to be used as changing rooms. We got a cafe, a bar and various vending machines in place of a miserable council worker and cold showers, it was a massive step forward.

[Dave]

To be fair to the council (well, why not - there's always a first time!), the sale/lease document they issued doesn't actually suggest that the building could be put to commercial use, though what other use they had in mind is hard to imagine.    

This is the relevant document:  http://property.nps.co.uk/usr/library/documents/main/231/convenience-sites-details-2012.pdf
 
In a section headed 'Planning', the prospective purchaser or tenant is 'advised to contact the Council’s Planning Office (Tel. 0161 480 4949) to seek advice on their proposed alternative use of the respective premises.'

Assuming the applicant made that phone call, it does look as though he didn't get very good advice.  I'd be pretty cross about that - it costs money to submit a planning application.  

[marveld]

According to Marple Civic Society a covenant prohibiting commercial use of the Recreation Ground has been identified by the council and the planning application for change of use will therefore be withdrawn.

I'd be a bit brassed off if I was the person who had submitted the planning application! I assume it's the council who put up the "To Lease" boards inviting commercial enterprise to make use of the dormant facilities. I think the council should have done their homework first and identified the covenant and its restrictions.

[admin]

According to Marple Civic Society a covenant prohibiting commercial use of the Recreation Ground has been identified by the council and the planning application for change of use will therefore be withdraw.