I've spent the last couple of days reading through this topic and thought I'd air my views! I registered some time ago but generally prefer to read and digest what is being said.
My observations:
The site is probably worth close to the values estimated in previous posts. I know the site at the old St Thomas Hospital in Stockport was up over £12m some time ago, and that was with listed buildings on it and a lot of work needing to be done; the site in Marple would be more desirable in my opinion in terms of both housing (desirable area) and also retail due to the lack of immediate competition in the area as far as Hazel Grove and Bredbury.
I have some knowledge of College 'mergers' and understand that as an organisation Cheadle and Marple will need to alleviate debts and raise funds, and don't doubt that the retail sale is the most lucrative way of achieving this. Part of the problem is that the organisation's longer term goals may involve liquidation of the saleable assets and redirection of some operations to another campus, ie Cheadle. I think that this is possible over time, and reduction in the Student population in Marple (whatever you think of them!) will be detrimental to local trading.
The Co-op is not satisfactory as a retailer in the area due to pricing and supplies, however as a company they operate far more ethically than Tesco, irrespective of the Hanbury's policy. I think the local spirit in Marple remains and the aspirational nature of this forms at least a small part of the pbjection to Tesco moving into the area. The council have been stung at Portwood by Tesco in terms of their ignorance of planning permissions, and regardless of how well they have imposed a restriction n use of some of the buildings, Marple could not afford Tesco deliberately overbuilding.
Competition is required that the local shops are failing to deliver, and this seems to be as a result of Council policy (ie. Paid car parking, high rates etc). The pedestrianised area has been dying for some time, with weekends in particular seeming empty. The prevalence of 'pound shops' down Market Street does nothing to retain the heritage or pull of the area.
The area is by no means 'a large town'. Stockport is a large town, with a vast differential in population and geography. Marple is a small town or large village at best, and simply the infrastructure in Marple, regardless of the strengthening on Dan Bank, simply does not lend itself to a large supermarket on Hibbert Lane. I note that Glossop has been quoted as an example of the large supermarket working in conjunction with local shops to good effect - this is largely due to the number of other shops on the retail park that draw in a wider catchment due to their specialist nature and size, and Marple cannot support such a development meaning that the supermarket proposal on Hibbert Lane would be standalone. It is also noteworthy that the traffic in Glossop, for a variety of reasons, backs up beyond the roundabout at Hattersley on a daily basis and the area has been crying out for a bypass for a long time. I for one already bemoan traffic in and out of the area and would not welcome an increase; I don't see any real opportunity to alleviate traffic congestion in Marple from the current situation, never mind the state it will be in should a large supermarket open.
I have no nostalgia as such for the area having only lived here the past decade, and (apologies to MBF!) no great affiliation to the local shops, however I still strongly oppose the development of the site as a large supermarket for congestion reasons, despite 24hr opening etc it is clear that the large supermarkets at Bredbury, Stockport, Hyde, Hazel Grove etc. are all supplied by good transport links, close to motorway networks or major A roads. The Coop ha developed it's monopoly a despite it's inadequacies it is appropriately sized for the residency of Marple in terms of footfall in the store, and I think with a more aggressive strategy and some breaks from the council the local shops could offer better competition than is currently the case.
I understand that change is upon us, that the era is of large supermarkets monopolising the local economy, however I feel quite simply that Marple geographically does not lend itself at all to this strategy, and that any support garnered for the proposal on the basis on inadequacies in local provision can be addressed in other ways.
