Lots on at this evening’s Cheadle Area Committee. Here’s what happened.

• We received two petitions from users of the skateboard park on Gatley Rec asking for improvements to the ramps. We want to speak to the users of the park and see how we can work together to do that, and what the community might reasonably expect in return (e.g. keeping it tidy).
• Gatley Village Partnership applied for £400 towards a wood sculpture to go on Gatley Green and commemorate our war dead, which we were happy to agree to.
• Cheadle Village Partnership applied for £1000 towards the Victorian Christmas Market, a fantastic event that takes a huge amount of organisation and we’re more than happy to support.
• Cheadle Village Hall on Brook Road applied for £1000 towards improvements to the inside of the hall, which we approved. The council is also doing work to replace the roof and put in a false ceiling in the main hall.
• We were told that the Community Payback team had spent three days clearing paths and passageways around the Demmings Industrial Estate
• Planning application 57891 – to build a new house in the back garden of 14 Lynton Vale Avenue, Gatley, was referred to the council’s full planning committee. We also asked for a site visit as we were unsure about the viability of the plans for access to the new property.
• Planning application 58331 – converting the old coal yard in Cheadle into a 132 space car park for the Alexandra Hospital – was recommended for approve. We also wanted fencing to stop headlights shining into the houses on Manchester Road. If they car park goes ahead, it will allow us to free up at least 30 spaces in Cheadle village centre for short stay parking.
• Planning application 59168 – extension to 19 Dawson Road, Heald Green, was approved.
• We approved creating a bridleway through the station car park from Gatley Road round to Brentwood Drive, as part of the new cycling routes.
• We approved double yellow lines at the junction of Victoria Avenue and Cheadle Road in Cheadle Hulme.
• We approved double yellow lines at the junction of Burns Avenue and Shakespeare Drive, Cheadle Hulme.
• After substantial debate, we approved the application to make the High Grove pub on Silverdale Road an asset of community value (ACV). We also received two petitions with over 500 names calling for this. However, there are a couple of caveats. First, being an ACV is not a pass to saving the pub. It means that, if Hydes sell the pub, the community group has six months to come up with a bid to buy it. The asking price is £475,000, and Hydes are under no obligation to accept the bid even if it’s the highest offered. Second, Hydes have a right of appeal and it’s possible that a higher power might decide it doesn’t qualify. However, the Lib Dem team firmly believe that giving the community a good chance to put something together to save the pub is the right thing to do.
• We approved putting the former pavilion on Gatley Rec on the open market. The building is in poor condition but at least one person is seriously interested in renovating it and taking it on.
• We were very happy with a request from the Yeshurun Synagogue to buy the land off Brookfield Road, Cheadle currently used as a cemetery and leased from the council.