Graham reports back from Friends of Scholes Park meeting
Cheadle and Gatley Liberal Democrats
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Graham reports back from Friends of Scholes Park meeting
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Cheadle village conservation area
by Lib Dem team on 17 July, 2017
Last week we published a map showing the Gatley village conservation area and the listed buildings in Gatley. This week we’re doing the Cheadle map.
“YIKES”!…
This be worse than Gatley!
The sheer extent of it – it even includes the High Street – a thoroughfare with all the ‘grace’ of a Shanty Town!
Just like Gatley, methinks there be but two much smaller areas where only sensitive development should be considered – The Green and Saint Mary’s Church.
I’m not sure what we are trying to conserve on the High Street. Is it the modern bush shelters, the telephone exchange or the 90s built Santander bank? The Star pub is no longer the Star. The 80s Mall is gone, replaced by an even more modern building. The card shop and Savers look nothing like any building in Cheadle (the big yellow triangles at the back are horrific) they certainly don’t look like those that stood on the land before them and are in an appalling state at the front, the woodwork is rotting. The glass canopy in front of what is now Bet Fred was torn down after the conservation area was formed. Sadly not very much of the High Street has been conserved or even rebuilt in a sympathetic style that you would expect of a true conservation area.
Agree with all the above comments . We have lived here for over 40 years and have seen a gradual decline of the village, litter in all the surrounding areas, shop fronts that are a disgrace, parking wherever people want whoever agreed the new parking charges want shaking up a we now have to pay more to park and we have cars left all over the main roads blocking the cycle lanes. And don’t get me started on the millions paid on the new pavements that are already lifting.
I moved to SK8 1DT in December 1995. My first impression was the state of paranoia that existed because many of my neighbours were keen to tell me that I now lived in a conservation area and would not be permitted to build anything that did not fit in with my new home that was constructed in 1873.
I resisted the temptation to install earth closets and gas mantles. Luckily, the conservation officer did not call round to remind me that I had neglected these duties. I see from the map just circulated that my conscience can now be clear as the conservation area boundary has been moved and now excludes me. Furthermore, since the comments on the map made by my fellow residents indicate that the conservation area contains nothing of value, perhaps they could persuade our local council to replace the High Street by dual carriageway with 2-lanes on each side, strictly no-waiting, and all vehicular access, whether by delivery vehicles or ambulances to High Street premises to be as nature intended, e.g. via the car parks.
We also need traffic movement to be monitored 24/7 by cameras. The only solution to the pavement damage is for automatic fines of at least £1000 for the owner of any vehicle that dares to put a wheel on a pavement. Then we could do away with the ugly bollards that restrict the movement of the elderly, infirm and persons wheeling prams or shopping trolleys.
Finally, all road junctions between Oak Road, Warren Avenue and Broadway should be fitted with mini-roundabouts giving priority to traffic coming from the right. As no one ever obeys the “no right turn” sign for traffic joining High Street from Massie Street, at least with a mini-roundabout there would be some semblance of control in place of the near-misses, horn-blowing, fist-waving and foul language which prevail while traffic wardens and PCSOs shrink into doorways so that they ca pretend that our streets are peaceful and orderly.
It’s true that some of the shop fronts, particularly Clintons Cards are an absolute disgrace – the wood is rotting away. And what on earth is the building to the left of Card Factory for? It looks a mess.
And wheelie bins left on house fronts.
Replace the i and o with v and e and delete the n in the Title. This will show the future decisions.
Sorry for my spelling error – replace o and n with v and e in Map Title to reveal reality.
This council (current and former Lib Dem run) is an absolute disgrace for allowing Cheadle High street and Cheadle village centre to become an eye-saw, a blot on the landscape that best driven through quickly. Who on earth thinks that Cheadle Village is conservation area? It is not! It may have the title of being but the lack of support from our Councillors and local authority is 100% to blame for it becoming shameful. Other village neighbourhoods in the borough such as Bramhall and Heaton Moor have managed to evolve into modern times, attracting successful businesses while still maintaining an authentic village look and feel. Cheadle has not. Some retail frontages look like images of Aleppo; run down, dilapidated and totally unacceptable. The old red (now faded orange) overhang that dooms over the three retail units in the centre of the street should be torn down before it falls on someone (pieces already are). The frontage to the GP exchange equally looks like something from a distant 1970’s memory. The new Sainsburys building is a city-centre design, not fitting and in-keeping with a village centre. God only knows what the Travis Perkins site will develop into. Overwhelmingly local support for this site was for a tram/train station. But yet again the local community choice is ignored by those who have a drifted vision of what they want, not what is best for the area, for the local residents, shoppers and businesses. What do we get, more old people’s housing when Cheadle has more than any other in the Stockport borough! Cheadle village is becoming one of the worst shopping districts in Greater Manchester. Where have all the rate payers taxes gone to improve this area? Time to get new councillors in with fresh thinking, new ideas and those who actually LISTEN and ACT on the community views, wants and needs. Disgraceful Councillors how you have let Cheadle Village centre slip into this disgraceful state of affairs.
Hi Khatia,
Thanks for your comments. When I became a councillor in 2009 Cheadle was in real trouble with no supermarkets and a real feel that the village could close down.
Since then it’s got busier and busier. We have a good mix of cafes, restaurants, independent shops and national chains, plus the success of the Makers Markets and a strong local community. Lots of people come into the village and we’ve done a lot of work to help that happen – for example with the car parking. We’ve also got some fantastic green spaces in the village centre which is quite unique – Cheadle Green, Brooklyn Crescent Park and Hall Street Green.
We’ve worked closely with local residents and listened throughout – and I’d like to thank the Cheadle Village Partnership and Cheadle Civic Society who have done a huge amount over the years. The consultations we’ve done with local residents have always been very useful.
We’ve made sure that, as residents wanted, there’s space behind the Travis Perkins site for a tram/train stop too.
As with every village, there are things we would want to see improved and we look for opportunities to do them. But there are a lot of towns and villages around the area who look with envy at Cheadle and I think we should be shouting about that, not running it down.
Living in Gatley Iain, I don’t know how often you get the opportunity to visit Cheadle village centre, but form your comments clearly not often enough. The place is run down, hoardings missing of retail units, some simply falling off. The red plastic overhang in the centre opposite Sainsburys local is disgraceful. Whilst the village centre is busy, I would not go so far as saying it is ‘buzzing’.
Apart from new footpaths (which constantly are in need of repair), little else (if anything at all) has been done to improve the look and feel of the two streets and I don’t believe that Cheadle village centre would have ever ‘closed down’ and in fact the economic impact of a growing Greater Manchester has undoubtedly been the major pull over the past few years.
Agreed, the car parking strategy has worked to release ‘shopper’ spaces but the same old tunnel vision thinking has only pushed cars into other areas outside of the village centre, causing mayhem for residents living nearby and blocking cycle pathways. From checking ordnance survey maps, the green spaces you mention have been central to the locality for many, many years and appear to be run by community park groups or village trusts, society’s and partnerships, so I don’t see how the local authority can take credit for these. Where has all the ratepayers taxes gone? There are several key areas that should have been addressed and actioned many years ago, the local authorities priorities are inadequate, unsafe and not commercial enough.
Hi Khatia, I’m in Cheadle on a regular basis.
I care about the village, not who takes the credit. There are green spaces that are looked after by residents groups, and that’s all to the good (and something I’ve worked hard to support over several years). I’m glad you acknowledge that the village is busy, that the pavements have been relaid and that the parking changes have freed up spaces for shoppers.
You talk about “tunnel vision” on parking, but you don’t say what your alternative would be.
Your complaints about the village seem to be mostly about the state of privately-owned premises which the council has limited power to do anything about.
I’m always keen to find ways to improve Cheadle further, as is the Civic Society, Village Partnership and other groups. Please get involved so you can feed into the process – or at least let me know what you think should be done differently.
Funny that comment from the council, its the council that are running the village down!!!
Hi Kerry – I’m not from the council. I’m a local councillor elected by local residents to be their voice – I don’t speak for the council.
What do you think the council is doing to run the village down?