The Primary Care Trust (PCT) were delighted with the turn out at last week's public consultation where plans for a new Alderley Edge Medical Centre were revealed, though they are keen to stress that their project has nothing to do with plans to turn Heyes Lane Allotments into a car park.
Nicola Kent, Primary Care Projects Manager at Central & Eastern Cheshire PCT, told me "164 people attended which we were really pleased with. They were all interested and positive, although we did have a percentage of people there to do with the allotments which is an entirely separate issue.
"There were several queries raised about the future use of the allotments situated next to the festival hall site scheme which was presented last week.
"Plans for the new medical centre do not effect the allotments in any way. Our scheme, development and parking is wholly contained within the festival hall site.
"We have 33 car parking spaces within this existing scheme, we currently have 6 spaces at George Street, which are mainly used by the doctors, so 33 is fab - it is such an improvement for us. We don't need any additional parking and have not asked for any."
Nicola added "We only had two people who were wholly against the plans and that was because they didn't like the design, they thought it should be more modern.
"A number were for it but had reservations, these were mainly about the allotments but a couple were concerned about congestion so we need to do some work with highways.
"Most people though were absolutely positive, happy and saying 'let's press ahead with it', 'the plans look wonderful', 'it looks good and in keeping with Alderley Edge'."
Plans for the new medical include a pharmacy located on the ground floor.
Jack Yeranian has been running Cedrics at 67 London Road since 1980, and 10 years ago he took over the second store, located on the corner of West Street, from the Charnley family.
He told me "I had plans 5 years ago to refurbish them both but agreed with the doctors that there was no point doing anything as we might be moving.
"We have permission from the PCT to relocate so we will relocate the shop at No. 67 and refurbish No. 20 to maintain a pharmacy on the high street, because we think it is important.
"We have had so many false starts that I didn't want to get my hopes up but we are very much looking forward to it. There are lots of new services we can put in as well as developing the high street pharmacy."
Talking about the next stage of the process Nicola Kent said "We are going to tweak the plans where we can and hope to be able to submit a planning application at the beginning of February. It is all looking incredibly positive."
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
I have lived next door to the Festival Hall in Alderley Edge for almost a decade and have grown fond of its shabby charm, its indoor bowling sessions, Asian weddings, teen dances, monthly food markets and so on.
It is quite natural, now that it is passing into the control of the parish council, that it should evolve and find new purpose. I like the idea that the public function of the hall should be combined with a new GPs' surgery for the village.
However, I was disappointed by the GPs' exhibition of their proposals which showed an over large, pumped up, grandiose building of little architectural worth barely able to squeeze into the site.
The consultation was woefully short of facts and comparisons. I have no doubt that the doctors would like to confine debate to the size of the consultations rooms.
It is something of a provocation to learn that the entire third storey is being built as a speculative venture and will remain empty unless or until they can find some tenants. Plainly, the building does not have to so big to accommodate the needs of the surgery alone. They simply prefer it that way.
In short, it appears that they have gone for the biggest possible building at the cheapest possible price. It seems they have the connivance of the parish council in this.
Alderley Edge is not blessed with so many wonderful public buildings it can be cavalier about the future of the Festival Hall. Villagers and residents in nearby streets deserve better, much better, something more considered, less blandly civic than this first effort. It is not good enough.
Interested parties should get together under an independent chairman to talk about the issues before the plans ever reach the planning committee stage.
If the parish council want to be innovative , how about a well connected ( internet that is ) business hub for people to drop in and work from , maybe on a membership basis.
Unkind to call the latest design 'over-large & pumped up'...the present design is 3 stories whereas the original design was 4 stories , so actually pumped down! AND alltho' the present design is slightly too large for the present needs of the medics, those needs will almost certainly grow and if we had not put in the third story, might we have had to stick the extrta storey on top in a few years? at a much greater cost? We are very hopeful that the 3rd. floor will be filled in the short term e.g. physio? dentist? Why do you say 'at the cheapest possible price'? Your evidence for that is? and further, should not the Parish Council try to save as much of your money as possible? what expenditure would you prefer? gold plated toilets? a sauna for the Parish Councilors? (um, what a good idea!).
You say that you would prefer a 'less blandly civic' building; what would you like? a gothic King Ludwig fantasy? a glass and red cedar modernity? Is it possible that what you call bland is what most people would call acceptable? In any case, the planners have to pass the design and my experience of those good folk is that ought out-of-the-ordinary is thrown out!
Hi Vin,
we have (as you may know) recently appointed a 'Hall Manager'; if you have suggestions re. the Hall, why not approach him directly? I'm sure he'd be delighted to get some interest from the parish population.
The Parish Council, the PTC, the doctors, the pharmacist & uncle Tom Cobley have been trying to get this new medical centre off the ground since forever; at last it seems that it will actually happen; might a bit of 'all pulling together' be a good idea?
I have 3 observations :
1.I find it difficult to find in favour of a refurbishment /redevelopment of the Festival Hall as it will always fall short of an enhancement of the original or provide both efficient and cost effective use of space .The proposal by its nature will please no-one , whilst the practitioners may find themselves out of the frying pan and into the fire ,in terms of living with a compromise .
2.In this market place ,to find a developer financially robust enough to forward fund a public project ,allbeit backed by the PCT ,is indeed fortunate :this opportunity should be snapped up quick before someone has a change of mind .Obviously the debt funding will be rolled up along wih all other costs and rentalised ,and like any other mortgage the amount payable is dependant upon the length of repayment terms and their convenant
3.I have always found it a worthwhile task ,prior to progressing a project to cast a quick eye over the alternatives (refurbisment against new build and vice versa ) Refurbishment with all its difficulties and hurdles can cost a considerable premium against starting afresh .I am particularly concerned with the spare floor ,which may or not rent out and contribute to the overall finances ? .Who carries the can ? Look at it as a commercial venture -all the accommodation laid out to 100% efficeincy ,with no wasted space ;the commercial aspects given prominent position to maximise the rental income ,efficient floor to floor heights and services with commensurate running costs -possibly most of it on the ground floor ? At the very least you will know for the future how much extra or how little you are paying for staying with the Festival Hall building .
God alone knows its difficult enough to get these projects underway ,but I only want the very best for our doctors who whilst contemplating this contractural minefield are simultaneously caring for us all and doing a fantastic job .
Simon Carden RIBA ( very retired ),Nether Alderley
Hi Simon...your points 1 & 3 sort-of go together...we did look at the posibility of demolishing the existing Hall and replacing it with an approx, like-for-like...the estimated cost was £2 - £3 millions. The majority view then was that such a cost/debt was not acceptable.
Your point 2 is much appreciated.
I would like to walk into a facility that is modern, bright and clean and will meet the needs of all the residents of Alderley Edge. I cannot think of another site in the village which has the space, and the parking area to meet the present and future needs of a growing population. Forward planning is an important consideration.
As for the Festival Hall, we should really get real. It was built in the fifties with the lack of style so typical of the period. Perhaps, when built, it was suitable as a cinema but actually not for much else. It is therefore a windowless and depressing building . I have lived in this village for over twenty six years and my third visit to the Festival Hall was last week in the hope that at last either it will be knocked down or totally refurbished to make way for our much needed medical centre to which the village and all the residents are entitled.
At one time in not too distant memory, we also had a cottage hospital, but like many other properties in the area, it was demolished to make way for housing development. In my opinion we should grab this opportunity to develop this site to provide a much needed medical centre.