Charity Reg.
No. 236593
NEWSLETTERS
NEWSLETTER
_____________________________________________________________ ____April 2008____
Welcome to the April 2008 Newsletter, the first from me as your chairman – no longer acting chairman!
Annual General Meeting
The AGM saw the retirement from office of Faith and Angus Yeaman, Faith as Chairman and Angus as Treasurer. Both will continue as committee members, Angus looking after our website and Faith continuing to monitor planning matters.
Gerry Goddard has stood down as an officer but plans to remain actively involved with the Society.
To all of them I offer thanks on behalf of the Society.
Welcome to our new Honorary Treasurer David Ackroyd who took over from Angus at the AGM.
I was able to report a busy year for the Society. The Society’s website is now “up and running” with visitor numbers continuing to climb, if not spectacularly then certainly encouragingly.
I was disappointed to have to report that the Park and Paterson development on Cross Lane is to go ahead following appeal, in spite of opposition from your Society and a refusal of planning consent by the council.
On a brighter note, I was able to report progress with the Scroll Bridge in Brabyns Park, the installation of two benches at Hawk Green and Brabyns Park and a successful coffee morning in May. We also supported the Marple Locks festival, St Martin’s Christmas Tree Festival and were represented at the monthly Marple Area Committee meetings and the Marple District Centre Partnership.
Finally, a reminder to those members who have not yet paid, annual subscriptions are now due.
Antiques Valuation Day
On 15th march the Society held an Antiques Valuation Day at the Scout Hut in Marple Memorial Park. This was a new venture for the Society and although we were not overwhelmed with items we are encouraged by the response and look forward to repeating the event in the future.
Email Addresses
Would those members who would like to receive correspondence electronically, please email our Secretary, Chris Parr (chris.parr67@ntlworld.com), or send an email to us on (mail@marplecivicsociety.org.uk).
Chadwick Street Car Park and the Hollins Lane/ Stockport road Junction
Your committee continue to monitor the proposals for Chadwick Street car park and the Hollins/Stockport Road junction. We object to the proposals on the following grounds and have written to the Council accordingly.
1. The changes to the road layout at the junction of Hollins Lane and Stockport Road will be detrimental to the town centre
- Reduction of the area of the Hollins pavement along the frontage of Stockport Road will spoil the pleasant open space with seats heavily used by pedestrians, shoppers and bus passengers.
- The controlled pedestrian crossing on Stockport Road which is well used and provides a link to both sides will, under the proposals, be a more difficult crossing with a refuge in the centre of the road and in effect will cut the centre of Marple in two.
2. The changes to the road layout will adversely affect traffic flow in the centre of Marple.
- Traffic turning right into Hollins Lane will stop the traffic progressing towards Stockport as this will become, under the proposals, a single lane.
- The traffic that now uses Trinity Street to access Stockport Road will have to use the traffic lights at Hibbert Lane. The present traffic flow is substantial and as the gap between Hibbert Lane and Hollins Lane becomes clogged traffic will build up in Hibbert Lane.
- Deliveries to Iceland, Superdrug and McKays do not seem to have been adequately considered.
Superdrug is a back-
on loading bay and can only be accessed if facing out to Stockport Road. With the flow reversed in Trinity Street, delivery lorries will block Trinity Street when making deliveries. - The extension of the car park into Trinity Street will be a hazard. Trinity Street is well used by vehicles of all sizes. Large lorries and car parking do not mix.
- Delivery vehicles travelling along Stockport Road towards Stockport, who wish to enter Trinity Street, will be obliged to swing wide at the junction thus blocking Stockport Road in both directions.
We support the principle objective to encourage the use of the Chadwick Street car
park, particularly by shoppers, and we suggest the main reasons for its low usage
as being the parking charges (N.B. the Co-
We have suggested to the Council to go ahead with the car park improvements but hold fire on the highway changes at the Hollins in order to assess the effect on car park usage.”
Future Events and Initiatives
Starting in July we propose to add a “Then and Now” page to our website. The page will take old photos from the Society’s archive and contrast them with present day photos of the same place or event. For the first year we have four themes planned. Suggestions for future themes will be gratefully received.
We have planned a “writing and painting” competition for the summer, involving 110 children from All Saint’s Primary school in Marple. The children’s work will be displayed on our website and in Marple Library at the end of July.
We would like to meet and get to know more of our members and are looking at ways we might do this. When we have given it more thought we will be in touch with you.
Finally, don’t forget that our Coffee Morning this year will be on the 21st June at the Senior Citizens Hall in the Memorial Park.
Best wishes
Alan Postill
Chairman
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MINUTES OF THE 46th ANNUAL
GENERAL MEETING
held at 7.30p.m. on Thursday 27 March 2008 At Marple Library.
Present Mrs Faith Yeaman (Chairman), Mr Alan Postill (Acting Chairman) Mr Chris Parr, (Hon. Secretary), Mr AngusYeaman (Hon Treasurer), Mr Colin Fox Mrs Margaret Jones, Mrs Margaret Kenworthy, Mrs Gillian Postill (Committee Members)
Retirement of Chairman Mrs Yeaman opened the meeting and stated that, for health reasons,
she is relinquishing the chair and has great pleasure in nominating Mr Alan Postill to be
elected in her place. This was agreed unanimously by those present.
Apologies Mr David Ackroyd, Mrs Geraldine Goddard, Mr Alan Proctor
Minutes The Minutes of the meeting held on 22 March 2007 were tabled, approved and signed by
the Chairman.
Chairman’s Report
Mr Alan Postill presented the Chairman’s report for the past year and started by giving thanks to retiring officers.
- Mrs Faith Yeaman as Chairman and Mr Angus Yeaman as Hon. Treasurer but both will remain and were elected to serve on the committee.
- Mrs Geraldine Goddard stands down from the committee but offers to help at events when required.
He stated that the past year had been an active one mentioning
- The establishment of the Society’s Website at: www.marplecivicsociety.org.uk
- Continuous monitoring of Planning Applications
- The reinstatement of the Scroll Bridge in Brabyns Park
- Donation of two seats, one in Brabyns Park and the second on Hawk Green.
- A successful Coffee Morning at the Senior Citizen’s Hall in May
- A stand at the Marple Locks Festival in June
- A visit by Stephen Langtree from the North Western Association of Civic Trust Societies in November
- Set up a tree at the St Martin’s Christmas Tree Festival in December
- Antique Valuation Day on 15 March – a new venture which will be repeated in the future.
- Attendance by officers at most Marple Area Committee and Marple District Centre Partnership Meetings during the year.
One current outstanding matter relates to the plans under consideration for the modification of the Chadwick Street Car Park in the centre of Marple and related changes to the junction of Stockport Road and Hollins Lane. A letter giving the Society’s views has been sent to the Council and a summary of that letter is in the News page of the website.
He outlined his views for the future including all the work currently undertaken on Planning, local events, fund raising etc.
In addition he hopes to increase cooperation with other organisations in Marple, develop our Charitable Status more to encourage others to join us in projects, and seek to increase our membership.
Hon Treasurer’s Report
Mr Angus Yeaman presented the Annual Accounts for the Year ending 31 December 2007 showing a loss for the year due to the costs incurred in setting up the Website and also the cost of one of the seats donated in the year. After one or two points of clarification these Accounts were approved.
Election of Officers Nominations for the officers were reported by The Hon. Secretary.
For Chairman. – Mr Alan Postill (See above)
Honorary Secretary – Mr Chris Parr was nominated and re-
Honorary Treasurer – Mr David Ackroyd was nominated and elected.
Election of Committee Nominations had been received for the Committee as follows
Mr Colin Fox, Mrs Margaret Jones, Mrs Margaret Kenworthy, Mrs Gillian Postill, Mr Alan Proctor, Mr Angus Yeaman, Mrs Faith Yeaman, who were elected en bloc.
Appointment of Advisors Hon Architect Mr Colin Fox
Hon Auditor Mr M.R.K.Kinder
Hon Solicitor No appointment
Other Business
It was agreed to retain the same subscriptions for next year
The management of the Website will be considered by the Committee this summer
Consideration to be given to setting up a Civic Awards scheme
A personal approach to all members to be arranges to increase membership
Consider having a table set up at various local events to publicise the Society
A “press Release” summarising the AGM proceedings to be sent to the local press.
The Chairman then closed the formal part of the meeting which was followed by informal discussion and refreshments were provided for those present.
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