Despite an overwhelming vote in favour of the idea last year, we (The Friends of Alderley Edge Park) are struggling to progress the project; primarily due to the Powers that Be, excluding Cheshire East, dragging their feet.
We have drawings, offers of help with planning, support from local businesses and from Birse, who may be moving on at the end of the year, and monies very kindly donated from the Village Fete almost a year ago. Our currently position is that we are very keen to apply for planning permission.
Unlike the costly Festival Hall, and I hope Paul Tomlinson's Plan B does come to fruition if Plan A fails, a cafe in the (public) park would be an excellent way of making money for the village and keeping the precept under control. We are talking about a cafe and income akin to Costa Cafe.
The village does lack small independent shops but market forces are almost solely the result of this; rarely, in life, does anything stay the same and new ideas should be embraced.
We should do what we can to retain and improve what we have; the park is a beautiful space and could be the heart of our village. It badly needs financial input and the Two Johns (park keepers) need to be kept in employment.
Last week on the Radio Four Today Programme, we yet again heard of the community benefit offered by fully using our open spaces and parks, i.e. exercise equipment for the over 60s in Hyde Park. The Friends have had many such ideas; including creating a small running track and providing activities for young people, who currently spend time in the park in a less than productive manner.
Unfortunately Alderley is often perceived as not being needy enough for many grants, funding etc, but with the help and support from the local community and businesses, the cafe can happen; and unlike the cafes on the A34, this would be your cafe, your space and you could truly have input in the running of it.
The opportunities are enormous; not just to generate income for the village (and to keep the precept under control) but to improve life and community spirit within the village. Another worthy landmark could be created in this under used space.
We had a meeting with Alderley Edge Parish Council in early March to try to finally secure their support. Unfortunately despite the overwhelming support - for yet again, another community project - we were unable to progress the idea at the meeting.
We have not heard from the Council since and indeed are astonished to hear, from the minutes of their recent meeting, that they appear to have gone off at a tangent and are now proposing that ‘ the coffee seller parks his van in the park to test the water’.
This would be a thoroughly unrealistic way of ‘testing the water’; who would want to visit the park to buy a cup of coffee, no matter how good, on a cold, wet, day from a portable cafe. We appreciate that good mobile concerns work elsewhere; primarily where you have ‘through traffic’ but the proposition here is to draw people into the park and for them to enjoy the space.
In short, this option is so far removed from the beautiful, properly appointed cafe (with loos – at last!) we have envisaged, that it would only ‘scotch’ the idea.
After all our efforts, we sincerely hope that this is not the intention of the Council. George Osborne has been very keen to help us, his recent questionnaire showed 66% of local people were in favour of the Cafe in the Park but as many will be aware, he is a bit busy with other things at the moment!
We now need support from our more local, elected representatives. We perhaps need to remind ourselves that ‘Fortune favours the bold’; our Parish Councillors should bite the bullet and join forces with Cheshire East to finally bring this idea to fruition. ‘If we build it they will come' and what a lot of brownie points at last for our hardworking members!
Editors Note: This is a guest post by Susan Holland from 'The Friends of Alderley Edge Park'. Click here to view previous articles regarding their Cafe in the Park project.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
If the taking of coffee was simply about efficiency and economy we would all drink it in our own kitchens and that would be that. Taking coffee is about ambiance; connecting with other people; sharing news; dreaming up ideas; making friends; doing deals; having a solitary moment; binding bits of the community together; and its quite nice to drink as well.
A lot of people around here voted Conservative. One of the things they voted for was Big Society. The idea of individuals and groups taking more control and enriching their communities. The Friends are just trying to do Big Society so why not embrace their efforts and encourage them. A friend of mine revitalised a tough London neighbourhood called Bromley-by-Bow which is admired across the world as a model of how to develop communities. He had a simple principle when people wanted to try new things "Just say yes". It worked.
Come on Parish Council, its the 21st Century not Medieval England. We are in the era of Big Society, lets back everyone who wants to try to make a contribution to the place that we live.
Putting aside the fact that planning consent is clearly required (for the Village Cafe) and naturally, AEPC, being consultees, would necessarily object, the spirit of what was being said in the comment does apply both here and with the 'cafe in the park idea'; that unfortunately, AEPC is regularly perceived as being obstructive. Rather worryingly, this perception extends to them not only appearing unreceptive to change but also, according to the Parish Council Objects item: lacking in their support for businesses, making blinkered decisions which touch on madness, locking us up in Victorian Temperance movements and most importantly of all, in the middle of an economic depression, preferring to see empty shops rather than embracing a cafe culture which could make Alderley Edge ‘the hottest tourist spot in Britain’.
It is said that: ‘cynicism is an unpleasant way of saying the truth’ and whether or not this dictum applies locally is debatable but can I make a plea for people to stop shooting from the hip, be more proactive and use tools such as gentle persuasion to help to change our village and its perception of our local representatives.
We have already lost a year in our quest to open a cafe in the park and all the worthwhile things that would stem from it for the local (and visiting) community have had to be put on hold. ‘Fortune still favours the bold’; we could always use the bowling pavilion for ‘testing the water’ and it could still happen this summer!
Thank you for your kind words and support Malcolm and if anyone would like more information or indeed to help with the Cafe in the park idea please contact
Its all very well saying 'yes, just do it', but if a cafe is started at 'half-cock', who pays to clear up the possible financial mess afterward?...yes, that's right, you will!
Fair point about the business plan etc, but as I understand it the friends are going to run as a not-for-profit enterprise so they will be responsible should it fail, just like every other business owner.
Which reminds me, when are we going to see the business plan for The Festival Hall?
but the friends are (I think) asking for public funds (from C.E. and Parish Council and A.E. Trust?) so if a cafe is started and it all does go wrong, who would re-pay those public funds? Its your money after all. If a group of people, no matter how well-intentioned just say 'give us money', without a business plan or costings etc; well, would you give them money?
Has anyone asked the village traders what they think of the possibility of a not-for-profit competitor opening in the park?
You are quite right, I believe, about the need for a business plan for the Festival Hall...but the accounts of the Hall are at least in the public domain...ask the Parish Clerk or the Chairman of the Parish Council if you wish to see details (I don't think they're confidential).
I too wish the Parish Council could communicate more with the parish households, but all plans to do that seem to cost a large amount of (your) money; mayhaps the Parish Council could make more use of alderleyedge.com?
I don't believe that the Parish Council is obstructive to business in the village, but when e.g. planning rules are flouted, does not the Parish Council have to react? Not that the Parish Council has any authority over the C.E. planners anyway.
I believe that the Parish Council would welcome people attending (and perhaps speaking?) at parish council meetings; then they'd know how 'worthy' that body is (!)
We like to think of the site as a platform for the community to interact and openly welcome our users to contribute content to the site. Doing so will become even easier with the next incarnation of the site which we hope to launch in July.
Should yourself, or any other members of the Parish Council require any assistance is publishing content on the site then do not hesitate to get in touch.
The intention of 'The Friends' was to seek their advice, approval and support,(as they seek ours for their election), with no expectation of them to fund this project. It is, therefore, rather disappointing not to have received, so far a response, despite the 'grapevine gossip' that on the whole they approve the idea.
The tenancy would have to go out for tender and any interested parties would have to present their own business plan. So far we have received a detailed one from Ground Up Coffee and an outlined one from Granthams of A/E.
We realise that these decisions cannot be taken hurriedly, but the sooner we have a cafe in the park the the sooner Dawn, and the young teenegers involved in the recent incident, may feel safe.
Anyone wishing to read our proposal is welcome to do so by contacting me.
Kriss Coombes
Friend of Alderley Edge Park
Councillor Herald, who recently met with Kriss Coombes asked the council if they had a firm policy one way or the other regarding the cafe in the park and the response was divided.
Mike Williamson said "I disagree 100% with Susan Holland's article on alderleyedge.com claiming that the Parish Council have been obstructive. They don't need the Parish Council's approval to go ahead and do it. If they want to go ahead, submit plans and raise funds then the Parish Council's only role is to comment on the planning application, that's as far as our influence would go."
Councillor Keegan asked where the business justification was for it whilst Councillor Mary Maczkowiak said "They've worked extremely hard on this, they want our support and to know the Parish Council is behind them. It is an extension of the Parish Plan, the majority of people who filled out the questionnaire said they wanted a cafe in the park."
In the end a vote was taken as to whether the Parish Council should write to The Friends of Alderley Edge Park expressing their support in principal. With Councillor Jones abstaining it was down to Councillor Williamson to cast the deciding vote and he agreed to support the general idea of providing facilities for a cafe in Alderley Edge park.
As I understand the situation, the next step by the 'Friends of the Park' is to seek planning permission? If you wish to become involved, perhaps you might contact the 'Friends of the Park'?
George Osborne M.P. attended this meeting to offer his verbal and written support for the idea as, did Councillor Frank Keegan who described it as "A very worthy cause." I was, therefore, rather confused and surprised when at the Parish Council meeting last night he referred to it as "Nothing more than a wish list," and voted against it, but as stated by Duncan, a vote in favour of the principal was carried.
I found the meeting more interesting than anticipated and enjoyed listening to all the matters discussed. It was also reassuring to find that several of our elected representatives display clear, fair and balanced thinking and I shall endeavour to make more visits in the future.
Thanks for the support.
Kriss Coombes
Friend of A/E Park