Tom re-elected as Lib Dems make gains
Cheadle and Gatley Liberal Democrats
Demand more Learn more
Graham reports back from Friends of Scholes Park meeting
Sign up for weekly emails
Tom re-elected as Lib Dems make gains
Graham reports back from Friends of Scholes Park meeting
Sign up for weekly emails
Oddfellows car park to be returned to greenspace
by Lib Dem team on 28 November, 2017
Last month we reported that the new Oddfellows Hotel in Bruntwood Park had constructed a car park on council land without permission and were now applying for retrospective planning permission for it.
That report is here.
The planning application has since been withdrawn and we are pleased to be able to say that the car park will be returned to greenspace, with the land there being replanted in the spring.
“We’re very happy to have the Oddfellows hotel in Cheadle, but when we granted the original planning permission they were very clear that they did not need additional car parking,” said Cllr Iain Roberts. “They then constructed a car park on council land, without permission, and put up signs saying it was for hotel parking only.”
“We are glad the car park is being removed and the land returned to greenspace as part of the public park. We will happily work with the hotel, the council and residents in future to ensure a positive future for Bruntwood Park as a public asset,” Iain added.
34 Comments
Great but hope the Hotel is paying for this in full.
I believe the hotel is covering the costs, yes.
Council ( ratepayers ) land . Grabbed by Private Company without permission , and private parking signs put up . Get a grip SMBC .
So where do hotel guest and workers park their vehicles? Why approve planning applications to convert the hall into a hotel when it’s clear parking is an issue? Similarly like Abney Hall in Cheadle, council gave consent for the care home without proper thought of the real impact on cars that are now parked all over the access road and footpaths, damaging vegetation, creating hazards for pedestrians and park users … same old tunnel vision form a good for nothing council!
Please see below a joint statement from Stockport Council and Oddfellows On The Park.
http://www.oddfellowsonthepark.com/blog/2017/12/01/joint-statement-from-stockport-council-and-oddfellows-on-the-park/73-33/
Whilst I do have some understanding of the objections, a small gravelled area makes not a jot of difference to Bruntwood Park and without good close parking it may deter usage if the Hotel. What a shame.
Robert – I totally agree with you.
Had the hotel not built a car park on council property without permission, the discussion might have gone a different way I guess. Certainly would have started in a different place.
Agree with the above, for some reason I couldn’t reply there. It seems a shame when there’s so much space around there. Jobs have been created, but now nowhere to park. It’s like the Cheadle Royal business park, especially now that Sainsbury and JL have stopped staff using an unused corner of their park. Wouldn’t blame the companies if they moved their businesses and jobs to more receptive areas.
Wow Politics!!! Agree with everything Robert said. Why dig up the car park? It is not on land which would be used for anything else. I don’t know the history here, but wasn’t Hotel car parking considered as a part of the original change of use planning application? What were the council doing? We have enough car parking issues around Cheadle you’ve just created yet another.
Hi Andrew – hotel car parking was looked at in great detail during the original application, and the hotel assured the council that the existing car parks were sufficient.
Hi Iain,
Thank you for your reply. No doubt they said this in the original application but maybe that was to help ensure that no obstacles were in their way towards getting the planning passed. Unfortunately, this is just a result of the planning process, and happens all of the time.
I just think that the new car park, which although built without permission, actually does the job. I walked past yesterday and was sorry to see its access blocked. Once he hotel gets busy and fully occupied, hotel visitors will no doubt use up all parking allocated for park visitors – not an ideal situation.
I cannot see why on earth residents would object to the parking as it is in a secuded area, and I cannot see the land used for anything else. Why not suggest charging the hotel a rent for the land? This would help them and the Council would create another income stream. Let us hope common sense prevails, digging up a useable car parking is a backward step.
Finally, thank you for all of your hard work and excellent communications, alway appreciated.
Andrew
Whilst the principle behind this ‘victory’ is one that we can all understand, retrospective planning permission exists for a reason. The presence of this hotel in our area is surely a plus for our village. In all of my years visiting Bruntwood Park, I have never seen that piece of land used by anyone at all for anything, and, like somebody has already mentioned, the lack of parking for the hotel could be a deterrent for people visiting. Less revenue = Less business = Failed business = Closed business. Councils don’t seem to understand the economics of private businesses. If they need more money, they just raise council tax.
Property law also exists for a reason – and it’s generally frowned on to build something on someone else’s property without permission. I don’t think it’s in the interests of Council taxpayers for the council to say to private companies that they can exploit public land for their own commercial benefit without even asking.
Usually I would agree with you but each case should be decided on its own merits shouldn’t it – a blanket policy is just shortsighted.
Thing is, when I’ve been in (and only a relatively few times) I really don’t want to park a distance away (Sunday is a nightmare to park) – if I’m waking it doesn’t matter – but it’s the only prestigious hotel anywhere near.
I agree with Robert and Richard. I have never seen that land used for anything specific. Take down the sign “for hotel use only” and let visitors to the park and hotel park wherever they like. The car parks in the Park get very full and especially in the summer they overflow. Extra parking would be great.
The hotel’s appeal is damaged by not having adequate close and secure parking.
The public car park is a relatively long way away and luggage hauled from there will be a problem for some guests.
The hotel were wrong but common sense should have prevailed and the hotel allowed to retain the car park.
This is negative for the Hotel and Cheadle and one hopes the hotel can still be a success.
To Robert and Bruce given your benevolent attitude towards land grab can you provide your addresses so that I can commander some of your gardens to provide parking for myself and my friends.??
Roy, I do get your point. But this is land that’s doing absolutely nothing, and it’s use as parking will not only facilitate the hotel, which is an employer and a prestigious amenity for Cheadle. The removal of a few shrubs etc makes no real difference. Quite understandabley some people feel it was a land grab, which I suppose it was, but sometimes these matters do need to be considered individually and on merit. Had it been my descion, maybe a fine could have Ben imposed, or a further contribution to a public amenity. By the way, if you can get a car at the back of my house, you can park there! Spaces to the driveway and former garden at the front are all taken up, as a compromise was needed so as not to congest our already busy street.
Couldn’t agree more with Fredrick Kenny and Carole, plus all those who see no problem with this small piece of land being used for car parking for Oddfellows. Some people will moan about anything!
The lack of secure adequate parking eventually will become a problem for this Hotel which is a shame as it is a commercial asset for Cheadle in many forms.
In the summer when the park is busy & the hotel has a wedding for a 100+ people.
Where on earth will EVERYONE park?
That means park users will be unable to park as well as hotel guests.
Perfect solution.
Well done to all involved.
It’s clearly up to the hotel to propose any improvements, and not to just build a private car park on someone else’s property without asking permission.
When planning was granted to the hotel where did the planners think the guests were going to park.
Hi Carole – the hotel was very clear that they wouldn’t need additional car parking beyond improvements to the main car parks to fit on more cars – which they are paying for.
As said before there isn’t, and has never been in the summer , enough room on the main car parks for visitors to the park leave alone the hotel. So leave the perfectly new car park where it is for use by everyone. Hotel guests can unload luggage outside and then park wherever a space is available. What a disaster to dig up a perfectly built car park which is desperately needed by the public.
Why can’t the hotel run a Valet service were the guests could drive up to the hotel and valet could unload suitcases etc then drive the car to the car park for the guest. Then when the guest needs to car the valet can go and get it. More employment opportunities too.
Sounds like a sensible option.
Very good suggestion Arthur. Much better than getting rid of much needed parking for the Park.
Agree with all the common sense opinion that the car park should have been allowed to stay. What happened to common sense?
People have different views on this (as evidenced by my inbox with a *lot* of people complaining about the car park. People can look at it either way – I wouldn’t say it was “common sense” that the hotel should be able to tell people that it doesn’t need any more parking, then build a car park on someone else’s land without permission.
I appreciate what you are saying and the hotel are very wrong but the planners should have had the common sense to know that extra parking for the hotel would be required. It’s here now work with it and let the public benefit from it.
We’ve had a lot of complaints from local residents about the car park. There were parking surveys done as part of the original planning application – they should still be on the planning file on the council website.