A town council working group hopes to start the first phase of a joint use open space regeneration project in Alsager next summer.

The objective of Alsager Town Council's Cedar Avenue joint use open space working group is to improve an area of open space in Alsager, which follows public footpath No 10 (a public right of way) and lies between the Valley Brook and houses at Hall Drive Park and Cedar Avenue.

The land is adjacent to St Gabriel's school, who have gated access to this area, it is bounded by the allotment gardens, the Valley Brook and is adjacent to the scouts and girl guides buildings.

At a recent working group meeting, members highlighted that the area is "extremely well-used" by a cross section of the community including parents and children of the school, the scouts, the girl guide's, allotment holders, pedestrians, walkers, dog walkers and cyclists.

In addition to footpath No 10 there are covenants on the land which require any surface to be permeable and there is no overnight parking.

Estimated costs by Cheshire East for a permeable surface were £44,143 in 2019.

The land is owned by Cheshire East Council and any project requires their endorsement.

Alsager Town Council has provided the authority will full details of the proposals and have been seeking engagement and involvement.

In her role as Secretary of the Alsager Gardens Association, Cllr Pauline Hubbard produced an outline design and specification for the area to use when submitting funding bids.

Requests were made to the following organisations, which were unsuccessful:

- London North West Railways CCIF Grant £138,000.

- Prospect Homes - builders of Hall Park Farm estate.

A meeting took place last month with Martin Caldwell from Prospect Homes where the proposals and the town council's vision was discussed.

As a result, a request went to the 'Riverside Group' which outlined how the project would support their published 'Travel Plan' and asking for their support and funding, but no response was received.

Cllr Hubbard said: "I suspect the lack of success with the smaller bids is associated with the fact it is a large scheme and there is a better opportunity to get small bids of funding if we have a contribution to start with."

Cllr Hubbard recently met with Nicola Clarke, town clerk of Alsager Town Council and Lee Beckett, who works as an officer for the assets department at Cheshire East, to discuss the site.

Cllr Hubbard claimed that Cheshire East were "very keen" to "explore the opportunities going forward" about the potential transfer of assets of the open space to the town council.

Cllr Rod Fletcher was "disappointed" that Cheshire East had not been "proactive" and ensured public footpath No10, which is a "strategic route" for the housing estates being built south of Crewe Road was suitable for wheelchair users and mobility scooters.

Cllr Fletcher added: "It is a quicker route to the medical centre and the station avoiding the centre of Alsager.

"Someone who is disabled or in a wheelchair cannot use it at the moment."

Last year at an allotment open day, an allotment member, who has a partner who is "severely disabled" and uses an electric chair, had to lay boards across the potholes to get his partner's mobility scooter into the allotments.

Cllr Hubbard added: "It is a nightmare across that piece of area, it's more like a moonscape filled with swimming pools.

"As soon as you go into the dark, it is an area you certainly would not feel safe using because you could really have a severe injury."

The Liberal Democrat councillor highlighted that with Cedar Avenue and Well Lane being so narrow, it meant it was "extremely difficult" to park at key times throughout the peak of the day.

Cllr Hubbard continued: "This area of scrub land is not helping us to alleviate any of those problems whatsoever.

"You have to effectively abandon your car wherever you can on that area and it has progressively got worst and worst over the last two years.

"It is just deteriorating to a point where it is a major hazard, and it is not supporting any of the strategic objectives that we as a town council would want to do or even those promoted by Cheshire East."

Cllr June Buckley claimed that Cheshire East's Cycling and Walking Champion, Cllr Suzie Akers Smith, has earmarked the area to form part of her wider borough plan to promote active travel.

Cllr Derek Hough felt the condition of the area was not even good enough for a car park and thought a phased approach to improve the area would be a beneficial project.

The group identified a phased approach would be required to achieve the various components and agreements needed to be put in place.

The group felt that the priority was to provide the minimum essential requirements to improve the area.

Phase one of the project would include:

- A permeable surface which would be marked out to maximise parking bays.

- That parking can be maximised by identified parking bays with access points marked as no parking.

- Appropriate signage.

SP Energy Network quoted a connection cost of £4,408 in 2019 to bring electricity into this area.

Alsager has received £12.929.10 worth of CIL money for the financial year 2020-21 from two CIL liable sites.

CIL is a levy that local authorities can choose to charge on new developments in their area. The money should be used to support development by funding infrastructure that the council, local community and neighbourhoods want.

That money has been earmarked for use in 2021 in addition to further CIL payments of just over £40,000 each April in 2021, 2022 and 2023 from development at the former MMU site.

Cllr Hubbard suggested that the town council made a request to Cheshire East to use that pot of CIL money which becomes available in April 2021 for the Cedar Avenue open space project.

However, consultation with the local community must take place prior to expenditure.

Cllr Hubbard felt the town council would need further money to fund the project and alluded to Cheshire East having a residual amount of section 106 monies (approximately £21,000), which could be used to support the development of footpath No 10.

The section 106 money has come via the Hall Drive Park development from Prospect Homes.

Lee Beckett, who attended last Monday's meeting, confirmed that Cheshire East was reviewing the open space as a potential asset transfer within their policy.

Mr Beckett stated that the authority was hoping to launch a new assets transfer policy in the New Year.

The following resolutions were requested by the working group:

- That the town council prioritise the enhancement of the Cedar Avenue joint use area and instruct the working group to work with Cheshire East Council, St Gabriel's School and the scout and guide groups. Regular reports will be brought to the town council whilst there are no scheduled meetings of the Planning, Environment and Community Committee.

- That the council agree to undertake phase one of the project. Funding to be by utilisation of the CIL allocation for 2021/22 of £52,929.10 (£40,654 + £12,929.10) together the use of capital reserves, sum to be determined and approved upon further investigation.

- To approve further consultation with key stakeholders and the wider community or scheme.

- To approve a desire to transfer of this piece of land to Alsager Town Council from Cheshire East Council by way of a lease agreement and to incorporate up to £2,000 to the draft town council budget 2021/22 to cover legal fees.

These resolutions will be discussed at a full Alsager Town Council meeting tomorrow night (Tuesday, 15 December).