Issue - meetings

To consider a joint report of the Head of Culture & Leisure and Head Of Highways & Transportation

This report is an update for members covering operational performance at Bramall Hall over the past 12 months and future event programming for 2018.

This report describes early outline proposals to improve car parking in Bramhall Park with a view to increasing capacity for visitors to the Hall, Park and Cafe.

The Area Committee is recommended to note the report.

Officer contact: Alison Farthing on 0161 474 4469 or email; alison.farthing@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration submitted a joint report of the Head of Culture & Leisure and Head Of Highways & Transportation (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on the operational performance of Bramall Hall over the past 12 months and future event programming for 2018.

The report also provided an overview of early outline proposals to improve car parking in Bramhall Park with a view to increasing capacity for visitors to the Hall, Park and Café.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Investigations were ongoing in relation to the provision of additional surface car parking for Bramhall Park.  The preferred option was to use Council owned land along Bramhall Lane South with a review of drainage, utilities and flooding currently underway.  A sum of £100,000 had been allocated to undertake the necessary feasibility studies to assess the suitability of the site.

·         With regard to the use of the archery lawn for event parking, a discussion took place in relation to mitigation measures which could be implemented to protect the lawn from any resultant damage.  In the short term, metal sheeting had been sourced to protect the lawn from damage caused by parking which might occur, particularly during periods of wet weather.

·         The view was expressed that proposals to use the archery lawn for overspill parking on up to four occasions a year was reasonable.

·         The archery lawn also needed to be protected from its continued use as a thoroughfare by visitors to the Hall and park which had worn a path through the centre of the lawn.

·         Greater use of the park and ride facility at Hazel Grove should be made to reduce the demand on the limited parking available at the park.

·         In response to a comment that the number of visits to the Hall from local schools had not fully recovered since the Hall had reopened, it was stated that further work needed to be done to publicise the fact that the Hall was now open to schools within the Borough.

·         Concern was expressed that proposals to alleviate parking problems were still in their infancy two years since the Area Committee expressed the view that this needed to be dealt with urgently.

·         It was suggested that discussions should be held between event organisers and the Brookdale Club in relation to the use of their car park on event days.

·         The Area Committee should be involved at an early stage on any proposal to provide alternative parking provision.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.