February 2024 Update

Marple Civic Society was invited to a further consultation on the Community Hub on Thursday 8th February along with a group of key stakeholders. It really felt like the previous consultation had genuinely influenced the subsequent work and that what is now being proposed more closely meets the aspirations of Marple people. Over 750 responses were received to the September consultation, many of them really detailed, and this level of response is very unusual within Stockport. The Council team apologised that this current phase of consultation was so long-delayed but it had taken a long time to evaluate all the feedback and they genuinely wanted to take account of residents’ views. 

There is a high-level review of the outcomes of the consultation at

https://consultation.stockport.gov.uk/highways-and-transportation/marple-community-hub

Much of the detail, including floor plans of the facilities and the overall site plan are now available on the Council website

https://www.stockport.gov.uk/news/marple-leisure-and-community-hub-update-february-2024

The highlights we picked up at the consultation session are:

• The building will now only be two storeys high but the same amount of useable floor space has been created in those two floors as in the previous three-storey building.
• Wilmott Dixon have been appointed as main contractor and they have brought a new architect on board to produce the detailed designs. Wilmott Dixon have a good track record in delivering social value as part of their projects so we hope that the Marple and wider Stockport Community will benefit from their involvement.
• GT3, the architects previously working for the Council, have been retained by the Council, presumably to support their evaluation of the contractor’s designs
• There was a detailed explanation of the “You said - we did” outcomes of the consultation – see the link above for the main points raised here
• The police station are going to move into Hollins House so the existing Police Station will be demolished; they will retain sufficient reserved parking for their needs so a continuing police presence in Marple is assured
• Memorial Drive is to have added passing places together with pickup and drop off improvements for Senior Citizens Hall and Scout Activities
• There will be 2 lifts, so the clinic should remain accessible even in the event of one lift failing
• The toilets are positioned so they can be available out of hub opening hours although the exact opening times etc. are yet to be defined
• There is still discussion about whether to use ground source or air source heat pumps for delivering heating. These will run in conjunction with solar pv panels on the roof and overall the building is being designed to minimise its carbon footprint. There will be no gas supply to the building, it will be all-electric
• The Library is to stay open for most of 2024 with demolition not expected to commence until winter 2024. Alternative facilities are still being examined
• Path widening through the park to improve cycle access will go ahead
• A construction phase plan is still to be developed. Inevitably there will be disruption to our life in the village, but attempts will be made to minimise this and must be offset against the long term benefits of a super new facility for our town
  
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There is a “drop-dead” limit on the availability of funds of March 2026. In other words, the project has got to be done and dusted before that date, so whilst many of us would like to see further detailed consultation and full community involvement at all stages, we understand that due to limits imposed by Westminster all due haste must now be made to deliver the project. Overall the Civic Society representatives felt it was all very promising and we look forward to seeing the “final” designs in the planning application. No doubt there will be “non-material" changes during construction, but we look forward to a first swim, workout and coffee during Easter 2026!