Chadwick Street / Trinity Street Development Announced

[simonesaffron]

Victor, how is it a choice for the local community?

The local community aren't making the choice, there is not going to be a referendum of the good people of Marple, all 25,000 of them or even a section of them. Six Councillors will be the decision.

[simonesaffron]

It isn't actually Kirkland's plan it is and always has been the plan of the local Councillors.

Simonesaffron, I think you will find that the development of Chadwick St. has been muted for a number of years. When CAMSFC consultant's first contacted the Council's planning dept. they were told about land being available @ Chadwick St.

What the choice is now for the local community is do they want a new supermarket on Hibbert lane or one on Chadwick St.

Why not two .

Victor, at least 4 years to my knowledge. However being "muted" and being brought to fruition as I am sure you will agree are two entirely different things.

Amazon, there is not enough money in customer base in Marple for the Co-op, ASDA and another. 

[admin]

I was told at the Kirkland consultation that Asda produced a multi-storey design for Chadwick Street that "proved" it wasn't viable to build a store there. Kirkland seem to have managed it though.

[Victor M]

Why not two

Because Marple & surrounding area can only support one additional supermarket. Kirkland at their consultation event when asked did state that a Supermarket would only be interested in the Chadwick St. site if ASDA were refused planning permission.

[Maria]

Dave you can say it makes no sense but that is what they said to me!  I agree it is likely to be due to the fact they want additional space for deliveries, petrol station etc but I and indeed you may be wrong.  The cynic in me also thinks it may be due to the possibility of expansion in years to come.  Who knows.

My future children want a Bentley but if I do not have the means then tough.  As in the case of the college. Land/property is only worth what someone will pay and if pp is refused then the college have to rethink.  I hardly think our future students will end up writing with quills by candlelight Dave.

[amazon]

It isn't actually Kirkland's plan it is and always has been the plan of the local Councillors.

Simonesaffron, I think you will find that the development of Chadwick St. has been muted for a number of years. When CAMSFC consultant's first contacted the Council's planning dept. they were told about land being available @ Chadwick St.

What the choice is now for the local community is do they want a new supermarket on Hibbert lane or one on Chadwick St.

Why not two .

[Dave]

What the choice is now for the local community is do they want a new supermarket on Hibbert lane or one on Chadwick St.

Or to put it another way, do we want modern, efficient, purpose-built 21st century educational facilities for our community, or are we content for our kids and grandkids to carry on putting up with crumbling, inefficient and third-rate old school buildings.  

Asda representatives confirmed to me they were offered the Chadwick street site but refused as it was too small for their planned store.

As both stores are the same area (25,000 sq feet) that makes no sense.  I can think of other reasons they may prefer Hibbert Lane, however, such as the cost of building on the Chadwick Street site, the lack of a fuel forecourt, or less car park space.  

Also the college do not "need" 12 million-Ms Cassidy confirmed to me personally, with her planning friend in tow, that they could quite easily redevelop Buxton lane with less funds but as they were offered 12 million they had that much to spend.  I suppose it is like buying a car-you buy what you can afford even if you want a Bentley.

Indeed.  So is the best too good for our kids then?  

[Maria]

Indeed Victor it has. 

Asda representatives confirmed to me they were offered the Chadwick street site but refused as it was too small for their planned store.  Another element of corporate greed-they admitted this to me also-the bigger the store the more money they could make (potentially).

Also the college do not "need" 12 million-Ms Cassidy confirmed to me personally, with her planning friend in tow, that they could quite easily redevelop Buxton lane with less funds but as they were offered 12 million they had that much to spend.  I suppose it is like buying a car-you buy what you can afford even if you want a Bentley.

[Victor M]

It isn't actually Kirkland's plan it is and always has been the plan of the local Councillors.

Simonesaffron, I think you will find that the development of Chadwick St. has been muted for a number of years. When CAMSFC consultant's first contacted the Council's planning dept. they were told about land being available @ Chadwick St.

What the choice is now for the local community is do they want a new supermarket on Hibbert lane or one on Chadwick St.

[simonesaffron]

It isn't actually Kirkland's plan it is and always has been the plan of the local Councillors. Kirkland are just pawns (albeit willing one's)
in the Marple 6's game of political chess. It suits Councillors purpose to allow everybody and anybody to think that they are bullied/divided and of little consequence, when actually they are an influential, cohesive, political force.

Let me explain.

Trinity Street development was/is a scheme of the Marple 6 to prevent ASDA building a supermarket on Hibbert Lane. That was/is its sole purpose. Local Councillors contrived it, demanded and strategically managed it to fruition behind closed Town Hall Doors without any fuss but in a resolved way. Because of their number/ their united party politics and their positions within the Council they have been an impossible force to resist.

Does anybody actually believe that it is a coincidence that a piece of land should come up for sale in the town centre for retail development for a store exactly the same size as the proposed Hibbert Lane ASDA?

That land sale had to be endorsed by both the Area Committee and the Council's Executive and who do we find dominating both ? Marple Councillors.,

They have managed both planning applications so that they both receive their first public hearing at AC at about the same time. Whereupon Kirkland will be slightly first and local Councillors will vote unanimously against ASDA and unanimously for Kirkland.

In addition to this because ASDA is non compliant with smbc planning policy, Councillors will refer the application to H & P whereas because Kirkland is compliant local Councillors will authorise planning consent at the AC. ASDA conceding inevitable defeat will either leave town or jump in with Kirkland either way the enabling application with CAMSFC/ASDA will be annahilated.

Then local Councillors will turn their machinations to Hibbert Lane and another development that is not a supermarket.

There aren't many around that can defeat ASDA.

Who says local Councillors are irrelevant with no influence ?   
   

[Dave]

Re-reading between the lines of this:  http://www.marpletowncentrestore.co.uk/theproposals.html
...the light is slowly beginning to dawn.

Kirkland's plan could be as follows: put in the planning application for a 25,000 sq.ft supermarket on Chadwick Street.  If it's successful, Asda may well pull out of the Hibbert Lane scheme.  Kirkland then go back to the college with their 'residential and leisure scheme'.  One snag - it is unlikely to be worth the 12 million which the college requires.   

[Maria]

I was referring to Kirkland-they are interested in the Hibbert lane site not SMBC.

Perhaps you should telephone them to discuss your query.

[Dave]

Maria, by 'they' I assume you mean Kirkland and/or Stockport Council? Trouble is, the college is entirely unconnected with either of those organisations, so it's hard to see them giving any of their profit to the college's 'kitty'.

[Maria]

Dave I wonder whether they mean that depending on how much they make from the development, there may be more in the kitty for the Hibbert lane site?

Just a suggestion, so no idea if this is the intented meaning!

[Dave]

We know from many previous posts on this forum that the valuation of the Hibbert Lane site for housing is about £4 million, which leaves an £8 million shortfall, which Kirkland seem to suggest could be made up by 'the return generated by a store at Chadwick Street'.   I don't understand that - does anyone else? 

Yes I understand it and it has been suggested as a way forward elsewhere

I'm glad you understand it, wheels.  Are you going to enlighten the rest of us??

Well are you??

Wheels, your silence is eloquent!   Unless I'm missing the point here, Kirkland seem to be suggesting that they plan to persuade a supermarket chain to pass over some of its profits to a college.  Can they be serious!