The group behind plans to develop land near Stone fire station and create a new river trail linking the site to the town centre have set up a ‘Friend of the River Trail’ group.
Trent Vision Trust (TVT) says the principle of a river trail scheme has been backed by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and it says it is willing to “gift” land to the local community to make the river trail vision a reality.
For more information, or to get involved in the “Friend of the River Trail” group, contact Adrian Page on 07941 474399.
TVT says its site is ideal for a new supermarket in the town and carried out a number of consultation events in February to showcase their plans. More information HERE.
The group has issued the press release below,
which is published in full:
River Trail Proposals Welcomed By Local Community
Ten-years-in-the-making plans to revitalise the historic canal town of Stone and open up its river valley to the local community are one step closer and gaining ever-growing community support.
Borough and Town Council leaders, Cllr M.R. Heenan and Cllr P.E. Jones, have both indicated recently in the press a willingness to gift council land to the community. Trent Vision Trust (TVT) welcomes these ideas and is also willing to gift land; in total, four areas of land currently in separate ownership would be managed in a complementary way to enable the river trail to proceed.
“Trent Vision Trust would welcome the opportunity to work with the current owners and a local community group in order to explore the transfer of lands and progress these proposals for a river trail,” says Oliver Dyke of TVT.
Discussions with community groups in the town are at an early stage. Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and a group involved with schools in Walton have both indicated interest in the principle of a river trail project.
Guy Corbett-Marshall, Chief Executive of Staffordshire Wildlife Trust (SWT), commented: “The principle of bringing more land into better management to create bigger and more joined up habitats for wildlife is enshrined in the recommendations of the Lawton Report, Making Space for Nature, which was published last year and which was a major influence in the recently published Natural Environment White Paper. Helping the public to access these larger areas brings people closer to nature and helps to create a better understanding of why wildlife needs protecting.”
Public consultations gave TVT a better idea of how people live, work and play in the area and how plans for a nature reserve, incorporating a pedestrian link across the river valley could come forward. This would give lasting benefits to the community, the local environment, wildlife and improve the day-economy in Stone.
Stone, with its heritage, culture and events such as the autumn Food & Drink Festival and Stone in Bloom, puts the town firmly on the map as a place to visit and as a base for exploring the area. Stone is steeped in history, however if the canal and river were sympathetically enhanced this would add a real wealth and new attraction and experience.
For more information, or to get involved in the “Friend of the River Trail” group, please contact Adrian Page (previously keeper to the Stone Common Plot) on 07941 474399.
6 comments
gemma
Trevor, I agree with you. jill, can you start another petition? We need to stop the tvt proposal. Look forward to hearing from you Jill.
Trevor
If we have to have a supermarket in Stone, I would rather it was built on the previously discussed Westbridge park site. Lets finally get rid of that horrible blue shed and use the money from the partial sale of the park to fund a new leisure centre and park for future generations.
The TVT proposal proposes a supermarket which is larger than the one proposed at Westbridge and it is further away from the High street so we run the risk of diverting shoppers away from the High street, something which we should be trying to avoid.
I for one would not like to see the Nature reserve built on and I would be happy to lend my support to any action group or petition Cllr Hood or Kenney set up.
linda blackburn
Do we need another supermarket in Stone we have 3 already. The High St is dying because there is no it enough variety of shops, I recently went to hay on wye and they had a wonderful selection of independent shops and only TWO charity shops what a difference.
gemma
Jill, will you be setting up another petition to stop the tvt proposal? Also, have you identified any sites for a new foodstore?
Phil E
I first looked into this when the Trent Vision Trust were exhibiting at the Farmers Market. I think it looks like a good idea. Anything to bring in some tourism and trade and give us somethign to do!! Yes, the nature reserve is already there, but a walk through it would be fantastic so that people can get closer to nature and enjoy the open space and greenery in the fresh air. People were qeueing for ages in cars outside Trentham and the Monkey forest this weekend to get outdoors – imagine what that sort of passing trade could do to our local businesses! Lets face it, we cant keep saying “NO” to all these ideas or eventually we wont even be asked and a supermarket will just pop up somewhere. “No” to the Park improvements, “No” to the new Leisure centre…. What are we actually going to do to improve the area? Or will we just stand back and watch more shops close and keep battling graffitti artists? If a Supermarket does get built somewhere else, wouldn’t we stand to get absolutely nothing out of the deal? Isn’t that the sad but inevitable truth? So, in my opinion it’s pretty good that someone like Mr Dyke has managed to get various land owners etc talking and working together – I would rather he did it than a large faceless developper from a big city. Lets not keep holding Stone back any more. Jill, If not here, where do you propose the Supermarket should be built? ”
Out of Town” or “in Eccleshall” would just drag people further away from Stone’s independent traders and mean that we still need one in Stone. If you shop at busy times (if you have a full time job for instance) at Morissons and Aldi you will know how packed they are and that is without thousands of more people in town which new homes will bring. If the supermarket is built compassionately it could actually look good and be an asset to the town and give people more choice. Its up to people to decide where to shop afterall and there is already a supermarket or two in Stone anyway…. Also, it would be nice to think that the new leisure centre could be funded by all this which should make the Keep Westbridge Park Green campaigners very happy and seeing as the council plans for funding have been put on ice they should be supprting this as an alternative.
Jill Hood
There seems to be something missing !I have read this article several times and can’t see the word SUPERMARKET mentioned anywhere. There’s already a nature reserve in place where Mr Olliver Dyke would like to build his SUPERMARKET.How benevolent of the Wildlife Trust to say it will ‘GIFT’ land to the people of Stone when we already have a beautiful area to walk which trails along the river and the canal abundant with wild life and natural flowers and shrubs. You state Town Council LEADER Philip Jones, wrong, the Mayor is the leader of the Town Council. I believe one of the areas in seperate ownership you talk about is owned by Stone Town Council and there certainly has not been any agreement done in public or behind closed doors to GIFT land to Oliver Dyke under the cloak of Trent Vision Trust. Here we go again with this time, Oliver Dyke promising a SUPERMARKET will enhance the local economy. Makes a change to the Tory led Stafford Borough Council who insisted a SUPERMARKET would give a much needed boost to the High Street when we know that a SUPERMARKET on the meadow would suck the life out of our independent High Street. I love the fact that when anyone is trying to persuade the residents of Stone what is best for us they immediately touch on the success of the Stone Food and Drink Festival, I dont see a comment of support from the chairman Richard Stevens for Oliver Dykes Trent Vision Trust. proposals. Stone in Bloom supports the environment and the charm and beauty of the town by working to make the town a fantastic place to work and visit why does this article infer Stone in Bloom are implicated, I’m on that committee and we most certainly have not discussed it. Tourism boosts the local economy not a SUPERMARKET built on a beauty spot in the town.The only one to gain anything from a SUPERMARKET will be Oliver Dyke when he deposits the huge amount of money he makes from his SUPERMARKET DEVELOPMENT into his bank account. He’s not doing this because he loves STONE he’s doing it because it will make him a very rich man.