Chadwick Street Development Update

Further to the public questions asked at the Area Committee on 11th December 2013 concerning the Chadwick Street development, the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration has provided a response and confirms that:

• It is not possible to say when the development is planned to start. For this to be possible an end user will need to be contracted and for this to be possible, the relocation of the Royal Mail will need to be agreed. This remains the subject of detailed negotiations.

• In respect to the request that any negotiations on the sale of the Chadwick Street site be concluded as quickly as possible - it is the intention for a report to be submitted to the council's Executive in February.

• Serious consideration will be given to the future of Marple town centre in all negotiations.

• In respect to the request that the long term importance of the site to Marple will be weighed against a short term financial gain to the Council - it is not a question of short term financial gain to the Council, the key issue is the optimum means of delivering the site.

• In response to the suggestion that a proactive Town Centre First policy which has been applied so far in Marple should be maintained - the answer is yes. That is the council's adopted planning policy (as well as national policy) and there is no question of changing it.

The Civic Society supported the planning application for the Chadwick Street Development as a means of regenerating Marple provided that wider public realm and traffic management issues are addressed by an independant study as part of the scheme, to make Marple not just a car friendly place but a people friendly place too.