The last twelve months have been a challenge for the Parish Council as we have tried to move forward a number of projects which will be to the benefit of Alderley Edge. I shall report on the progress we have achieved and will try to explain, in my view, what obstacles remain.
This time last year I reported that an application for planning approval had been submitted by Emerson, in partnership with the Alderley Practice, to construct a new Medical Centre here on the Festival Hall site. After a lot of hard work by all involved and with broad support from the community, that application was approved in August of last year. I would like to thank Mark Royle of Emerson and Farah Jura, the Practice Manager as it was they who completed the work required to meet CEC objections to the plan. Since August the doctors have been working with the PCT, Emerson and the PC to get the project to a point where construction can start. In the next few weeks I hope we will have a final design specification which will allow the PC to negotiate a build contract. In parallel the PC will negotiate lease agreements with the Doctors, the Pharmacy and other possible tenants; this will guarantee the income which will repay the construction costs. I still hope that the new Medical Centre will open as planned in the first half of 2014. The difficulty we face is that Health Care provision is changing dramatically with the formation of Commissioning Groups and the demise of the PCT. With all these changes, the Medical Centre project is having to navigate some choppy waters.
While work on the Medical Centre goes on, the Festival Hall awaits a necessary refurbishment. I would like to congratulate Ashley on the great job he has done as Hall Manager; there has been a significant increase in bookings for the Hall, with an impressive rise in income, which reduces the burden on the Council Taxpayers who fund the Hall through the precept. There is more to be done. A refurbishment and the creation of a new entrance to the side of the Hall will allow us to create a modern facility for the use of both the community and external clients. This will allow the Hall to achieve a better financial position and not rely on the Precept. As always, timing is everything; in this case the work on the Hall is inextricably linked with progress of the Medical Centre project.
We have seen some remedial works carried out on the War Memorial by CEC. Following the disgraceful events of 2011, it was some consolation that the Memorial looked a little more presentable last November; but it was not enough. CEC undertook to determine a proper policy for the management of such memorials; as yet there seems to have been no change and that is not acceptable. The PC must continue to demand that the necessary repairs are completed.
A number of Parish Councillors have been working to make improvements to the Cemetery. I hope that very soon the first meeting of 'The Friends of the Cemetery' will take place and these volunteers and the PC will be able to capitalise on what has already been achieved.
At long last CEC has completed the transfer of the Allotments to the PC. It has been 20 months, from when a decision was taken by Cabinet to go ahead with the transfer, to completion. During this tortuous process, this ordeal, we have discovered that although there has been a waiting list for allotments, no action has been taken to remedy the problem, either by CEC or the AEAGS; yet at the same time some individuals have been allowed to have two, three or even four plots. This is a situation which will not be allowed to continue. It is this PC, not CEC or the AEAGS, which has the vision to provide new allotments. I urge the PC to press on with the plan to create a new statutory allotment site off Lydiat Lane. This will provide sufficient allotments to clear the waiting list and to relocate tenants currently on the Heyes Lane site. The PC has made no secret of its intention to move the Heyes Lane allotments. The case is overwhelming. It will allow the creation of a new entrance off Heyes Lane to both the Hall and the Medical Centre. This will remove all the traffic from both Talbot and Stamford Roads and reduce the need for on-street parking. In addition the PC will be able to provide extra parking for the village, which is desperately needed.
The Lydiat Lane site will be made available when CEC transfer a piece of land off London Road to PC control. The London Road site will then be made available, as we have done on the Festival Hall site, to allow investment in a new sports facility to serve both AESG and the local community. This project is very important to the village; allowing investment by groups who have the financial resources working in partnership with the local council which can provide the land, bringing community benefit to Alderley Edge.
The whole issue of Parking in A/Edge is a mess. CEC published a report in 2011, setting out a program of works to improve parking, for residents and businesses. The only part of that program completed to date have been resident parking schemes including Lydiat Lane and Clifton Street. We are still waiting for most of the works. This is a recurring theme of this year's and last year's report. We always seem to be waiting for CEC. Perhaps next year things will improve.
I would like to thank all those who work for the PC, Anne our Clerk, who has been brilliant; Nigel our lengthsman working in the Hall with Ashley and out in the village and Jim our PCSO. The PC has just signed a new three year agreement with Cheshire Police for the provision of the services of a PCSO; I hope Jim will continue to serve the community in the next three years.
Finally, I would like to thank all my fellow Councillors for their support over this last twelve months, it has not always been easy, but we are making progress. In particular I would like to thank Frank Keegan, who has worked tirelessly as our CE Councillor and on the Parish Council supporting me in the role of Chairman. Thank you.
This is a member post by Cllr Mike Williamson, Chairman of Alderley Edge Parish Council from 2010 - 2013.
Comments
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On what evidence can you, Cllr Williamson, claim that this car park will be used by people needing parking space in the village? We already know that the parking that is currently available around the Festival Hall remains vacant because people cannot be bothered to walk from there into the village. It would be helpful if you could stop making claims (to defend your plans) that are simply unfounded.
If the 'case' was indeed 'overwhelming', I very much doubt the PC would be facing such strong opposition. This opposition is not just from allotment holders (as you would like to claim). It is also from residents of the village who do not support the paving of precious green space to provide a car park which will not be used (except by the handful of patients using the medical centre). Residents like me.