Plea for new war memorial garden
CAMPAIGNERS are calling on the council to rethink plans for a car park so they can create a new war memorial garden and conservation area.
The council is proposing to create a 20 space car park on land between the Midland and Magnet pubs, just off the A6 near the town centre, as part of the Travis Brow M60 link road development.
A community group however, had been hoping to turn the land into a war memorial garden and believe the same number of parking spaces could be created on nearby streets instead.
The Love Heaton Norris group would like to transform the currently unused green space, which has many mature trees, into a memorial garden, as Heaton Norris currently doesn’t have its own war memorial.
The group also approached the council around four months ago, proposing the creation of a new conservation area, from Belmont Bridge down to Heaton Lane.
They have suggested alternative ideas for parking, including moving the proposed car park by 70 metres to the end of Wycliffe Street, or opening up the currently under used Wycliffe Street so it can be used for on street parking instead.
The car park has been included in amended plans for the link road, which were drawn up so the Midland, which was initially earmarked for demolition, could be saved.
The plans would also see Railway Street closed on safety grounds.
Phil Rowbotham from the Heatons Heritage Society said: “There is now much public support for this war memorial, especially from local exservicemen and women.
“There’s very few green spaces left in the centre of Stockport. This could be a green lung for the town.”
Sue Stevenson, the interim head of highways, said the council’s planning committee will have the final say on the application, but added that the car park will only take up part of the site and the council could ‘have a discussion’ on what happens to the rest of it.
She said: “We have to close Railway Street if we are going to save the pub.
“The additional parking is something we’ve added to the scheme to protect the long term viability of the pub.
“The car park will only take up part of the site, we’re looking to use part of that space to replace the parking lost on Railway Street.”