Sale of the Marple CO-OP to ASDA

[Dave]

I was making assumptions, hates business, misunderstands economics, thinks money grows on Gordon Brown trees - i assumed we have a typical Labour voter.

Those are indeed assumptions, inaccurate ones as it happens,  for which there is not a shred of evidence.

As for this:

I'm amazed and pleasantly surprised that you think the Soviet Union and East European model of the post war period was a failure. I thought you voted Labour!

My point was purely about architecture - that Stalinist and brutalist architecture, which was a feature of those countries (and many others) at that time, was ugly.  I said nothing about 'the Soviet Union and East European model of the post war period' being a failure or a success for that matter.

Is it too much to expect that for once we could stay on topic and Duke could keep his political hobby-horses to himself? 

[Duke Fame]

I don't think Dave's ever said how he voted.

I was making assumptions, hates business, misunderstands economics, thinks money grows on Gordon Brown trees - i assumed we have a typical Labour voter.

[wheels]

I don't think Dave's ever said how he voted.

[Duke Fame]

That, in one short sentence, is the long-discredited and failed philosophy which dominated Soviet Union and East European architecture for 40 years after the war.  Here in the UK it gave us the architectural philistinism of the 1960s, of which that masterpiece Marple Station is a good example!  It's surprising and quite sad to read that in 2014.  Sooner or later, cheap ugly buildings like the Hollins have to be pulled down - let's hope it's sooner! 

This is a problem that lies with the property owners. Until they feel the building is no longer feasible, it will remain.

I agree, it's symptomatic of centralised planning that such a building was built in the first place, I suspect this was not a private development back in the day.

I'm amazed and pleasantly surprised that you think the Soviet Union and East European model of the post war period was a failure. I thought you voted Labour!

[Dave]

The purpose of shops is for them to operate successfully, NOT to be a simply aesthetically pleasing bit of architecture.

That, in one short sentence, is the long-discredited and failed philosophy which dominated Soviet Union and East European architecture for 40 years after the war.  Here in the UK it gave us the architectural philistinism of the 1960s, of which that masterpiece Marple Station is a good example!  It's surprising and quite sad to read that in 2014.  Sooner or later, cheap ugly buildings like the Hollins have to be pulled down - let's hope it's sooner! 

[Howard]

Via the Twitter feed of @MarpleLeaf, news that the in-store Co-op bank branch will be closing :

https://twitter.com/MarpleLeaf/status/498924345188958208

[Duke Fame]

The shops are occupied, so therefore they are not ugly.  Hmm, I'll have to think about that........   

The purpose of shops is for them to operate successfully, NOT to be a simply aesthetically pleasing bit of architecture. There are also affordable flats above. Yes, it may be ugly and it it were empty I'd almost agree that a CPO would be appropriate. However, the parade works at being a parade of shops providing goods and services, employment and meeting demand - it does not need state intervention to create unemployment and shortfalls in supply.

As ever, the state is best keeping it's incompetent nose out

[Dave]

I don't think it's for anyone else to say it's ugly whilst it has full occupancy.

The shops are occupied, so therefore they are not ugly.  Hmm, I'll have to think about that........   

[Howard]

Well for me it can't come soon enough. Got back from holiday Sunday night and needed a shop on Monday for fresh stuff (fruit, veg, bread etc). I was in a rush so I decided to go to the Co-op instead of run around the local shops. At least 30% of the fruit & veg was empty; for example, no brown onions and no green apples. These are STAPLES and they didn't have them. There were huge gaps in the coffee section and no large packs of medium eggs. Plain yoghurt section had no co-op own brand leaving only brand names.

I'm not sure if they're running the place down and the staff don't care whether or not their customers shop there or not but I have rarely seen any Asda like this.

[Duke Fame]

No problem relocating those businesses - there are plenty of empty shops nearby.  If the planners are on the ball, they will seize any opportunity to get rid of that ugly terrace, and thereby give the Memorial Park a much more visible presence.  

Hmmm, the point is that those shops are doing OK where they are. All are about right for the parade and benefit from being adjacent to the bus lay-by  and from having a broad pavement area.

I don't think it's for anyone else to say it's ugly whilst it has full occupancy. I think the Co-op only has the Costa & empty next door unit and we're led to believe Poundland are eyeing up that empty unit.

[wheels]

Or it could be used for car parking ..

The very last thing Marple needs is more parking.

[amazon]

I was talking to an assistant in the charity shop on the Hollins. She said that the row of shops next to the actual Co-op shop are included in the Asda deal (as we probably already knew). The original charity shop has a lease which holds until it expires so the estate agent must have too but the charity shop's expansion into the empty shop next door is not subject to a lease so they can get chucked out any time.

Asda is probably looking to the future and the possibility of extending into a large store subject to PP. Who owns the shops facing Stockport road? I understand that the old Hanbury's store belongs to the Co-op -- do the rest? If they do it's easy to understand Asda's interest in the existing Co-op site.

Whether the position of the Fire Station will affect the future granting of PP will be interesting, unless Asda agree to funding the re-siting of the fire station in order to provide them with larger floor space and parking?

Google the site it would suite Asda to acquire the fire station .and reallocate the fire station elsewhere ..

[admin]

We've had a number of discussions over the years about Hanburys and my understanding (which of course may not be right) is that the Co-Op do not own the buildings but did / do own the current lease on the former Hanburys shop. I don't know if there is a way of easily confirming the correct situation.

[Dave]

No problem relocating those businesses - there are plenty of empty shops nearby.  If the planners are on the ball, they will seize any opportunity to get rid of that ugly terrace, and thereby give the Memorial Park a much more visible presence.  

[amazon]

Not exactly good news for the businesses involved though, Dave!

Or it could be used for car parking ..