Sale of Chadwick St car park

[rsh]

I feel sorry for the residents of those lovely cottages, they must be very concerned about how it might impede their view and the value of their homes

Yes, if developed badly this could be a real blot. Perhaps given the slope of the car park it would be possible to dig out the entire site so that, for example, retail units could be built at the level of Trinity Street, with a rooftop car park then constructed roughly level with Chadwick Street. Although the cost would be enormous, surely.

In fact, why did the council just recently redevelop the car park if they now want to sell it on to other uses?

[Dave]

Well put it like this, Victor: the much pored-over minutes of the college Estates Committee of 17 June 2010 (http://www.camsfc.ac.uk/assets/file/Govenors/Minutes%20of%20meetings/Estates%2017_06_10m%20amended%20F&G%20010 include the agreement to 'Continue discussions with the Local Authority about the possibility of moving to a single site.

I think we can reasonably assume from that that the college had by that time worked out that they might be able to afford to move to a single site - i.e. they must have had from their consultants some valuations of the Hibbert Lane site which showed that if it could be disposed of for retail use, it would be worth enough.   

I haven't seen any letter from the College to the Stockport Express so I can't comment on its truthfulness. 

[Victor M]

Dave, are you accusing the college of not telling the truth when they wrote to the Stockport Express this July (signed by the chair of governors) stating that no decision had yet been made over the disposal of the land!
Shame on you

[Miss Marple]

The issue of Chadwick St has not just come to light it will have been on the cards for some considerable time.  Whilst I have no sympathy towards CAMSFC  I do although agree with the two Governours who stood down that CAMSFC have received very poor advice from their advisors,  at a considerable cost to the colleges bank balance

[Dave]

Thanks Victor, that's an interesting link.  Although as the email is dated 8 July 2011, over a year after the College decided to dispose of Hibbert Lane to a supermarket, it's a bit unreasonable to accuse the college of mis-management.  (Is it mis-management not to own a crystal ball......?)

[Victor M]

That's an interesting nugget, Victor!  When were they warned?  And how do you know?

If you look at the FOI requests there is a response from the Council showing an email from the Council to the College where most of the interesting bits are blanked out but not the ref to Chadwick Street car park!

[amazon]

Dear Members,
 
Re: Local Development Framework (LDF) Allocations DPD Consultation
 
As part of the new Stockport MBC planning policy the Unitary Development Plan is being superseded with new plans which will be used to assess all planning applications for the next fifteen years.
 
The new plans are known as the Local Development Framework which will have two legally binding planning documents. The first is the Core Strategy which was adopted earlier this year and provides the borough wide strategy for planning.
 
The second is the Allocations DPD which includes 18 specific sites in Marple. The Allocations DPD is now being consulted on to determine which uses each site could potentially be developed for over the next 15 years. There is no doubt that developers will be watching with keen interest to see what uses are allocated to these sites.
 
This is your opportunity to have a say in how Marple should be developed over the next fifteen years. The actual documents are complex and on-line response is lengthy and complicated so we have condensed the information into the attached questionnaire to help you to respond to the consultation. Six sites are included which we consider are vitally important to Marple and which need a big response in order to protect them against inappropriate development in the years to come.
 
If your prefer to respond via the councils on-line consultation portal or you wish to look at all the Marple sites you can do so on SMBC's website  www.stockport.gov.uk/allocationsdpd . See guidance note attached.
 
You can either complete the attached questionnaire and send it to the Stockport Council Planning Policy Department at this email address planning.policy@stockport.gov.uk or print, complete and send the questionnaire to them by post at the address on the top of the questionnaire. Both methods are acceptable so long as you fill in your name and contact details at the top of the questionnaire.
 
The closing date is Monday 28th November 2011. It is very important that the Council receives our responses and that we send clear messages about what is acceptable and what is not acceptable for Marple in terms of development. Although the civic society is sending a detailed response to the consultation it is important that the council receives individuals responses also as numbers really do matter with this consultation.
 
If you have any questions or need help to complete the form please email or phone me. Tel: 0161 427 1379 or mobile: 07793 214 591
 
Kind regards
 
Gillian Postill
Vice Chair
 
PS The future of Chadwick Street car park will be under discussion at tonight's Area Committee Meeting in Marple Library starting at 6-00pm - hope to see you there.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

[Dave]

What is worrying is that the College and it's consultants were warned of this by the Council and chose to ignore it.

That's an interesting nugget, Victor!  When were they warned?  And how do you know? 

[Victor M]

With regard to the sequence test the Hibbert Lane site will be applying for planning permission when the Chadwick Street land is being marketed and hence the application for a Supermarket at Hibbert lane will fail the sequential test as there will be land within the District Shopping Centre that is available for development.
What is worrying is that the College and it's consultants were warned of this by the Council and chose to ignore it. Another example of mis management by CAMSFC Governing Body.

[alan@marple]

Well if the land is to be developed I have no doubt that the elected representatives will support the plan, in your interestsirrespective of what you the community would like.

I feel sorry for the residents of those lovely cottages, they must be very concerned about how it might impede their view and the value of their homes

[Dave]

Heard some interesting and disturbing information today about the sale of Chadwick st car park......I am quite shocked by what I have been told,

Why is this disturbing?  What is there to be shocked about? 

Oh you won't be slaughtered if you go to the Are Committee Meeting  Mrs O ! Because all  the usual armchair socialists will sit at home wait for information to be spoon fed to them via this sight  and then they will slaughter you !   .

Would those be the same socialists who twenty years ago opposed the Tory bill which gave away local authority land to the newly independent colleges?  Surely not.........

And yes Mrs O it will be a very interesting meeting which will put our councillors on the spot .  There is lots of information coming to light we need to all keep our eye on the ball   

In what way will it put councillors on the spot? 

[Dave]

The college would not be allowed to do that, but as we know, acquiring land and property and then just sitting on it is the sort of thing that big supermarket chains do all the time......

[Tricky]

Is it possible that someone (tesco, asda, holding company.. even camsfc  ) could buy the land and simply keep it as a car park?


Enabling the Hibbert Lane site to then be even more desirable to retail developers.



(this made sense in my head.. not sure it reads right though!)

[Dave]

For those opposed to the Hibbert lane development, it's all good

Not entirely.  Once Chadwick Street has been taken, the Hibbert Lane suddenly passes the 'sequential planning criteria' in that Hibbert is the nearest plot available for development.

Surely it depends on what gets built at Chadwick Street?  If it's a supermarket, then the argument that we also need one in Hibbert Lane will be much weaker.

But if it's one of the other listed possible uses (nightclub or casino, anyone?  ), then it won't make any difference, and sgk's sequential planning thingy would kick in? 

[sgk]

For those opposed to the Hibbert lane development, it's all good

Not entirely.  Once Chadwick Street has been taken, the Hibbert Lane suddenly passes the 'sequential planning criteria' in that Hibbert is the nearest plot available for development.