A new Supermarket on Chadwick Street Car Park site - Poll

[ringi]

It concerned the GMPTE travel passes that are given to the over - sixties enabling them to travel through the county on bus/train free of charge.

In the end many people were not using them at all despite their travel being completely free they still preferred to pay and drive their cars.

But travel to work, has many more problems with traffic jams, costly all day parking etc. 

The money cost of using my car for most trips is so low that it is not a factor, so to get me out of my car the end to end experience must be better.    I cannot even tell you the times of my local bus, however I know when the trains go, as driving into Manchester is no fun.

The parking costs in Marple have little effect on me, as I mostly part at the CoOp due as “top up shopping” and Amazon lockers are the only reasons I have to go into Marple often.

[simonesaffron]

Its a very difficult task to persuade people to get out of their cars no matter how good or inexpensive public transport is.

A friend of mine was involved in a consultation exercise in 2012. It concerned the GMPTE travel passes that are given to the over - sixties enabling them to travel through the county on bus/train free of charge. My friend said that one of the facts that came to light during this exercise was that these passes had maximum take up and then maximum usage for a short period after their issue. Then gradually this usage dropped of once the novelty value wore off and as people got back into their cars. In the end many people were not using them at all despite their travel being completely free they still preferred to pay and drive their cars.

[Dave]

For once we can agree, wheels - after all, it is the season of peace on earth and goodwill to all men.   

If the Reddish Vale 'chord' could be built, connecting the Marple to Piccadilly line with the Guide Bridge to Stockport line, trains (or indeed tram-trains) could go from Marple and Rose Hill to Stockport, via Romiley, Bredbury and Brinnington.   And it would also make these people happy, of course: http://reddish.dsracing.me.uk/

[wheels]

How many people do you think drive from Marple into the centre of Manchester in the day time?

Would anyone that is daft enough to do so consider using a tram?

A good transport link to Stepping Hill may get some people out of their cars, otherwise I expect the employment that most people are driving too is too far spread out to be practical for public transport.

Evidence shows the greatest number of rush hour trips are to Stockport there is where a link is needed to. The Reddish loop would be a much greater benefit than a train/tram

[ringi]

Which is why we desperately need the proposed tram-train service.  But not at Rose Hill! 

How many people do you think drive from Marple into the centre of Manchester in the day time?

Would anyone that is daft enough to do so consider using a tram?

A good transport link to Stepping Hill may get some people out of their cars, otherwise I expect the employment that most people are driving too is too far spread out to be practical for public transport.

[Dave]

Many hundreds more cars trying to leave Marple in the morning and return at the end of the working day.

Which is why we desperately need the proposed tram-train service.  But not at Rose Hill! 

[Harry]

Houses will be built on Hollins Lane

Correction. Hibbert Lane.
I always mix those two up.

[Harry]

If my recall is correct then planning permission was given for a 25,000 square feet supermarket. ....... That's a big supermarket !

No. That's a small supermarket. According to IGD a small supermarket is defined as a food-focused store with a sales area of 3-25,000 sq ft.

The last thing I want to see in Marple is more traffic.

I couldn't agree more, but we're certainly going to get it. A lot more. Houses will be built on Hollins Lane when the college sells its land there (probably hundreds of them), more on Walton Drive, where the Dale Primary was, and then no doubt more on Buxton Lane when the college finally closes. Many hundreds more cars trying to leave Marple in the morning and return at the end of the working day. Not to mention hundreds more children being ferried to and from school each day. 

[Belly]

The plans I saw kept the car park, in fact it was to be even bigger than the current car park.  The supermarket was to be underneath the car park.

Thats correct. But the 'even bigger car park' isn;t big enough for the size of the new supermarket proposed and so will result in some overspill. Add that to the 60 or 70 cars displaced off the current car park and you have got yourself a problem. One that SMBC sought to ignore - despite myself and others pointing it out, with evidence.

[mikes]

I'm surprised so many people think that developing the car park is a good idea.  Come on people, wake up - we NEED to keep it a car park. 

...

The plans I saw kept the car park, in fact it was to be even bigger than the current car park.  The supermarket was to be underneath the car park.

[Belly]

I don't think I agree Belly. Marple is a small community and at least 50% of the population is within easy walking/cycling distance of the shops. What is needed is a change of culture rather than more or even the same level of parking.

Good luck with that Wheels. Trying to change people's travel patterns is a good part of my job. Its very, very difficult. Even more so, for travel to / from supermarkets and the 'big shop' culture.

[simonesaffron]

I don't think that the choice is so simple.

Do we want a supermarket on Chadwick Street or don't we ?

Whether you see Marple as a village or a town or something else altogether does a supermarket on Chadwick Street actually represent 'development' for Marple. If it does would it matter which Supermarket it was ?

If my recall is correct then planning permission was given for a 25,000 square feet supermarket. If my information is correct (and it may not be) the Co-op is 17,000 square feet. This would make the new one a third the size again. That's a big supermarket !

Who has supermarkets of such size ? Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda. Are any of them expanding? Do people want  Tesco at al ?   

Big supermarket, big traffic. The last thing I want to see in Marple is more traffic. What is the plan for managing this traffic, has anybody seen one? It is as if the traffic has been forgotten about.

If we significantly reduce the size of the supermarket in order to reduce the size of the traffic - who do we get then - ALDI/LIDL? Do people want ALDI/LIDL. The Council has no control over who the end-user of the scheme is.

What will the Co-op's reaction be when a decent retailer rides into town. Maybe they will shut up shop and go home. If they do then what happens to the site. It could be years before its developed.

Marple isn't really a village but it isn't a bustling Town either. It is probably (to use an Americanism) a 'hick town,' perhaps it should remain so.       

   

[wheels]

I don't think I agree Belly. Marple is a small community and at least 50% of the population is within easy walking/cycling distance of the shops. What is needed is a change of culture rather than more or even the same level of parking.

[Belly]

So your quite happy shopping at the coop .or maybe you don't shop at the coop,you go elsewhere .

Yes I do supermarket shop elsewhere as it happens. I'm not a huge fan of the Coop. Not that it has any relevance to the point made by rebel with regards to car parking.

My point has always been that Marple as a local centre doesn't have anywhere near enough car parking to allow its main car park to be built on and by a car park generating supermarket no less! The Chadwick Street proposals include a rooftop car park which is not really big enough to cater for the proposed supermarket (i've done the sums), let alone the others who currently park there. Its a recipe for chaos and potnetially will seriously disadvantage the other local shops in Marple.

The evidence? Just see what happened to the Coop car park whilst it was 'free' - its been rammed. And at no point has Chadwick Street been empty. The parking case for the level of development proposed at Chadwick Street is deeply flawed  and I fear, should it ever happen, it will cause big traffic and parking problems for centre of Marple. One of the key negative reasons hurled at the ASDA scheme.

[amazon]

That particular penny dropped a long time ago, but it got lost amongst the cheering of the rabid crowds basking in the glow of seeing off Asda.

So your quite happy shopping at the coop .or maybe you don't shop at the coop,you go elsewhere .