Hi Jerry I agree with you, I concentrated on Churchill way because that is the area that is going to be torn up by diggers, if we don't get them to reassess the plan. There are so many ideas that are good ones, I am no architectural guru, it is just a shame that Wilson Bowden in their scheme have looked at Macclesfield and suggested building on every single open space. Is this because it is a good idea, or is it simply that it is cheap and they will have the least problems and make the most money?
Total agreement Jon. The only people making money out of this at the moment are Wilson Bowden, and the ones wasting money, our money, is Cheshire East Council again. For instance the £500,000 wasted at Lime Green on a development without permission, and the renovations to the Town Hall. The cost so far is in excess of £1,800,000, for what? What we need is a Macclesfield Bourough Council that can control it'd own town. Whoops someone just come in the shop so will have to go.
Hi Jerry You say that the only people making money will be Wilson Bowden, this is not correct Cheshire East Council are actually 'business partners' they also own all the car parks, that - surprise, surprise is where all the building is going to take place. They will make a lot of money and then spend it on something like the new road designs in Poynton - fabulous.
Thought this open letter might interest you REF: OPEN COMPLAINT LETTER PLANNING APPLICATION: 12/1212M Dear Mr Roberts and who ever it may be concerned I am contacting you to complain about the plans you are proposing for the town redevelopment. These complaints include the following areas. All the open space in Macclesfield will be lost, apart from half of the Exchange street car park / seating area. The cinema is in wrong place, it should be at Lyme Green or the existing Tesco's site for easy access from Leek and Congleton, and to avoid adding to the already impossible traffic problems that be caused by building Debenhams and the centralised parking scheme. The access up Churchill way will be appalling. All the car parks will be removed and centralised in one multi storey car park, I believe that only 80 extra places are being created, even though the plan includes a 1200 seat cinema and a large department store, with an extra 1000 jobs created - where are they all going to park? Can you imagine the queues on a Saturday morning, it will no doubt stop people coming to Macclesfield to shop. At present they drive into four easy access car parks, with approximately 10 access points this will be reduced to 1 access point. I forecast that Churchill way will be completely unworkable. Good town designs always have good spaces, for examples the areas I enjoy shopping at are: Covent Garden - London Albert square - Manchester Sandbach - as its heart and historic character is still intact Corn Exchange / Triangle / M&S / Selfridges - Manchester The LNE Railway square, Deansgate - Manchester (This is actually home to a cinema - without ruining the heritage site). Deansgate as a whole Wilmslow Albert dock, Liverpool Where within this plan are the town spaces? Exchange Street car park / seating area in front of TJ Hughes is being cut in half, it will probably have bus stops within it, again, where is the space? As a RHS Gold Medal winning garden designer, the landscaping is laughable - 'We will provide 1 mulberry tree" - pathetic. In my view all the space has gone, because Cheshire East Council owns the space and will be making a profit on its sale / use. The plan seems to have looked at the existing plan of Macclesfield and instead of looking at the areas of the town that need improving and the existing character buildings that could be enhanced significantly and how that is possible, Wilson Bowden (with their BUSINESS PARTNERS Cheshire East Council) have looked at every single open space within the town centre and suggested building on them. This is not because it is a good idea and will improve Macclesfield, but because it is the easiest, cheapest, most profit making scheme for the business partners, one of which owns all the land as well. I personally think the planners / architects / film makers should be ashamed to present this scheme on the Macclesfield Redevelopment film presented by Wilson Bowden on youtube following comments from the community such as Good community cobbled streets and the town is centralised Country side 5 minutes away Music - winter fest etc Heritage centre - important to the towns heritage. Treacle market - town's residents coming together - it's amazing. Cake shops - well I certainly agree with that one. This plan will work in completely the opposite direction to all of these views, and to use them as an introduction to this scheme is tantamount to lying. I would like to invite you to view a film I have posted on youtube which you can see @ http://youtu.be/t9DCLtStUD4 it covers most of my concerns, but not all and if I have the time I may make a further film about the potential driving access problems that will be caused by this scheme. Yours Sincerely Jon Tilley
Thanks - don't forget if we as a town are going to stop this plan, we need to put it in writing to the council, sticking to planning issues. Parking, incorrect location, congestion problems, environmental issues and damaging the town etc. planning@cheshireeast.gov.uk If anyone has the councillors email addresses it maybe worth cc'ing them into any emails.
I really, really hope that Macclesfield continues to improve, the way Sunderland St has started - lovely independent quirky bars etc. The council needs to ensure that all of the towns potential is made the most of and not ruined. I agree - developments like the Cocoon seem like exactly what it needs - something individual and interesting! Bring more people in to the town because it's unique etc. Not just another blooming Debenhams. I live on Park Street and opposite me would be the perfect site for The Cocoon! (The Towers - ugly 70s building) and would also provide a brilliant 'gateway' to the town and the cultural bits that are popping up! Anyway, I've emailed the cocoon asking if I can be of any help, no response as yet. I've also written to the council. Let’s hope they see sense and use this towns potential for the best results. Rachael
HELP The gigantic multiplex cinema reminds me of the Titanic - are we heading for a major disaster? The Council are certinly not treating all the passengers as equal - Town Centre customers and business are to be denied their lifeboat parking spaces whilst the heavy tonnage of Debenhams and big multiples at the bow end will surely destabalize the Town ship. We would be better to weather the economic storm if we kept in safe waters steady paddling along under our own steam. Despite dangerous economic forecasts our council captains are risking our lives and pushing ahead into unsafe unknown waters. Watch out for the Wilson Bowden Iceberg - grab a liferaft and write to the Planning Officer now
My wife & I thought the Wilson Bowden proposal has missed all the opportunities mention in Mr Tilley's video. We hope our bullet point comment will be published by the Maccelsfield Express. This is what we emailed to them: to:Macclesfield Express <macclesfieldexpress@menmedia.co.uk> date:10 May 2012 11:43 subject:Re: Wilson Bowden video [LETTER REGARDING THE TOWN REDEVELOPMENT] HEADLINE: Opportunities missed & a return to 1970s architecture Wilson Bowden's plan shows: Buildings on a rare resource: existing car-park spaces and proposes a net reduction in car-park spaces No ideas to remove existing eye-sores: the ugly ex-BT building on Hibel Road, the ugly government building over the public toilets on Churchill Way No ideas to redevelop the redundant Police Station building and Post Office sorting site No ideas to redevelop the derelict "Three Pigeons Pub" site on Chestergate & Churchill Way A proposal to build the new Silk Road with 1970s type buildings Debenhams as an ugly blot on a green space. John & Lindsay Allen Rainow
Hi John & Lindsay - The Three pigeons site is outside the contract with Wilson Bowden & the Council but you will be pleased to know there is a sensible plan on the way fron another developer to build good shop units on the ground floor with residential above. This will provide new shops at the correct end of Town. I agree entirely with all your other points but you MUST write this letter to the Planning Dept ref: 12/1212M. Thanks for joining the commonsense team.
Dear Mr Weaver, Thanks for your comments - I will be sending my letter to the Planning Dept using the ref you've given. Thanks again, John- a new member of the commonsense team!
Here is the plan for the Old Kings head / Three Pigeons site: I imagine it would look good in Milton Keynes or Bracknell, but Macclesfield?? Haven't enough of our town's historical buidlings been destroyed already!?
I agree, but I think Milton Keynes and Bracknell would not like them either! The video shows an "any town" design. Why not use the history & beauty of the Olde Kings Head & Three Pigeons, and renovate them into retail & apartments?
