Marple Leisure and Community Hub update, 23 June 2021

As part of ongoing work to develop replacement leisure and community facilities, the council carried out a second round of public engagement between December 2020 and January 2021.

This engagement has informed the latest phase of work which the council has been undertaking on the project over the last few months.

The strongest preference expressed in the engagement process was for a scheme which co-located health, community and leisure facilities and incorporated Hollins House into the complex. People welcomed the opportunity to integrate services in a single ‘hub’ and felt that the site presented was the best place to do this. This feedback has helped us to do more detailed work to consider how different functions could best be accommodated in a scheme.

A number of concerns were raised about parking, access and traffic, the potential loss of woodland in the park, the proximity to neighbouring properties and the size of the swimming pool. The Marple Senior Citizens Association expressed a wish to remain in their current building. This feedback has helped us to reconsider and revise the schemes which were circulated during the engagement process.

As a result, the council has been working with the architects to draw up alternative options based around the same site. Development work is continuing prior to a revised scheme being brought forward for planning.

In parallel with this, the council has been investigating funding models and options for the new facility and having discussions with a range of organisations about potentially being accommodated in the new scheme. The funding available and organisations confirming their involvement will ultimately define the scope and scale of the scheme which is brought forward for planning.