Date: 18/03/2009
The proposed new bridge over the river Goyt in Whaley Bridge has moved a step closer following the development of a Masterplan for development of the Bingswood Industrial Estate and the securing of land needed to enable the bridge to be built.
High Peak Borough Council had granted conditional planning consent for the mixed-use development of land adjacent to the Tesco store at Hogsyard. The approval was subject to a legal agreement that would transfer a small area of the land to the Council's ownership to facilitate the building of the bridge. This agreement - without which the much-needed bridge could not be built - was finally signed on Wednesday 11 March 2009.
Later on the same day, the Council's appointed consultants gave a presentation on the outcomes of the Masterplan investigations to local stakeholder representatives in the Whaley Bridge Regeneration Partnership, at which proposals were warmly received.
High Peak Borough Council commissioned this important study to be developed by a consortium of specialist professionals, led by Broadway Malyan, following a successful bid for funding from the Derby and Derbyshire Economic Partnership (DDEP). The Masterplan proposes a basis on which vital changes can be planned and managed on the Bingswood Industrial Estate and the surrounding, historic canal basin area of Whaley Bridge. Fundamental aspects of the plan are the promotion of employment opportunities, and the delivery of wider-reaching improvements to traffic management and environmental issues in the town.
As the Borough Council does not own the land in question on the estate, the potential to deliver the complete scheme will be subject to reaching a series of agreements with relevant landowners. It will also be necessary to secure the backing of the highways authority.
The final stage in the process will be to continue working in partnership with DDEP and the East Midlands Development Agency to secure the necessary external funding package needed to implement the proposals. However, the specialist technical investigations carried out within the Masterplan process have provided vital evidence to support a funding bid by the Borough Council and this is likely to place the bid high in the region's list of priorities.
Tony Kemp, Executive Councillor for Regeneration (and a board member of DDEP) said: "From my first involvement with the Bridge project, I realised that we had little hope of securing funding unless we were able to present a sound business case that showed not only the need for a bridge on environmental grounds, but also how we would take forward the project to secure jobs for the future on the industrial estate and address other wider issues. I have had full and continuing support from my colleagues on High Peak Borough Council in taking forward this Masterplan process and we have moved steadily forward over the last 18 months in establishing the basis for a really strong funding bid.
"I am delighted that our various partner organisations have endorsed the conclusions reached in the report and the option recommended by the Council to deliver employment growth and improve the town centre and canal basin environment. Over the next few months we will continue work on the delivery plan, move forward on securing the necessary land agreements and begin the put together the all-important funding bid to enable construction of the new bridge to start."
A further presentation will be made to the Whaley Bridge Regeneration Partnership in June, with an assessment of the funding package that will be required.