The effect of Alderley Edge's night time economy and the state of the village were discussed again at this week's Parish Council meeting.
Councillors talked about the noise generated from the bars and restaurants, the rubbish (especially fag ends which litter London Road), youths urinating in the streets, unsavoury clientele and the poor condition of the pavements.
Cllr Mary Maczkowiak, who has lived in Alderley Edge all her life, raised the subject by telling her fellow councillors "I drive into the village regularly at night and it's not a very nice place to be at night."
Cllr Matthew Lloyd responded "I understand what you saying but I honestly think if we didn't have some of the bars and restaurants in Alderley you'd have a lot more empty premises.
"Personally I don't think you can rail against it too much, there are many high streets, many villages and small towns really struggling across the country. I think we're lucky we have one which is vibrant. I absolutely agree about issues like; its a great shame we don't have any say on licensing; the licensing is wrong and too late and I think its atrocious the level of policing of parking - but I also think we need to not bite the hand that feeds us."
Cllr Mary Maczkowiak responded "I disagree with that. I was born here, 55 years I've lived here and I can tell you the deterioration of standards and the way the village is. This village is going down hill quicker than people realise.
"Yes it's great to get all these people come in to the bars and restaurants but what do they do for the rest of the people in the village - cause a problem."
Cllr Mel Connor said "Five years ago I could stand in my garden on an evening and not hear a sound in the village, now on a Friday night I hear everything, I can hear people speaking outside The Bubble Room, when Panacea was open it was appalling.
"But I do think there's a fine line to having a very vibrant village, as Matthew said we don't have empty shops, we don't have empty restaurants, it's not like Wilmslow. Wilmslow at night is awful, and I think if Hoopers was to go Wilmslow would die because there's nothing there. Grove Street is like Stockport, its nothing now, its not the Wilmslow it was.
"The day time trade in Alderley is good, it doesn't have everything everyone wants, of course it doesn't but the Traders Association will tell you business is good in Alderley. Alderley is doing well and we should accept that. The day time is very different from the night time because the people who come to the restaurants during the day time go in the shops and spend money and they're the ones keeping the local shops open - not you or I going into the local dress shops it's people who come to Alderley who go in to them. I think the night time is different."
Cllr Matthew then widened the conversation to include other issues affecting the appearance of the village.
He said "The centre of Alderley has had no investment. We're all aware that we need to do something about the centre of Alderley Edge. Whether it's the pavements being atrocious or something more significant.
"It should look absolutely like the jewel in the crown and get the investment Prestbury gets. It doesn't - Prestbury had its road resurfaced twice before we've had ours ever done. Now we've got the bypass we need to start making Alderley, London Road far better.
"I couldn't agree more but you can't hold back the tide, things are changing on the high streets and we should count our blessings that we're actually doing well and vibrant, compared to many high streets of similar sized communities which are really struggling."
Cllr Mary Mary Maczkowiak added "The only reason I brought this up this evening was because Friday evening I was in the village about 10.30 at night. There was a group on Heyes Lane of about 10 to 12 youths, as I drove past two of these young gentleman started to urinate on my vehicle, absolutely no qualms about doing it."
Cllr Mel Connor said "I don't think they are going to every place in the village, I think they are going to one specific place and that's the tragedy of it. The place that your talking about is great during the day time but at night time has a totally different clientele. We cannot do anything about it."
Cllr Frank Keegan then raised the issue of fag ends littering the pavement.
He said "From the Potting Shed down to Tesco there is a real mess caused by people smoking and littering the place, its like desperado ville and I think we should write to The Botanist saying if your people don't clean up after your customers every morning, one of the first duties should be to get out and clear the things away, if you don't do that we will put Jim (PCSO Newns) on a couple of nights and everyone who throws a fag away they will ticket them."
He added "It's their customers standing outside, they've got a place out the back supposedly for smoking, they shouldn't be outside like that throwing them away, leaving it for us to walk through what looks like a real dreadful site the next day with all the fag ends. All the way up the village it should be the same and they should be made to tidy up after themselves.
"A large part of that is caused by the fact Macclesfield Borough used to send a vehicle down every day and people would go up and down the pavements tidying up -that doesn't happen any more. If you go to London Road there is rubbish flying all over the place every day, its a disgrace we're not getting the service from Cheshire east we used to get from Macclesfield so we ought to write to Cheshire East and say we want our service restored, cleaning every day - especially the London Road part."
What do you think about the state of the village and the impact of the bars and restaurants? Share your views via the comment box below.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Each restaurant and bar in the village should be made to clear up their own mess at the end of the evening, or at least by 07.00.am every morning.
Dare I say it, even McDonalds have their own cleaning staff around each outlet throughout the country who clean up on behalf of their customers visiting their outlets, throwing litter around.
I understand that is part of their Franchise Contract, so why not outlets in the village ?
This should be a mandatory condition of granting a licence !!!
I know smokers who put their cigarettes end in empty packets and take them home for disposal. Why can't you? I wouldn't come to your house and dump my rubbish outside. Why do you have to do it to other people?
However, in 2013 there is an extremely effective way of getting businesses to listen. It's called 'Twitter'. All the local bars actively promote their businesses by 'Tweeting'. Anyone can sign up to Twitter free of charge if they have an email address.
I suggest that if anyone sees a mess outside a particular bar/restaurant they 'Tweet' about it. These comments (or better still a photo) are instantly accesible by the world wide web. Businesses are extremely keen to maintain a spotless internet image even if they are not so keen to maintain spotless exteriors.
So it is ok for smokers to litter the streets, just because the Botanist does not provide any ash trays? Why can't the Restaurants clean up first thing in the morning?
The Botanist provides 2 sand filled 'ash trays' for smokers out front, plus sweep up every morning outside their premises.
I dowt that! The downs are all lying there, unswept up every morning outside their premises.
I'm not lying. 2 sand filled ash trays and they sweep up every morning. Maybe they forgot to sweep up the day you walked past?
Of course, you could just ask them if they could ensure this sweeping up is done instead of moaning on here about it I you have an issue with it.
I have just taken a look along London Road and all I can see is small groups of people outside the various restaurants where they are obliged to stand if they wish to smoke.
I can't hear any loud noise nor can I see any marauding gangs of youths let alone such relieving themselves on passing vehicles - an interesting feat if the vehicle is in motion?
I can't see people throwing cigarette ends into the streets - although I can see cigarette ends for the entire length of the village. In practice I have noted that these cigarette ends are less apparent in the mornings outside the restaurants than say around the station approach or in the vicinity of the bus stops and the day time cafes. Perhaps the bus companies and cafe management should clear their vicinities so that my evening visits to the restaurants don't involve me wading through their customers' debris?
May I say also that I don't see the offending youths referred to by Ms. Maczkowiak in or around the restaurants because they were probably teenagers just off a train - something I often see near the station - who may well have exhibited antisocial, albeit quite unusually agile skills in relieving themselves on passing vehicles and most likely would toss their cigarettes into the streets, just as I have seen them do in the mornings when they wait for buses. Regrettably the bus stops at each end and opposite sides of London Road are outside restaurants who have assumed that tidying their frontage last thing at night will suffice until they next have customers...
And finally.... Mr Keegan is correct to say that The Botanist has a rear outdoor smoking area. Sadly "numerous objections" mean this area must be closed at 10pm but customers continue to require a cigarette beyond this time. Their right even if I personally question their lifestyle decision.
Anyway I must stop now as I am hoping to catch the "urination spectacular" which apparently occurs around this time. Happy living residents.
Frank Keegan should campaign for consenting adults being allowed to smoke together rather than be banished into the streets, after all it is not The Botanist that makes the rules that forces smokers on to the street.
fag ends are ranked low down compared to chewing gum spat out and trodden in, dog mess left unscooped and recycled excess alcohol. humans are a pretty horrible messy lot when you weigh it all up , alderley edge is ahaven compared to some Cheshire towns and villages.
So well done to the Management who have started this trend`1
Frank, thanks! I'm presuming you went in and gave the management a good talking too. Nice to see some action taken, instead of just moaning on here! Out of interest, what was their opinion about you saying they didn't sweep up every day and not have ash trays out front?
As for street cleaning volunteers,no no we have various residents who have been given community service orders,why are they not out in our village litter picking etc.
E.G. one famous footballer,working in West Park in Macclesfield-not exactly serving his community!!