Councillor Craig Browne has been in discussions with officers from ANSA at Cheshire East Council since the summer of 2019 to discuss ideas and aspirations for the village park.
As a result they have produced a masterplan which is intended to show how the park might evolve over the next few years.
Proposals includes reopening the public toilets which will be managed by a refreshments concession, an area for skating, a performance space with room for seating and improved play facilities for older children.
In addition to improvements to the bowling green, the introduction of more seating and a new noticeboard in the park, the Parish Council is keen to support an initiative by the Alderley Edge in Bloom group to introduce a community orchard in the grassed area between the railway line and the footpath leading down from the steps near to the park entrance.
Cllr Craig Browne said "The proposed improvements are likely to cost in the region of £100,000 and therefore by necessity they will be introduced gradually, as and when funding becomes available."
The Parish Council have considered the masterplan and will be feeding back their own thoughts and priorities.
Cllr Bev Chapman commented "We are determined to improve our green spaces and to support the village environment, as well as encouraging biodiversity; however, we recognise that getting this right is going to take time and cost money. We want a park that is fit for our community."
Cllr Craig Browne added "Before going back to ANSA with our comments on their proposals, we would like to invite residents to provide us with their feedback and aspirations for the park. Please use the comments box below to leave your suggestions, which we will collate and then report back to ANSA by the end of January."
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
I disagree of course.
I'm sure our local politicians are aware of how many dog owners there are in A.E., all of whom are happy to vote!
Perhaps a referendum on all the parts of the proposed 'masterplan'? Let the people speak?
Will the the tax payers of Alderley Edge accept an increase in their precept?
Unable to see mention of the bandstand area which one assumes will continue to house the vastly underused (imo) table tennis facility?!?
A boules area would be my other suggestion
good point.
Will we see up-to-date costings on all the suggestions?
The last time there was an attempt to cost turning the bandstand into some kind of cafe 'thing', the cost was seen to be very high indeed; I can't recall how much but someone from the then extant 'Friends of the Park' may remember.
Keri,
sounds good in theory but the last time/s the bowlers' hut was open to the public, the toilets got trashed by vandals.
Verity,
if one looks at the 'masterplan', will there be any space left for dogs?
Areas must include wildlife meadow areas, so long grass where wildflowers grow to encourage support for wildlife for birds, butterflies and insects, and we have nesting boxes for birds, to encourage wildlife to thrive alongside people who visit our park.
There is a fine balance between having a very formal park with working amenities which can be devoid of character, and a park which still has working amenities but also quality green spaces with trees, flowers and wildlife working together for the people of Alderley.
My understanding is that the "Bowlers Pavilion," as well as having toilet facilities within, is used to store equipment and therefore may provide insufficient additional space.
Logistically it would be better to have the catering facility centrally situated at the bandstand so that mums & dads can enjoy a coffee etc whilst watching their children play. Joggers, cyclists and walkers could enjoy a drink and a snack before or after their endeavors.
It makes me wince to think that The Public can't use public facilities because some vandals once spoiled it for everyone (Vandals 1 - Public 0.) Perhaps we could erect some stocks and have a monthly pelting of the blighters with rotten eggs and tomatoes!
I agree that the table-tennis facility is sadly under-used. However, I applaud those that gave it a try as, under different circumstances it could have been a big success.
I support the proposals as I believe that they will bring the park back to life and make it more accessible to a wider and more appreciative user-ship.
There’s no mention of draining Chorley Hall Lane playing field in the plan although mentioned in previous info about the park and close By areas?
With no breakdown of the £100,000 cost it’s hard to comment on what’s good value for limited funding. Please can we have a breakdown of the £100K ?
What’s the best estimate cost for the skateboarding area? Is there still pent up demand for this from the local children And the Youth Parish Council or have they moved on to other pastimes?
well put; do we want a 'green space' or a playground?
Hi Alan B.,
If my memory serves me well, the toilets were vandalised twice?
At the rear of the bowlers' pavilion is a small brick building (hard to see as covered in greenery) which was once a ladies' toilet. Just saying.
As the table-tennis facility is very under-used, should the tables not be moved to somewhere they would be used? A shame not to use something that cost circa £4,000.00?
Hi Kelvin B.,
glad you mentioned costs; I suspect that the costs of the well-meaning suggestions are such that there may well not be a public approvat, But we won't know until some branch of the Authorities reveal the possible costs. I'm assuming here that no part of the local Authorities would go into works withour proper costing.
By the way, possibly in response to requests, the tennis courts are to be 'brushed' to remove the greenery layer (algae? moss?)
Thank you for your comments and feedback so far.
To address one or two of the specific queries that have been raised, the proposal at least initially would be for a mobile catering concession, so there would be no immediate change to the bandstand. The concession would need to be franchised, so some of the revenue generated from that could be used to support the wider proposals for the park.
There are some limited Section 106 funds available, but these are principally being used to try and improve the drainage at Chorley Hall Lane playing fields. These plans are still under development but are not included above as they are largely separate from the proposals for the redevelopment of the park.
It is possible that the Parish Council will look to make some level of contribution to the redevelopment of the park and as a minimum, would want to replace the existing noticeboard in front of the children's play area with something more akin (although slightly smaller) to the noticeboard installed at The Parade in 2018.
Detailed costings will be provided for the proposals, once all the relevant feedback has been received and assessed.
Best regards,
Craig
The current noticeboard has a quaint charm and is still serviceable. I’ve used it to publicise ‘Alderley Edge in Bloom’ events.
Hard to put a price on saving a life but if funds are stretched please let’s get saving lives prioritised or find a sponsor to fund a noticeboard replacement?
I'd like to see here some thoughts from the users of the bowling pavilion.
Managing the public toilets will be done by the refreshhments concession? Optimism is all very well but is anyone running a refresments concession willing to lock/unlock the toilets? Do customers want to buy food from someone who has to manage the toilets?
I don't wish to carp, but a little more thought?