Marple Website Community Calendar
Archive => Archived Boards => Sale of Hibbert Lane Campus to Supermarket Chain => Topic started by: springfield on November 26, 2011, 01:40:51 PM
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I am new to this site but I thought I would post a copy of a letter I sent to Cllr Ingham last month about the land at Hibbert Lan
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Hello Councillor Dowlings Partner ? Please do not try to turn this into a political platform as you will do your husbands political party no favours. MIA have always distanced themselves from any political party but sadly you appear to set your stall out and possibly represent the views of your partner, who may I add is yet to vote if this development goes into planning. I am aware that you and councillor Dowling own the Springfield Hotel in Marple and like the majority of local business owners you will have your own concerns regarding the future developments in Marple especially if a hotel were to be developed, which there have NEVER been any plans for.
MIA along with the council have all been looking for alternative uses for the site. My personal view is that I would like it to be kept for education.
Have you spoken directly to the person you name in the letter if not then I suggest you do ? I will also be submitting a response to our MP as I am furious that you are trying to bring MIA into disrepute
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Oh dear. I didn't mean to offend you - whoever you are! But I am offended that you have chosen to attack me personally. I am entitled to my own view as you are and everyone else is. I am my own person and have my own views. I am certainly NOT political and take offence that you are choosing to interpret my letter to Cllr Ingham as such. I am sorry if you did not like the content but I can assure you, it represents my views on the matter and no-one elses. I thought my letter was considered and reasoned and as I said - I can see both sides of the argument in support of and against a supermarket. What I am against is a hotel on the site and I am honest enough to say why. I own a small hotel and would not welcome competition from another such operator in Marple. This is my final correspondence on the issue as I have given my views and do not want to get involved in an argument about them. I will leave the arguments for those who obviously have more spare time than I have.
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You have not offended me Dusty! I am not offended I am bemused that you should try to attack a recognised community group with such a following, given your husbands / partners position. I do hope you will take up the invitation to speak with MIA and we may be able to enlighten you on the very strong opposition to a supermarket on the Hibbert Lane site.
In fact I would like to invite yourself and Cllr Dowling, in fact all elected members to come to the MIA stall next week and hear first hand how strong the opposition is to a supermarket development is on the campus Where on earth you have got information that there is not such strong opposition is also quite alarming given your husbands position and your claim that you are part of the community.
I hope you and your husband / partner will accept the invitation to come and meet with MIA on Sat to meet the people who Cllr Dowling purports to represent ?
My name is Paula Smith and I would be very happy to meet with you both and share information which may prove beneficial for your husbands councillor role, not to mention the communities future representation by the Liberal Party
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The points Dusty makes, and she admits this, are prompted by a perceived threat to her business, self-serving but understandable. The points about MIA are just sniping, in my humble opinion, and are only of any interest because they are from the partner of an elected member representing Marple. Dusty is of course free to air her opinions but what I do find troubling is the purposeful way she has sought to publicise these views. Whether you agree with the aims if MIA or not, is it helpful, or proper, for the partner of an elected member to make such negative remarks about the community?
As said, Dusty purposefully publicised her letter so I would suggest she, and anyone else who chooses to post on a public forum, should be prepared to have their points countered and challenged.
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Tina, I can confirm that you misquoted Mrs O and her statement you referred to was true. All posts made by Tina and Mrs O have now been removed from this thread. Please continue your conversation privately. Admin.
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I cant open this thread,any ideas?? :(
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I cant open this thread,any ideas?? :(
What do you mean? If you mean you can't open the letter attached to the first post - it is a Word document attached by the originator. You need to have MS Word on your PC to open it.
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Actually, MS Word is not required.
Go to http://www.openoffice.org/ (http://www.openoffice.org/) and download OpenOffice. It has all the functionality of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access) but it is free software. Its also available for Apple Macs and Linux as well as Windows.
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Harry's right, I should have said you need some software that will open a Word Doc, not necessarily MS Word. However, you don't now as I've converted the letter to a pdf and attached it to the original post.
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Thanks Admin I have now read the letter,it would seem whatever is built on the college land will upset someone.... :(
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I've read the letter too. It was a bit disingenuous of dusty to avoid mentioning that her partner is a councillor, but apart from that she was commendably open about her own business interests. It's hard to see what all the fuss is about, and there's certainly nothing 'political' about her post.
Meanwhile, there is an interesting debate here between dusty, who says 'I would not be surprised if there were just as many people who support a supermarket as there are who came out to march against it', and Miss M, who writes ..we may be able to enlighten you on the very strong opposition to a supermarket on the Hibbert Lane site.... come to the MIA stall next week and hear first hand how strong the opposition is to a supermarket development is on the campus. Where on earth you have got information that there is not such strong opposition is also quite alarming ...
This issue is one which might usefully be investigated more systematically. At the moment, AFAIK, there is no reliable evidence for what the majority view is, one way or another. Maybe some local body which has funds (Marple Business Forum?) might be interested in commissioning a proper survey from a reputable research organisation?
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This issue is one which might usefully be investigated more systematically. At the moment, AFAIK, there is no reliable evidence for what the majority view is, one way or another. Maybe some local body which has funds (Marple Business Forum?) might be interested in commissioning a proper survey from a reputable research organisation?
There's no statistical evidence that I know of. However, I think that there are probably many more people who actively don't want a supermarket than those who actively do. At least when the "no" march happened I was quite surprised at the numbers of people who turned out. I guessed it was close on a thousand people who participated although I seem to remember that the estimate was around 850. I imagine that if someone tried to organise a march for those people who wanted a supermarket as badly as those who marched against it there would be nowhere near as many.
I have heard gossip (no more than that) that people are being called by marketing companies who are asking if they would use a new supermarket if one were to come to Marple. The question is whether they would "use" one, not whether they "want" one. It's not hard to reason that this research is being undertaken on behalf of a supermarket giant and will be used to counter the message from the "no" campaign.
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I tend to agree that in the unlikely event of a pro-supermarket demo being arranged, there would probably be fewer people out on the street than there were at the anti march. But that only reflects the reality that on the whole, people demonstrate AGAINST things, not in support of them. Think Iraq war, fox hunting, student fees etc etc. If we want an accurate picture of pro and anti opinion, we need a proper survey.
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I have heard gossip (no more than that) that people are being called by marketing companies who are asking if they would use a new supermarket if one were to come to Marple. The question is whether they would "use" one, not whether they "want" one. It's not hard to reason that this research is being undertaken on behalf of a supermarket giant and will be used to counter the message from the "no" campaign.
That's part of the problem with this issue though, isn't it. I strongly suspect that there is a big difference between the number of people who are against having a supermarket in Marple, and the number of people who, should one be built, would refuse to use it (which is only natural).
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I tend to agree that in the unlikely event of a pro-supermarket demo being arranged, there would probably be fewer people out on the street than there were at the anti march. But that only reflects the reality that on the whole, people demonstrate AGAINST things, not in support of them. Think Iraq war, fox hunting, student fees etc etc. If we want an accurate picture of pro and anti opinion, we need a proper survey.
I've been meaning to make this point for a while, thanks Dave.
It can be evidenced quite neatly by the situation with government spending cuts.
So . . . http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/mar/25/voters-cuts-coalition-poll (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/mar/25/voters-cuts-coalition-poll)
57% in favour of them
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12864353 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12864353)
Quarter of a million people march against them
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13398966 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13398966)
350 people march in favour of them.
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It clearly depends on what circles you move in, but certainly most people I speak to are in favour of a new supermarket on Hibbert Lane.
Also, I'd still doubt how effective a poll would be in gauging opinion as no doubt MIA would open a stall offering to fill people's surveys in for them.
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So because 800+ marched and thousands filled in a petition, there are automatically more people in favour of a supermarket on Hibbert Lane? That's a neat way to counter the pretty fierce opposition to the proposed supermarket without actually providing any proof whatsoever.
Just to balance things out...most people I speak to are firmly opposed to a supermarket on Hibbert Lane
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No-one has suggested that, Steptoe, and it would be a ridiculous idea. The point that I and others have made is simply that we don't know what the majority opinion is, and the marches and demos don't make us any the wiser.
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I've spoken to a number of my neighbours, and all of them are of the opinion that it would be good for Marple and they would use it. But not one of us would join a march, sign a petition, or anything else. All far too busy or CBA. Most often the latter.
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I've spoken to a number of my neighbours, and all of them are of the opinion that it would be good for Marple and they would use it. But not one of us would join a march, sign a petition, or anything else. All far too busy or CBA. Most often the latter.
Maybe the CBA attitude is why MARPLE is in such a state? It's about time the community became instrumental in front line changes which directly effect them.
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'MARPLE is in such a state'. Is it? In what way?
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No-one has suggested that, Steptoe, and it would be a ridiculous idea. The point that I and others have made is simply that we don't know what the majority opinion is, and the marches and demos don't make us any the wiser.
It seems to me that HWLs 'statistics' are clearly aiming to suggest a silent majority in favour. If not, why not just post about wanting a poll and leave the stats out? I think this notion of a poll is a red herring...who would pay for it for one? If there were a poll, and the result was against a supermarket, do you think Asda would take any notice of it?
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No, ASDA would not take any notice of it, but the Planning Inspectorate just might. If (when) the planning application goes to appeal, RELIABLE evidence that the people of Marple do or don't want a supermarket on that site may just count for something. As for who would pay for it, I suggested Marple Business Forum.
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No-one has suggested that, Steptoe, and it would be a ridiculous idea. The point that I and others have made is simply that we don't know what the majority opinion is, and the marches and demos don't make us any the wiser.
It seems to me that HWLs 'statistics' are clearly aiming to suggest a silent majority in favour. If not, why not just post about wanting a poll and leave the stats out? I think this notion of a poll is a red herring...who would pay for it for one? If there were a poll, and the result was against a supermarket, do you think Asda would take any notice of it?
Whoah, hang on a minute there Steptoe. Those statistics are meant to show that people don't get out on the streets to support something in the same way they do to protest against something. They are not 'clearly aiming to suggest' anything else.
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Thousands have just marched on the streets to protect their pensions. It's that old chestnut ! If you care about something enough you will protest against it. Like I keep saying theres a lot of talking the talk on this site and very little walking the walk done by people who want a supermarket ! We can all just sit about and moan about something actually doing something about it takes commitment to a cause.
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Funnily enough, there didn't seem to be many people marching in favour of the government's pension proposals, even though we know there are plenty of them. The point of a democracy is that everyone's opinion counts, not just those who shout the loudest.
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So because 800+ marched and thousands filled in a petition, there are automatically more people in favour of a supermarket on Hibbert Lane? That's a neat way to counter the pretty fierce opposition to the proposed supermarket without actually providing any proof whatsoever.
Just to balance things out...most people I speak to are firmly opposed to a supermarket on Hibbert Lane
Maybe but i bet most of them people dont use [ mission impossible ] coop . they will go to another sup ermarket . out of the area .went to coop again this morning for a few Christmas's type food things .they dint
have them so this afternoon went down to asda .no problem buying there had what we wanted .
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Funnily enough, there didn't seem to be many people marching in favour of the government's pension proposals, even though we know there are plenty of them. The point of a democracy is that everyone's opinion counts, not just those who shout the loudest.
. There were lots of people who downed tools but chose to do Xmas shopping instead of attending the march. Trust me on this one because sadly I was one of them and before anyone asks YES I shopped local :D. Hey Dave who is in favour of the governments pension proposals because its definitely not anyone I know or work with ???
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I totally agree with the government's proposals regarding public sector workers pensions, that's irrelevant. We need a real supermarket in Marple.
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I totally agree with the government's proposals regarding public sector workers pensions, that's irrelevant. We need a real supermarket in Marple.
what's betting your not a public sector worker Lol :-*
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So you are a public sector worker. Marple needs a real supermarket.
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I'm not employed, don't claim any benefits and don't have a pension - public, private or otherwise. (Not sure why this matters, but it would seem to from previous posts.) Would prefer a fantasy supermarket.
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I am becoming more and more confused :(. The issue is not about not wanting or not needing a supermarket. It's about not wanting or not needing a supermarket on Hibbert Lane I am sorry if I have confused I thought I had fantastic communication skills obviously not :-\
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So you are a public sector worker. Marple needs a real supermarket.
Did I say I was ? Didnt think so because I like to keep an air of mystery :-*
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I totally agree with the government's proposals regarding public sector workers pensions, that's irrelevant. We need a real supermarket in Marple.
Notice miss maples always trys to change the subject
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I totally agree with the government's proposals regarding public sector workers pensions, that's irrelevant. We need a real supermarket in Marple.
Notice miss maples always trays to change the subject
Well that's a bit of a cheek you cheeky chappie ! You have just changed my flipping identity ! You syrup speaking charmer :-*
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So you are a public sector worker. Marple needs a real supermarket.
Did I say I was ? Didnt think so because I like to keep an air of mystery :-*
Well you did admit to downing tools and not joining the march.
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So you are a public sector worker. Marple needs a real supermarket.
Did I say I was ? Didnt think so because I like to keep an air of mystery :-*
Well you did admit to downing tools and not joining the march.
Maybe I just came out in sympathy ;)
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So you are a public sector worker. Marple needs a real supermarket.
Did I say I was ? Didnt think so because I like to keep an air of mystery :-*
Is that why you never answer a straight question? Such as: 'MARPLE is in such a state'. Is it? In what way?
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I totally agree with the government's proposals regarding public sector workers pensions, that's irrelevant. We need a real supermarket in Marple.
Notice miss maples always trays to change the subject
Well that's a bit of a cheek you cheeky chappie ! You have just changed my flipping identity ! You syrup speaking charmer :-*
you were spoted in ASDA the other week . ;)
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Now you are hallucinating ! I am more of a Fortum & Mason type of gal I don't do Asda unless Carte Noire is on offer or I am desperate ! I find it too expensive, very poor quality and poor value for money There you go Dave that's your starter for 10 :-*
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Now you are hallucinating ! I am more of a Fortum & Mason type of gal I don't do Asda unless Carte Noire is on offer or I am desperate ! I find it too expensive, very poor quality and poor value for money There you go Dave that's your starter for 10 :-*
Are you typing this on your i pad ,just bought one whats it like to use .
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Have you tried shopping in Delmonico's.
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Thousands have just marched on the streets to protect their pensions. It's that old chestnut ! If you care about something enough you will protest against it. Like I keep saying theres a lot of talking the talk on this site and very little walking the walk done by people who want a supermarket ! We can all just sit about and moan about something actually doing something about it takes commitment to a cause.
But surelt that backs up the silent majority. I've not met anyone who thinks the pensions protest was justified except those who have a self-interest.
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Thousands have just marched on the streets to protect their pensions. It's that old chestnut ! If you care about something enough you will protest against it. Like I keep saying theres a lot of talking the talk on this site and very little walking the walk done by people who want a supermarket ! We can all just sit about and moan about something actually doing something about it takes commitment to a cause.
But surelt that backs up the silent majority. I've not met anyone who thinks the pensions protest was justified except those who have a self-interest.
Well hello ! You have just had the pleasure of meeting one :-*
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Now you are hallucinating ! I am more of a Fortum & Mason type of Gal I don't do Asda unless Carte Noire is on offer or I am desperate ! I find it too expensive, very poor quality and poor value for money There you go Dave that's your starter for 10 :-*
Are you typing this on your i pad ,just bought one whats it like to use .
I am totally addicted to mine, some of the Apps are amazing The downside is I leave it on all the time so now it looks like I am never off this site if you look at the stats The other downside is that I am getting an iPhone soon so I will have no time to go to work, I will be a total addict. I am sure you will love yours and that you will never watch TV again ! By the way, is Elsie Tanner leaving the street ;)
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Thousands have just marched on the streets to protect their pensions. It's that old chestnut ! If you care about something enough you will protest against it. Like I keep saying theres a lot of talking the talk on this site and very little walking the walk done by people who want a supermarket ! We can all just sit about and moan about something actually doing something about it takes commitment to a cause.
But surelt that backs up the silent majority. I've not met anyone who thinks the pensions protest was justified except those who have a self-interest.
Well hello ! You have just had the pleasure of meeting one :-*
I understood you had a self-interest in that particular case.
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Elsie Tanner----Ouch! Miss Marple that was cruel and If I may say Madam a little "Toffee Nosed" if I may be permitted to say
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Well yes and no ! Would be my answer due to it being an age thing ! If you get my drift Duke :-\
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Well yes and no ! Would be my answer due to it being an age thing ! If you get my drift Duke :-\
Oh, I'm sure you may have let on that you were once in the emply of the state.
If you were supporting the strike but didn't have a personal interest, I think you need to read the Hutton report as changes are needed to public sector pensions.
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I have read it and it's still my age !