As 2012 draws to a close it is that time again to take a look back at the biggest news stories of the past 12 months in Alderley Edge and share some statistics with our readers.
During 2012 the alderleyedge.com web site has been visited over 330,000 times and generated over a million page views! Those number exclude the use of our mobile app which has shown strong growth over the year and is now used 8,000 times a month.
Over the course of the year we've managed to publish over 500 articles and those articles have received over 1,800 comments. The most popular articles in terms of page views were...
The year started with the news that the controversial tennis court at Finlows Bower Farm, which broke up natural views across the Cheshire Plain from Stormy Point, had been dug up. The tennis court, installed in 2010, along with two sets of entrance gates on Mottram Road and a domestic outbuilding were all built without planning permission, within the North Cheshire Green Belt and an Area of Special County Value.
Plans for the new Alderley Edge Medical Centre, which will be sited at the Festival Hall, were revealed at a public exhibition in January. Emerson, who has agreed to carry out the building work in return for receiving the rent until the costs are recovered, submitted a planning application on behalf of the GPs in April.
The plans to build a new medical practice at the front of the Festival Hall were approved in August, which will enable the Alderley Edge Medical Practice to relocate from the three terraced houses they occupy on George Street, which do not meet current standards for disabled access or infection control legislation. The three storey extension will provide modern medical facilities with nineteen consultation/treatment rooms for use by the Alderley Edge Medical Practice and additional medical specialisms, such as a physio and a skin lesion clinic. The proposal also includes a ground floor pharmacy, offices, a patient lift and minor surgery rooms.
Plans to create a new retail unit on West Street were approved in February, designed to enable the post office to relocate from 45 London Road. A parallel application, submitted by Bluemantle, was also approved to change the use of 45 London Road from A1 retail to A3/A4 restaurant and bar - so the Mason family can extend The Bubble Room into the neighbouring property once the post office has been relocated.
The Post Office is currently consulting on the proposed move from its current location to a new 'main' style branch at West Street which will have extended opening hours and stock a selection of cards and stationery.
During the same month a planning application was submitted for change of use of a former off-license and book makers, to enable PizzaExpress to open a restaurant on the corner of London Road and Stevens Street. Their plans hit a stumbling block in May when Cheshire East Council refused to grant a change of use for the building but PizzaExpress still have their eyes set on opening a branch in the village and submitted a revised application in November.
Cllr Wesley Fitzgerald announced his intention to resign as Leader of Cheshire East Council in February - having been a councillor in local government for sixteen years and leader of Cheshire East Council for 4 years. He stepped down at the end of April but has continued his role as ward councillor for Wilmslow West and Chorley.
Cllr Michael Jones took over as the new Leader of Cheshire East Council in May. The Conservative, who represents Bunbury Ward, is a relative newcomer to Cheshire East Council, having been elected as ward member in May 2012. He joined the Cabinet as the financial chief in September 2011.
On April 1st, Martin made his annual contribution to the editorial with an article announcing that Cheshire East Council is to be among first in the country to trial the new triple yellow lines scheme, which he was delighted made the top ten most read articles of 2012.
Alderley Edge Farmers Market found a new home in April. Christine Munro, who set up the farmer's market nearly 14 years ago, was initially hoping to move the monthly event from the Festival Hall into the centre of the village. However, she was unable to obtain a licence and decided to make the move to Aldeli on Wilmslow Road. In December I reported that, following complaints from local residents, Aldeli have been informed that they must apply for planning permission if they wish to continue holding the monthly market on their premises.
In April, we also reported that a plot of land off Heyes Lane, which was left to the RSPCA by a wild life enthusiast, has been bulldozed. David Brown of 83 Heyes Lane, who died in 2007, left his house and land to the charity. He wanted it to be left for wildlife but in April workmen arrived and cleared the site much to the horror of local residents.
The second Alderley Edge May Fair took place on Saturday 19th May. Whilst the sun didn't shine, as it had done the previous year, the event was another big success. Celebrations started with a procession through the village which featured representatives from 33 groups and approximately 500 people. The crowds then headed down to Alderley Edge Park for a fun packed afternoon.
Alderley Edge residents defied the dreadful weather on Sunday 3rd June to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. London Road was closed to traffic for the 'Alderley Edge Big Picnic Lunch' to allow local residents to party in the street. Those determined not to let the rain dampen their spirits came armed with gazebos and brollies to enjoy their picnic lunch, whilst others took shelter in the restaurants, shops and doorways.
In June we reported that Cheshire East Council's aborted plans to build a recycling station at Lyme Green Depot in Macclesfield has cost taxpayers over £800,000. The report also confirmed that planning rules were broken, as the main contractor commenced work on the site before planning permission had been granted, officers did not comply with EU Procurement Regulations or ensure there was effective reporting to members of the council.
Two of the three senior officers whose actions were investigated in connection with the Lyme Green fiasco resigned last week. John Nicholson, Strategic Director Places and Organisational Capacity, and Caroline Elwood, Borough Solicitor, resigned following completion of the confidential report by a Designated Independent Person.
In the same month Cheshire East Council agreed to transfer the three allotment sites in the village to Alderley Edge Parish Council (AEPC) by way of a long lease with restrictive covenants protecting their use for allotments. AEPC had spoken previously about their plans to relocate the Heyes Lane allotments to land off Netherfields where they could wipe out the waiting list by creating 60 plots. This will enable them to use the Heyes Lane site to create a new entrance to the Festival Hall and provide additional parking for both the new medical centre and revamped hall.
During the summer we were reminded of what the village was like prior to the opening of the Alderley Edge bypass when it was closed to traffic for 14 days, to enable National Grid to replace wires which are carried on the pylons spanning the highway. The three-mile road was closed again in September for the day when the failure of pumping equipment near Welsh Row left the road under three feet of water.
July started with the ever popular Alderley Edge Village Fete which saw over 1000 people, despite the clouds and drizzle, gather at the cricket club to enjoy the traditional summer fete. Proceeds from stalls and a raffle at the 4th annual fete raised in excess of £1,100 for Francis House Children's Hospice.
The first Alderley Edge Book Festival was held in September, attracting around 500 visitors and raising over £4000 for charity. Hosted by Oxfam, the two day event at the Festival Hall was opened by former MP Edwina Currie. As part of the festival a number of rare and antique books went under the hammer, including a 1906 limited first edition of the J.M. Barrie classic, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, which was discovered at the Alderley Edge Oxfam Book Shop a few weeks beforehand and sold for £1700.
Also in September hundreds of guests gathered at the former Number 15 Wine Bar to celebrate the official launch of The Botanist - which was the subject of two out of our ten most read articles of 2012.
Plans to replace Alderley Edge Motor Co and JM Bauer and D Bauer on Trafford Road with family houses were approved in October. Russell Homes were granted planning permission to demolish the existing premises and replace them with four semi-detached town houses. The future of both businesses remains uncertain, although the Parish Council has spoken in the past about locating the businesses on the Heyes Lane allotment site, once the allotments are relocated.
Parking in the village remained one of the key issues this year, particularly on Congleton Road, where Alderley Edge Parish Council requested that double yellow lines be placed to stop people parking outside the De Trafford Arms. In October Cheshire East Council installed the lines from the junction with Chorley Hall Lane to the entrance to the De Trafford Arms car park, which resulted in the parked cars moving further up the hill - so vehicles trying to pass the parked cars are forced into the middle of the road as they approach the brow of the hill. Alderley Edge Parish Council has since called for an urgent meeting with officers of Cheshire East Council to discuss the hazardous parking.
Alderley Edge Parish Council are also calling for traffic wardens to patrol the village centre during the evenings and at weekends and for a fair share of the income generated from parking fines to be invested in the village.
As the countdown to Christmas began, once again residents braved the rain (a reoccurring theme at the 2012 community events) for the Alderley Edge Christmas lights switch on. For the first time, London Road was closed to traffic so the festivities could take place in the centre of the village and many of the shops stayed open for the evening.
In December, Cheshire East Council's Highways team removed the seating areas from outside Yara and Konak which had been built on land that belongs to the Council, without their permission. In May both businesses were issued with 30 days notice to remove the outdoor seating areas from the public highway, otherwise the Council would remove them and recharge the cost - following broken promises the Council carried out their threat and removed the decking and outdoor seating areas themselves.
Many of you will recall, as it was our third most read article, in October I wrote a piece explaining that the future of alderleyedge.com is uncertain.
Thanks to the 555 people who took the time to respond to our readers survey we have some solid feedback which we are taking into consideration whilst reviewing the business. We are continuing to evolve our proposition but initial changes include adding the facility for local businesses and organisations to promote themselves to our thousands of local readers via promotional features and special offers, both of which appear on our apps as well as the websites.
We would like to publicly thank those Alderley Edge businesses who have supported alderleyedge.com this year, to whom we are extremely grateful: Alderley Pilates Studio, Alderley Edge Hotel, Alderley Balti, Alderley Edge Golf Club, Alderley Edge School for Girls, Alderley Physiofit, Arthouse Creative, The Bubble Room, Carrier, Chafes, Corks Out, Granthams, Grill on the Edge, Gusto, Harris & Howard, Highams, John Wallace, Kimble Roden Architects, Mr Simms, The Ryleys, The Yard, Travel By Design, Weinholts and White Dental Spa.
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Do share your highs and lows of life on The Edge in 2012, and your predictions for the new year in Alderley Edge via the comment box below.
