ABOUT US

The Challenges of Today – and Tomorrow!

Marple Civic Society was created to help ensure that Marple would be a good place to live, work and visit. From its formation in 1961 the focus was on monitoring town planning matters, promoting heritage assets such as the canal and seeking to influence the development of the built environment so Marple was a indeed a “good place”.

Many good things have been achieved:

• Involvement in canal restoration in its early days
• Campaigns to protect the Hollins pedestrian space from being lost to road expansion
• Development of a “Vision for Marple” which spawned a series of regeneration projects
• Listing of Assets of Community Value (ACV) to protect buildings and open spaces
• Preparation work to set up a Neighbourhood Forum (which has now published a draft statutory Neighbourhood

        Plan for Marple)

• Commissioning of an Independent Urban Design Study of Marple Town Centre
• Various workshops and open meetings to inform and encourage local engagement with local issues
• Current engagement with local councillors and council officers regarding the Marple Community Hub (swimming  pool replacement) and Marple traffic schemes

There have been great changes since the early days: the huge increase in car traffic, new construction methods, ever-increasing housing demand, changes in employment...the list is endless. More recently, the communications revolution, changes to the high street because of online opportunites, covid and new planning regulations continue to put both positive and negative pressures on our community.

And looking to the future, possibly the most significant thing not only for Marple but quite literally for the future of mankind will be our response to climate change and the environmental crisis.

Marple Civic Society realise that heritage protection and planning remain important, but these other challenges that have arisen must shape our vision, our aims and our objectives. Our intention is to work alongside other local organisations so that Marple will be an increasingly vibrant and sustainable place in which to lead fulfilling lives. We would love you to join us, add your voice to those of our other members and take an active part in shaping the future.