Just to keep everyone informed... The Planning Dept yesterday deferred the decision on whether to give the green light to the plans to build the six-storey block on the site of the Arch.
This is pleasing, but we should not necessarily get our hopes up too much. Nevertheless, following a "site visit" (during which the committee members actually GOT OFF THE BUS - a rare event, apparently), at the actual planning meeting, the first thing that happened was that the Chair, Cllr Burns(Labour) declared that "there's no such thing as a done deal here", quoting directly from a local activist's Twitter update earlier in the day.
This would seem to imply that they are now well aware that there is a head of local public opinion against this, and it has them rattled. They may wish to delay the decision till after the local elections on May 6th. However, according to The Applicant (Andrew Whatson), who we met the night before the planning meeting at the Green Party office, the developers need to start the work before May if they are to be able to open in time for the start of term the following year (Sept. 2011).
The petition has 172 names now, which is great going in just over a week.
Please sign the petition: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-arch-bar.html
Also, thought I'd pass on the good news that at the same planning meeting it was announced that the developers wishing to turn Chorlton Meadows into football pitches withdrew their application. That doesn't mean that they may not change their plans slightly and re-submit them in the future, but for the time being it's a tremendous victory for the Save Chorlton Meadows campaign.
Well done to everyone involved!
No comments:
Post a Comment