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TWO years on from the announcement that the Snow
Hill / Swine Market area was to get a facelift, Crewe and Nantwich
Borough Council sought the views of Nantwich residents on the plan.
They consulted the traders
of the town and put the plans on show to the public at three exhibitions
(well, a three-panel display board) - at Nantwich Civic Hall, Brookfield Hall, the home of Nantwich Town Council; and Nantwich Swimming Pool - or the Brine Baths
The deadline has now passed but apart
from the opportunity to comment at one of the three venues, the public were able
to download a PDF from the borough council's website or complete an
on-line questionnaire.
I expressed my views on
line. This way mainly consisted of clicking on to radio buttons (those little circles
with a black dot inside them) although there was one section where you could
express
your opinion more fully.
That was where I told the council that
I didn't agree with a widely-held view that Swine Market was an
eyesore and should never have replaced the old buildings in the area. I am of
the opinion that Nantwich should have buildings representative of as many
decades as possible - good or bad! As such, the shops should stay.
I can't remember the condition of
buildings such as Carrington's newsagents, the Zan household goods shop, etc.
They looked fine, but outsiders rarely know the state of buildings. Were they
safe and fit for use? Was there no alternative to their demolition?
See the foot of the page for two pictures of the older buildings.
The saving of the Brine Baths (a.k.a.
Nantwich Pool) is of paramount importance. And while an hotel would be
acceptable, the area must not become yet another housing development site.
I see in the Nantwich Chronicle
(October 22) that traders are saying they don't want the shop premises in the
block demolished - even though there are other places in town they could move
to. They have also said they would prefer Swine Market to be pedestrianised.
BEVERLEY Cope - formerly the young lady
at the helm of the Nantwich Now Market Town Project, and now Crewe and Nantwich Borough
Council's Senior Communications Officer - said there was no reason why the facelift
could not be part of the Riverside improvement scheme with a hotel, for
instance, overlooking the river.
The public were not being presented with two or three
alternative schemes, all faits accomplis. They were being asked for their own
views which, Beverley promised, would be taken into account. As I understand it,
this is not a
publicity stunt exercise which falsely gives the impression that views might be
considered when, in fact, all is cut and dried.
Beverley told me that comments so had been positive. She stressed in The Chronicle that nothing
was set in stone
yet, adding "it could be all or nothing".
One suggestion I heard had me
puzzled. It was for Beam Street to be extended - through the current shops obviously - running to the River Weaver bridge in a straighter line
than turning into Oat Market.
Apart from meeting the junction of the Water Lode at an odd angle, it would do
little to alleviate the delays at this point which is caused by having a
four-way traffic lights set-up - one road at a time. So what would be then
point?
THE picture here is of Oat Market, with Swine Market
in the background, in the 1960s. Obviously, this is before High Street was
pedestrianised. It is taken from a postcard published by Promise which I
happened to have in the family "archives".
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