On this page we will endeavour to keep our neighbours updated about the proposed building programme at the college. Each time we produce a Bulletin it will be reproduced here.
Responses and comments are welcome by emailing the college by clicking on the "Enquiries" button at the top of the page.
For those interested there are a couple of downloads at the foot of this page.
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Neighbourhood Bulletin 13 January 2010
Dear Neighbour
On behalf of the students, governors and staff at Aquinas College I wish you a very Happy New Year. Although the wintry weather has meant that 2010 has started with very challenging conditions, it marks the start of a very significant year in the college’s history. 2010 is the year in which we will move into our new purpose-built premises and we are looking forward to that event with great enthusiasm.
However before that gain there will inevitably be some inconvenience as the building continues at a pace. As you know we do accept and regret the effect on parking that the college's building development is having. The number of students here has not changed over the last few years and although the number of those who drive is relatively small, it rises throughout the academic year as more of them reach the age of 17. Some then pass their driving test and a proportion of those get access to a car as a result the number of student drivers increases. Those older students then leave Aquinas in June and the number of drivers drops to the minimum until the new intake arrives in September and the annual pattern is repeated. However, at present the many sub-contractors on site means that some students and staff have to look for road parking further away from the college. The impact in roads such as Windermere and Borrowdale has increased over the period of our building work and that of the Sunday School. Please be assured that this is a temporary situation.
We continue to pursue a campaign to reduce the number of students driving to College. We are blessed with a good public transport system which is used by around 80% of students and we continue to encourage them to use this or to walk or cycle.
Once the building is completed in May, the pressure of parking in local roads will reduce markedly since the majority of contractors will have finished. When the groundwork is completed later in the year, we will have an extra 50 parking places on our campus. This will also greatly contribute to reducing the problem. Please remain patient with us until then. We very much appreciate your forbearance.
Significant dates from the college diary on which the college will be operating outside normal hours are attached at the end of this letter to let you know you when there may be higher levels of traffic on local roads.
Building Operations
Building work in the new college is concentrated in the interior. The services are being installed and finishing work to decoration, flooring and furniture is already well underway. This fitting out marks the beginning of the final stages and we are starting to get a good idea of what a fantastic building it will be for our students to work in. External hard landscaping has also started. Planting to the areas around the sports pitches has already been completed. Plans are under way for the transition into the new building, which is scheduled to take place between May and July, so that all should be ready for the start of the academic year in September 2010.
Local Community Liaison
Thank to those who have contacted the college and contractors whenever they have had concerns about the possible impact that our educational or building operations has on our neighbours. Please continue to do this and, as in the past, we will endeavour to respond quickly and positively whenever the need arises.
The next meeting with representatives from the local community will take place at 6.30 pm on Wednesday 24 March 2010. As previously, this will be hosted by the college and chaired by a local councillor. If you wish to find out who represents your road at these meetings, please contact your local councillor.
Yours sincerely
(Dr) Ambrose Smith
Principal
Forthcoming dates:
Wednesday 27 January - Lower Sixth Consultation Evening 5.30 – 8.00pm
Thursday 28 January - Lower Sixth Consultation Evening 6.00 – 8.30pm
Friday 12 February - College closes for half-term
Tuesday 23 February - Students return after half-term
Wednesday 24 March - Community Liaison Meeting 6.30pm
Friday 26 March - College closes for Easter
Monday 12 April - College re-opens after Easter
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Neighbourhood Bulletin 12 September 2009
Dear Neighbour,
Student life has fully returned at Aquinas College as I am sure you have noticed. Education at Aquinas is still the goal of many young people in Stockport and restricting numbers to the agreed level is an annual challenge for us. We are pleased to be able to report that the number registered is almost exactly the same as last year. About half our students are new to the college and so it may take us a little time to achieve the type of good behaviour we expect when they are out and about in the neighbourhood.
We were pleased with our students’ examination success this summer enabling them to go on to universities, colleges and employment throughout the country and continuing, we trust, to be good ambassadors for Stockport.
Our adult education classes are also extremely popular. Recruitment is as high as ever and we are pleased that quite a number of our neighbours have enrolled for courses. This enthusiasm is most heartening. There are still some vacancies on some of our courses on Monday and Tuesday evenings if you wish to join us. We will also be using our new sports facilities for the first time in the evenings of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. As with all our courses for adults, these will finish between 9.00 and 9.30 p.m.
We have attached significant dates from the college diary when the college will be operating outside normal hours. On these dates there may be higher levels of traffic on local roads.
Building Operations
You will have noticed that much of the scaffolding has been removed to reveal that the cladding of our new college is complete. This means that the majority of the work to the exterior is now nearing completion. The interruption to local roads whilst the electricity was connected, which was scheduled for the summer, is now finished. We apologise for the inconvenience this may have caused some of you and for some noise disturbance created when the new bio-fuel storage was being installed. The focus is now on the internal works which will mean that much of the next phase will not be seen and, we hope, not heard from outside. We are pleased to report the work remains on schedule for completion in May 2010. Landscaping of the grounds surrounding the sports pitches is planned to begin in October. This includes planting of trees, shrubs, flower beds and lawns in that area. We have improved the drainage in this area recently.
Local Community Liaison
I should like to thank those neighbours who have contacted the college and contractors whenever they have had concerns about the effect of our educational or building operations on the locality. Please continue to do this and, as in the past, we will always do our best to respond quickly and positively.
The next meeting with representatives from the local community will take place at 6.30 pm on Wednesday 23 September 2009. As previously, this will be hosted by the college and chaired by a local councillor. If you wish to find out who represents your road at these meetings, please contact your local councillor.
Yours sincerely
(Dr) Ambrose Smith
Principal
Forthcoming dates:
Wednesday 23 September - Neighbourhood Consultation Evening 6.30pm
Thursday 24 September - Upper Sixth Consultation Evening 6.30 to 8.30pm
Thursday 8 October - Open Evening 6.30pm onwards
Wednesday 14 October - Open Evening 6.30pm onwards
Thursday 22 October - Finish for half-term
Friday 30 October - College Operatic Performance 6.00pm
Monday 2 November - Return after half-term. College Operatic Performance 5.00pm
Wednesday 9 December - Upper Sixth Consultation Evening 5.30 to 8.00pm
Thursday 10 December - Upper Sixth Consultation Evening 6.00 to 8.30pm
Tuesday 15 December - College Musical Performance 7.30pm
Wednesday 16 December - College Musical Performance 7.30pm
Thursday 17 December - College Musical Performance 7.30pm
Friday 18 December - Finish for Christmas
Monday 4 January 2010 - Return after Christmas
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Neighbourhood Bulletin 11
May 2009
Dear Neighbour
The month of May marks the start of our major exam period in college. Student numbers present on any one day will soon drop markedly because the lower sixth begin exam leave on 8th May and the upper sixth at the end of the month (22nd). Consequently the number of students driving to college will drop considerably in this period with an associated drop in the numbers of cars parked on local roads. This is traditionally a quieter time of year. After the exams from 15th June until term ends on 10th July, only half our students will be coming in to college. They will begin to study for their second year exams and prepare for the next stage of their education.
Building operations
The main structure of the new building is now complete and the process of making it weatherproof is well under way. The roof and walls are being constructed and the internal partitions are being put into place. Overall progress is good and remains on schedule.
The construction of the sports pitches has been completed and the college has begun to use the new multi-use games area and tennis courts. Recently the perimeter fence around these has been completed and the process of landscaping the land surrounding the pitch and courts has begun. We have been troubled with youths trespassing on the land and they have caused some damage to our new facilities and some disturbance to nearby neighbours. The college is currently employing a security firm to patrol the grounds during evenings, weekends and holidays to ensure that any further misuse is prevented. This is being achieved with the cooperation of many neighbours and the local community support and police officers to whom we send our thanks. We want to ensure that the facilities are used responsibly for sports activities under appropriate supervision. In this way they will be a valuable asset for many years to come. The floodlights have been tested and adjusted. Of course they will be scarcely used during the summer months.
Local Community Liaison
I should like to thank those neighbours who have contacted the college and contractors whenever they have had concerns about possible impact that our educational or building operations might have had on the locality. We have tried to respond to issues raised at the last meeting, such as the road sweeper and litter in Colonial Road and will continue to try and respond quickly and positively whenever the need arises.
The next meeting with representatives from the local community will take place at 6.30 pm on Monday 11th May. As previously, this will be hosted by the college and chaired by a local councillor. If you wish to find out who represents your road at these meetings, please contact your local councillor.
Yours sincerely
(Dr) Ambrose Smith
Principal
Forthcoming dates:
Friday 8th May – Lower Sixth students begin exam leave
Monday 11th May – Neighbourhood Consultation Evening 6.30pm
Friday 22nd May – Upper Sixth students begin exam leave
Monday 15th June – Lower Sixth students return
Friday 10th July – End of college year.
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Building Development at the College: Bulletin 10
January 2009
Dear Neighbour
A Happy New Year from the college governors, staff and students. The college community is really excited about the progress our building is making. The programme is on schedule and the contractors have already completed a third of the project.
College operations
We are nearing the end of an intensive period of exams and students are settling in to the routine of study again. In October we underwent an OfSTED inspection and their report was published just before Christmas. We were delighted to hear that they thought the college was “outstanding” in its provision for students and maintains a long-standing tradition. Many Stockport students have benefitted from the college’s educational provision over the years. Included at the end of this newsletter is a list of significant dates when some events extend the use of the college premises beyond normal hours and cause some parking in the adjacent roads.
Building operations
Remediation and foundation work have now been completed on the main site and the structural steel work has given us a first glimpse of what the new college will look like. In the last week the use of the temporary access point nearer to the Bamford Arms has come to an end. The site vehicle exit onto Diamond Street will be opened shortly to allow a one-way flow of site traffic as was planned for this stage of the programme. Some parking restrictions on Nangreave Road will be removed.
The sports field development is due to be completed by the end of February. Electricity is being connected to the flood lighting at the end of January and these will be tested soon after. This work has been delayed slightly by the weather but we are hoping to start using these all-weather facilities in March. There has been considerable communication with neighbours who live close to this part of the development to try to ensure that their views have been considered. These major improvements to the sports field will allow us to expand the sporting life of the college with due consideration to neighbours.
Local Community Liaison
The extra personnel and vehicle traffic associated with building work combined with the number of students here have the potential to cause disruption. We want to minimise this and to assure neighbours that, as always, we will take any appropriate action to reduce inconsiderate behaviour. Please contact the college directly if you have concerns. We will respond promptly to reduce the inconvenience. Similarly, please contact the main contractor if you feel the problem lies with the builders.
The next meeting with representatives of the local community will take place at 6.30 pm on Monday 9th February. This is hosted by the college and chaired by a local councillor. If you wish to find out who represents your road at these meetings, please contact your local councillor.
Yours sincerely
(Dr) Ambrose Smith
Principal
Forthcoming dates
Wednesday 28th January – Lower Sixth Consultation Evening 5.30pm – 8.00pm
Thursday 29th January – Lower Sixth Consultation Evening 6.00pm – 8.30pm
Monday 9th February – Neighbourhood Consultation Meeting 6.30pm
Friday 13th February - Students finish for half term
Tuesday 24th February – Students return
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Building Development at the College: Bulletin 9
September 2008
Dear Neighbour
At the start of new college term I wanted to fulfil my promise of keeping you up to date with progress on several fronts.
College operations
Enrolment began on Tuesday 26 August and classes started on Wednesday 3 September. The numbers on roll are very much the same as last year. As the students settle in during these early weeks they need reminding of their responsibilities to the local community. Please be assured that we work hard on this and expect them all to be good citizens and consider the well-being of those around them at all times. Although I ask you to allow us a little time to reinforce these expected standards of behaviour, please contact the college if there are any causes for concern and we will act as quickly as we can.
As usual at this time of the year I am including overleaf those significant dates when some evening events extend the use of the college premises beyond normal hours and which may impact on parking problems in the locality. Please accept my apologies in advance if these cause any inconvenience.
Building operations
The remediation of the land eventually began in July after the requirements of the pre-construction aspects of the planning conditions had all been fulfilled. Since that start date this work was carried out with all due care and in full compliance with the strict regulations imposed by the authorities. Because the contamination was not as extensive as our specialists predicted, it was completed in less time than was originally scheduled. We are pleased that this has meant less disruption on site but still apologise for any inconvenience this phase of the work may have caused.
The work on the pilings has now started. This will involve the use of two screw piling machines for about 6 weeks. Our engineers prefer to use this type of machinery to reduce noise levels.
The temporary parking restrictions are now in place and these will hopefully alleviate the risks of increased congestion in the area. We are working on reducing the demands for on-road parking by persuading greater use of car sharing and by discouraging students using cars to come to college. We have successfully
managed to encourage more staff and students to use their bikes and will continue to do all we can to reduce the burden on street parking.
The work of installing the new multi-use games area (MUGA) and tennis courts behind Stockport Sunday School began with the establishment of a security fence. This work in its entirety is scheduled to take about 16-18 weeks, weather permitting.
As always we encourage you to contact the college directly if you are concerned about any issues, especially if there are matters which would be best dealt with immediately by a member of the college staff.
Yours sincerely,
(Dr) Ambrose Smith
Principal
Dates and times of forthcoming events
Thursday 2nd October 2008 Open Evening 7.00pm – 9.00pm
Wednesday 8th October 2008 Open Evening 7.00pm – 9.00pm
Thursday 9th October 2008 Students Band Night 7.30pm – 11.00pm
Saturday 11th October 2008 Charity Concert from 7.00pm
Wednesday 3rd December 2008 Consultation Evening 5.30pm – 8.00pm
Thursday 4th December 2008 Consultation Evening 6.00pm – 8.30pm
Wednesday 10th December 2008 College Musical from 7.30pm
Thursday 11th December 2008 College Musical from 7.30pm
Friday 12th December 2008 College Musical from 7.30pm
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Building Development at the College: Bulletin 8
July 2008
Dear Neighbour
As you will have noticed our contractors are now in their fourth week of the six week enabling works setting up the site so the development can begin. They have erected a security fence, installed site cabins and are establishing the internal haul road and entrances. When this has been completed the main development will begin. The contractors have fulfilled all of the planning conditions required before the start of the development.
College operations
The six week summer break for the students began on Friday 11 July. Examination results are published on Thursday 14 August, so some students will be around that day and the days that follow. Enrolment begins on Tuesday 26 August with classes starting on Wednesday 3 September.
Building operations
The remediation of the land is scheduled to begin at the end of the month. We want to reassure you that this treatment will be carried out with all due care and will comply with the strict regulations imposed on such procedures. Consequently there should be no cause for concern on the part of our neighbours. The plan is such that the bulk of this work will take place during the quieter period of August, although it is scheduled to last until October/November, if necessary. All contamination will be removed from site and taken to a licensed location.
The local authority is planning to install day-time parking restrictions along Nangreave Road from 28 July. These will last for 30 months. They are also planning to close off Diamond Street temporarily whilst work to the sewage system is carried out. We understand that local residents directly affected by these works have been informed.
Although there has been a delay to the start of work to prepare the playing field behind Stockport Sunday School, it is due to begin imminently with the establishment of a site security fence.
Neighbourhood Liaison meetings
Since bulletin 7 we have held two meetings with neighbours. These have been arranged under the coordination of the three local councillors for the Manor Ward. If you want to find out who represents your road in these meetings or want to volunteer to act as representative, please contact your local councillor. It is intended that these will take place regularly so that neighbours can make their views on the development work known through a more formal process. We would still encourage you to contact the college directly if you are concerned, especially if there are issues which would be best dealt with immediately.
Yours sincerely
(Dr) Ambrose Smith
Principal
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Building Development at the College: Bulletin 7
June 2008
Dear Neighbour
As the next stage of the college’s project is about to begin, I wanted to keep you up to date about of our plans for the immediate future.
College operations
Currently we are in the major period for A level and other exams and so the only students on campus are those sitting exams. The first year of about 800 students will return on Monday next 16 June. Term ends on Friday 11 July and college re-opens for registration on Tuesday 26 August and the timetable starts on Wednesday 3 September. Examination results are published on Thursday 14 August, so some students will be around that day and the days that follow. We have induction days for our new students on Monday 30 June and Tuesday 1 July. On each of those dates there will be a parents’ evening (7.00 – 9.00 p.m.) which may have an impact in terms of on-road parking.
Building operations
Our main contractors will arrive on site on 16 June 2008. Initially this will be a low-key operation since they have allowed six weeks for setting up their builders’ compound and site cabins. During this period they will be constructing a 2.4m high solid metal security fence around the entire playing field (west - Nangreave Road, Diamond Street and Soudan Road) and the car park which exits onto Canada Street. This will seal off the site to all pedestrian access from the south west direction and significantly reduce roadside parking in that area. The contractors will also be improving security by erecting fencing around most of the playing field behind the sports hall. Within the first weeks of July work will start on preparing the ground of this playing field so that the multi-use games area and tennis courts can be constructed. Completion of those is scheduled for October/November 2008.
Once the main building site (west) has been secured, work will begin on remediating the land. We have carefully planned the process to achieve this efficiently, safely and with minimum impact on our neighbours. Our plans have been shared with the local planning authority and the Environment Agency who will monitor the work to ensure we comply with all requirements. We would like to assure neighbours that all contamination will be removed and dealt with safely before any building work begins. We place the highest priority on the health and well being of students, staff and neighbours. The removal and replacement of earth brings with it significant logistical problems which will involve lorries entering and leaving the site. This work will be concentrated at the most westerly end of the site and so there will be an extra temporary access point half way along the field onto Nangreave Road. We will take the necessary precautions to avoid spreading any mud on to the road. Lorries will have their wheels washed as they leave and local roads will be /swept regularly.
Once this phase is complete, material will be brought in to replace what has been removed and the construction work can begin. This is scheduled for October/November. The first stage – work on the foundations - will be carried out in such a way to avoid noisy impact piling. The final completion date for the entire building is May 2010. Demolition of the existing building will follow bringing the entire project to completion by December 2010.
The highways officers from the local authority have insisted that from the early stage of the building programme, temporary parking restrictions will be enforced along part of Nangreave Road, Diamond Street and Canada Street. (Please see the attached drawing). These measures are for safety reasons and designed to prevent congestion caused by parking in some particularly difficult locations.
We have been in consultation with one of the local councillors, Mrs Jenny Humphreys, with a view to establishing a working liaison group. This will be made up of neighbourhood representatives who will meet with the college and its contractors on a regular basis for the duration of the project. A councillor will chair these meetings. The first meeting is due to happen soon. If you feel that you would prefer to pass your views on to councillors rather than directly to the college then they will ensure your views are represented at these meetings. Greg Hill, Assistant Principal, is always willing to liaise between the college and neighbours and I would encourage you to contact him since matters can often be dealt with more effectively through this direct route.
We are really pleased to be able to start building our new college after such a long period of planning and consultation. Any inevitable difficulties encountered will be offset by the attractive landmark college which will benefit our neighbours and Stockport for many years to come. Please bear with us over the building phase and do not hesitate to contact us if problems arise. We will always take your concerns seriously.
Yours sincerely
(Dr) Ambrose Smith
Principal
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Building Development at the College: Bulletin 6
1 May 2008
Dear Neighbour
Our planning application was considered by the Planning and Highways Committee in March. We received permission subject to a number of conditions which have now been finalised and agreed and so permission has been granted. These conditions are now available from SMBC. To avoid the bird nesting season we had to take swift action with the trees. We pollarded the large plane trees that will be retained and removed those which were not. We can assure you that at the end of the building work we will plant a larger number and variety of trees as part of the landscaping. These will far outnumber the ones that have had to be removed.
We were unable to persuade planners to grant our idea of an elegant wind turbine to give a clear message that sustainability is fundamental to our design. Although we feel sure that this would not have had any negative impact, we are confident that the building’s fundamental design incorporates a high degree of sustainability. The bright and spacious nature of the building facilitates a ventilation system which, exchanging heat at high levels, reduces the need for air conditioning systems. There will be a rainwater recycling system. We are still exploring other new technologies and possibilities in terms of reliability or efficiency. We remain keen to incorporate as many practical, sustainable measures as possible.
Negotiations to purchase land from Stockport Sunday School are close to completion. Close collaboration with the Sunday School has been a feature of recent years and the sale marks a milestone in the lives of both our institutions. It provides the college with space for its new sports facilities and the Sunday School with capital to build a new building to meet more appropriately both their current and future needs.
We will keep you regularly informed of the forthcoming activities which may affect our near neighbours. Construction of such a large building on such a constrained site in a predominantly residential area will be a challenge. We are currently finalising the details with our main contractor and design team of how we intend to achieve this. The process is likely to take the best part of two years.
It is likely that work on site will begin in June with the installation of suitable fencing to surround the site and the builders’ compound. Site cabins will be installed close to the west end of the current building. As part of this process we are likely to close off the access onto Canada Street for all but deliveries, refuse collection and some contractors’ cars. There will be no pedestrian or vehicle access for students or staff at that part of the site. This should reduce pedestrian traffic along Canada Street and down regent Road to the A6. I am sure residents of Soudan Road, Regent Road and Canada Street will welcome this.
The first major work will be to remove suspect land from the site. Access to/from the site will be through temporary entrances to the field from Nangreave Road. We will do our utmost to avoid mud being carried off site onto footpaths and roads. This entire process will be rigorously controlled and overseen by the Environment Agency and the local authority.
In relation to road side parking by students, the good news is that we are now very close to the start of the exam period which means the number of our 17+ year olds on campus will drop dramatically. This age group make up the majority who drive here by car. We are therefore expecting the annual road parking sequence to peak in the next couple of weeks and from then on the roads should be less congested. We will continue to work hard on ways to dissuade students from using cars to get to college. When the new college is completed there will also be 50 extra spaces available. Student numbers will not rise and things will improve.
During the Planning and Highways Committee it was suggested that we have a neighbour liaison contact. Many of you will already know that one of our Assistant Principals, Greg Hill, fulfils this role. He has written to each of the 3 local councillors asking if one of them would be willing to chair any meetings that neighbours feel could be useful in improving relations with the college. So please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or need clarification on any issues raised here. We remain keen to listen to your views and to promote good relations with our neighbours.
Yours sincerely
(Dr) Ambrose Smith
Principal
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Building Development at the College: Bulletin 5
28 January 2008
Dear Neighbour
Planning Application
We have been working with the planning officers to address the issues raised by the responses to our planning application submitted in October last year. We have focussed on how we can respond positively to our neighbours’ concerns. Consequently we are really pleased to be able to tell you that we have moved the proposed building further away from the houses in Diamond Street, reduced the number of trees that will need to be removed, and significantly increased the number of new trees. We have satisfied all the requirements placed on us during the consultation process and our revised plans will be published by the planning officers for further consultation.
Tree Strategy
Following a meeting with our tree surgeon and the tree officer of Stockport Council, we have agreed to do some remedial work on the trees on the college playing field. We thought you would like to know what is planned before the growing and the bird-nesting season in order to reduce the risk to either the trees or bird life.
The work involves:
The wood from this process will be chipped and used on the college campus as a mulch for flower beds.
Green Transport
We are continuing to work with our students and staff to increase the use of greener transport. A recent study we carried out showed that the vast majority of students already do this, with around 60% of them travelling here by bus, about 5% by train and about 15% by walking. Although the number arriving by car is small we do recognise they can still cause problems by parking and driving inconsiderately on occasions. Be assured we are working on this small but annoying minority. Please report registration numbers of cars involved in such activities to help us in our endeavours to educate young drivers and improve this situation.
Yours sincerely
(Dr) Ambrose Smith
Principal
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Building Development at the College: Bulletin 4
November 2007
Dear Neighbour,
As most of you are no doubt aware, the college submitted its detailed planning application recently and those in the immediate vicinity of the college will have received notification from the council.
Our plans and the need for them have already been shared at public meetings in the summer and are also available at the Dialstone Centre and Hygarth House as well as on the Stockport MBC website.
If you follow the link http://s1.stockport.gov.uk to planning, type in the reference DC028122 in the search facility, it will take you to our application. You may have seen the recent article about our project in the Stockport Express.
Please continue to consider our proposals during this next stage of the planning process. We need to rebuild because the present buildings are not fit for purpose and our students and Stockport deserve better facilities. We do not intend the number of students to grow. The proposal represents the only realistic way we can achieve that goal. The benefits are numerous:
1. It is for the benefit of Stockport students.
2. We have consistently listened to the views of neighbours, taken account of them and in a number of cases adopted them.
3. We have taken great trouble to ensure an improvement to the overall appearance by replacing the current inadequate buildings and the temporary mobiles by an elegant one in sympathy with the surroundings.
4. The new building will improve the outlook for the vast majority of our neighbours and have a positive effect to the area, including the likely improvement in the value of local property.
5. We have meticulously addressed the parking issues and feel that there are already improvements which will be even greater on completion.
6. The watercourse has been the subject of extensive investigation. It is already in a culvert, which a recent CCTV shows to be in good order. We will take seriously our responsibilities to maintain this. The experts’ opinion is fully explained in documents submitted as part of the planning application and are available to all. It will not add to the water table.
7. Environmental issues have been considered. All waste materials will be disposed of by recycling and environmental impact miminimised. The new building will have a considerably reduced carbon footprint.
8. We will be increasing the open green space in the proposal.
For these and many other reasons we want to commend our proposal to you. We have extensive support throughout the borough from many satisfied students and their parents. We want to continue to serve the community well into the foreseeable future and this development is the only way we feel this can be achieved. We would really appreciate your support.
If you would like any clarification of this and related matters, I would urge you to contact me.
Yours sincerely
(Dr) Ambrose Smith
Principal
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Building Development at the College: Bulletin 3
September 2007
Dear Neighbour
I am pleased to be able to tell you that the consultation event we held in late June has had some very positive results for the residents on Soudan Road and Diamond Street. Having listened to your views, and considered them carefully we embarked on a full design review. The result has been to try to reduce the impact of the building by reducing the length of the wings, drawing back from the houses on these roads. As well as addressing the concerns of those people directly affected, this redesign has meant there will be even more open green space than was originally proposed. The team has also been in close touch with the local authority planners to ensure that we address all foreseeable environmental, landscaping and land drainage concerns before we submit our planning application. We plan to do this by the middle of October. At that stage you will be able to view our revised plans and hopefully agree with us that this represents a major improvement.
Our students returned to classes on 5 & 6 September. Half of the students are new to the college and it will take time and care to make sure they are absolutely clear what our expectations are, particularly in relation to our requirement that they be “mindful of others.” This, as far as you are concerned, means that they are required to be considerate to all our neighbours in all that they do.
We are also beginning an intense promotional campaign with all students about green transport. Already around 80% of them travel to college by relatively green means – walking, cycling, motorcycling or using public transport. However, I am taking personal responsibility in my assemblies and by other means to discourage the use of cars across the college. There is already a car sharing scheme in place for staff here, but I, personally, intend to engage in a process of deterring students’ casual use of cars to travel to college. In addition we are aiming to capture a much more comprehensive database of cars so that we can address more quickly and locate any drivers who have not been “mindful of others”. However, we will be holding a few events when we have either members of the public visiting our Open Evenings or the occasional Parents’ Consultation Evenings. Whilst we take serious measures to avoid inconveniencing neighbours on these occasions, we cannot entirely control what happens on the public roads at these times. As we usually do at this time of the year, I am including on the reverse of this sheet advance information of the dates and times of those events.
Finally I, personally, am pleased that the consultation exercise which we held in June has borne fruit in a way that benefits the local area and community. It is a reaffirmation that it “is good to talk.” Please do not hesitate to contact us on this or any other matter you wish to bring to our attention.
With every good wish,
Yours sincerely
(Dr) Ambrose Smith
Principal
Significant Dates for Neighbours
2007
Wednesday 12 September 6.30 – 8.30 Upper Sixth Parents’ Evening
Thursday 4 October 7.00 – 9.30 Open Evening
Wednesday 10 October 7.00 – 9.30 Open Evening
Wednesday 5 December 5.30 – 8.00 Upper Sixth Parents’ Evening
Thursday 6 December 6.00 – 8.30 Upper Sixth Parents’ Evening
2008
Wednesday 30 January 5.30 – 8.00 Lower Sixth Parents’ Evening
Thursday 27 February 7.00 – 9.30 College Production
Friday 28 February 7.00 – 9.30 College Production
Saturday 1 March 7.00 – 9.30 College Production
Thursday 31 January 6.00 – 8.30 Lower Sixth Parents’ Evening
Monday 30 June 7.00 – 9.00 Induction Parents’ Evening
Tuesday 1 July 7.00 – 9.00 Induction Parents’ Evening
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Building Development at the College: Bulletin 2
July 2007
Dear Neighbour
There have been recent opportunities for you, our neighbours, to make known your views on our proposed plans. The first event was held in the college sports hall on Monday 25 June. The second was at the Victoria Local Committee at the Town Hall on Thursday 5 July.
We have listened to your views and are considering them carefully. Some, in particular clearly concern some of our closest neighbours. We have already accepted several of these and the following issues address them:
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The new building will cover a smaller area than the existing building
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The new college will be 2-3 storeys as is the existing college.
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The new building will be as far away from nearby properties as possible.
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Access to the college will only be from Nangreave Road. There will be no other access.
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We intend to have as much on-site parking as current planning policy allows.
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We do not want student numbers to increase.
For the consultation event in the sports hall we posted our last bulletin into 450 nearby houses. At our meeting 48 homes were represented and 23 neighbours took the opportunity to write down their views of our proposals. Over half of the received comments were generally positive and about a quarter neutral. The remaining quarter was negative. We have since received a small number of other written comments. We will publish all of these comments when our plans are submitted to the local authority in September.
At the Victoria Area Committee the college fulfilled a promise to make a presentation of our current plans. I outlined our proposals there and we listened to questions from members of the public and members of the committee.
If you were unable to attend either of these meetings we have arranged to display our current plans on the college’s website: www.aquinas.ac.uk. Follow the links to the neighbours’ page. These plans will also be available for you in the college library. Please call 0161 483 3237 if you wish to see them. You may, of course still put your views in writing addressed to me at the college.
We will continue to keep in mind your main areas of concern including building programme disruption and legal rights on the land, though our extensive searches do not reveal any clauses on the deeds of the land restricting its use to recreational purposes only. To clarify the situation we have also published on the college website Neighbours Page a copy of the 1928 Conveyance by which the land was transferred to the (then) Stockport Corporation by sale from Henry Faulder and Company.
We will continue to keep you informed in September.
Yours sincerely,
(Dr) Ambrose Smith
Principal
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Building Development at the College: Bulletin 1
May 2007
Dear Neighbour
I want to share some news with you about the improvement of the Aquinas site and our plans for rebuilding the college. This will be the first of several bulletins providing information, as it becomes available, over the coming months.
I guess you will have realised from the surveying activity that has been taking place, that we had some plans in mind. A number of neighbours have contacted the college for reassurance and further information and we have consistently replied, “When we have a clearer idea of what our plans are, we will share them with you, our neighbours, and seek and listen to your views.”
Can we reassure you straight away that, whatever we plan to do, we have no intention of significantly increasing student numbers at the college? It is widely accepted that the college has in this regard reached its optimum size. As we are part of the education provision for students over the age of 16 in Stockport, any move to increase student numbers at Aquinas would have a detrimental effect on other local colleges. We have no intention of allowing this to happen.
What is happening?
You cannot have failed to notice that the college is currently putting up with poor accommodation – a subsiding, impractical 1950s building and much temporary mobile accommodation not truly fit for purpose. Over the last dozen or so years we have tried to address some of these problems by extending and expanding wherever possible with modest improvements to meet the educational needs of our students. The government now recognises the college’s difficulties in serving the needs of our students and the local community. It is now prepared to help us remedy the situation.
In the last few weeks we have been carrying out a feasibility study to work out the best way to resolve our problems and our experts tell us that the most efficient way of achieving our building needs is to start again. For logistical reasons, we have no choice but to build a new college while the existing one continues to operate – otherwise we could not possibly continue to provide education to our students.
What about our neighbours?
It is difficult to share these plans at the moment since they are still in a state of flux. However, we will soon have reached a stage where this will be possible. We are arranging a community consultation on 25 June between 4.30pm and 6.30pm in the college’s sports hall. We are extending a warm invitation to you to come along between those times.
In the meantime, we ask you please to be patient with us. We have no intention of making decisions or of acting without consulting our local community. We aim to move our plans forward keeping you in the picture. Stockport Sunday School is also involved since the overall project will provide a solution which meets both our needs.
Environmental Issues
In line with Stockport’s Unitary Development Plan (which identifies much of the College grounds as ‘green space’), when the work is finished there will be more green space than at present. This means that, overall, the outlook for the neighbourhood will improve. By rebuilding the college using the land more efficiently than we do with the current collection of poor quality buildings, we will improve the local environment. We will also ensure high levels of sustainability in the building by using energy more efficiently in all respects. In short the resulting building will be better for the students, better for the neighbourhood and better for the environment.
What next?
At the June 25 consultation there will be representatives from the college and Stockport Sunday School, together with our professional advisers. We will then be able to tell you what we propose to do and seek your views. A major challenge in this redevelopment of the college is to keep the impact on the surroundings and on our neighbours to a minimum.
Thank you for taking the time to read this Neighbourhood Bulletin. We will provide further updates as appropriate.
Yours sincerely,
(Dr) Ambrose Smith
Principal
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