Meetings | Projects | Everyclick counts! | Tourism |

 Cumberland Drive New application

 Hall Hill field On Watch!

 St John's Church Residential use proposed

See our wide variety of activities!

Clarence canal bridge Now open!

Forthcoming events - please join us, everyone very welcome!
 

 
We provide a very interesting line up of meetings for you to participate in and enjoy!

Everyone is welcome to attend Civic Society meetings including non-members who will be asked to make a small voluntary contribution. This is redeemable against a subscription if you join on the night.

All members with email addresses are sent a reminder a couple of days before each meeting. If you would also like a reminder please send an email now and we will send you a memory jogger too.

The Society holds monthly meetings from September to May (but not in December) each year to provide maximum opportunities to discuss matters of direct concern to Bollington. If there is a particular subject you would like considered at a future meeting then please email the committee.

Meetings in 2010:

Monday 15th February Stockport Plaza - a presentation on the restoration of this amazing cinema. Monday 15th March Cheshire Wildlife Trust Monday 19th April Bollington Matters - an Open Discussion + photos Monday 17th May KRIV Project- the final presentation

Bollington Civic Society meets from September to May (but not December) each year. All our meetings are open to non-members.

Download a leaflet now

Officers and Committee

Sandra Edwards was elected chairman once again at the 2009 AGM. Sandra has a history of community activity including several years as a councillor on Bollington Town Council.

Chairman: Sandra Edwards
Vice Chairman: Tim Boddington
Secretary: David Haddleton
Treasurer: Barry Matthews
Committee: Graham Barrow, Ted Clunn, Chris Kettlety, Sonia Mysko

A sub-committee chaired by Graham Hibbert is responsible to the main committee for the management of the Discovery Centre.

A further group under the leadership of Sonia Mysko is responsible for the Bollington Carbon Revolution project.

Civic Society activities

Your Civic Society is involved in a number of important aspects of Bollington life:

Clarence footbridge over the canal

The Civic Society, represented by Graham Barrow, were at the forefront of the campaign to construct the new footbridge over the canal at Clarence Mill to enable canal users on the towpath to access the mill, its businesses and facilities, particularly the café and our own Discovery Centre, and to enable those who live in and around the mill to access the towpath and the Recreation Ground for their recreational purposes. To break an impasse we even agreed to own the finished structure! The opening of the bridge at the end of August 2009 has resulted in very significant increases in the numbers of visitors to both the café and the Discovery Centre. See the bridge page for the full story.

Cumberland Drive development appeal

We have strongly contested the appeal made by H Cumberbirch & Son Ltd against the rejection of their plan to build on the Red Lion car park. Happily we have won our case and their appeal was rejected. See the page on this.

The Future of St John's Church

The Committee decided that a group should be formed with the objective of looking after the interests of the town with respect to the future of St John's Church. A page is devoted to this.

Bollington Tourism

There are concerns that tourism is not developing sufficiently well so the Civic Society is proposing to do something about it! Have a look at the page.

Bollington Carbon Revolution project

A considerable amount of interest has been shown in our article in the Summer 2006 edition of Bollington Live! regarding a possible Carbon Reduction project we held a special meeting to inaugurate a project which is now flourishing. Please look at the team's website devoted to this interesting project.

The Discovery Centre Project

We have developed a Discovery Centre at Clarence Mill which opened on 14th May 2005. It is on the canal side at Clarence Mill by the great generosity of the owners Clarence Mill Properties Ltd. We obtained grants for its development from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Cheshire Rural Recovery, Macclesfield Borough Council, Bollington Town Council and other private donors. It provides information and exhibitions designed to show the past, present and future of Bollington, its industries and its people.

The Discovery Centre houses the very popular historic picture collection which contains over 5,000 pictures of Bollington and its people going back well over a century.

Conservation Areas

We are taking a closer interest in the changes that take place in the four Conservation Areas (CA) in Bollington. These are described in full on separate pages.

We were very pleased that Cllr Ken Edwards (Bollington Town Council) joined the committee with the specific responsibility for Conservation Areas. One of his primary interests is in establishing a further CA at Lowerhouse and discussions have been taking place with CEC.

We have also discussed with the CEC Highway Authority their compliance with Conservation Area guidelines while maintaining our roads.

Development planning (onging)

We watch planning applications, discuss them with those having an interest and make representations to Councilors and CEC planners where we wish to challenge proposals.

History and heritage (ongoing)

A group of historians and their helpers have assembled a very large collection of photographs showing Bollington and its population through the past 140 years. They continue to research the history of the town, its industries and the people who made it what it is today. The Discovery Centre provides public access to the collection for the first time. We have re-published two of the well known books about Bollington and further books are planned.

The Kerridge Ridge & Ingersley Vale Countryside & Heritage Project

The Society was involved in the historical survey which formed an early part of this project. More on this. We are also acutely interested in what development takes place in the Vale. The project is due to finish in summer 2010.

Bollington Live!

The Civic Society originally founded Bollington Live! and has remained as a sponsor since it became independent. The village magazine is published three times each year and delivered free to every home. Several of our members are involved in the writing, editing, selling of advertising, and delivery of the magazine.

Future projects

A project is getting under way to create a footpath through Swinerood Wood between the canal towpath and the Recreation Ground.

A number of other projects are in the backs of our minds but yet to be formally launched. These include canal towpath refurbishment and a Middlewood Way conservation area.

If you would like to be involved in any of these interests please email the chairman now telling me what you would like to know more about and I will introduce you to the relevant member.

 
Mike Braddock, MD, Slater Harrison, gave a very interesting presentation celebrating more than 70 years of Slater Harrison in Bollington (they celebrated 75 years in 2004). Check out their web page for a sound and video tour of the historic Lowerhouse Mill.