We consulted on the Whitefield Town Centre Plan from May to June 2023 and then on the draft version of the plan from 22 January to 24 March 2024 and we used the feedback gathered to inform the final plan.
Responses were gathered from attendees at engagement events and responders that submitted a completed online feedback survey.
Early-stage consultation and feedback
Early-stage consultation with residents and stakeholders took place in March 2023, and then from May to June 2023. This comprised face to face meetings and an online questionnaire.
Over 250 participants provided feedback. Key findings included:
- Whitefield lacks a centre, there is a lack of variety of things to do, and the area is dominated by traffic
- The main reason for visiting Whitefield was for shopping (view held by 36% of respondents)
- 51% of respondents wanted to see more food and beverage markets/events
- 64% of respondents wanted changes relating to parks and green spaces
Draft plan consultation and feedback
The draft Plan was produced in late 2023 and a consultation on its proposals ran from 2 January 2024 to 25 March 2024, with a final session in October 2024.
We held open engagement events at Morrisons on Stanley Road on 2 and 3 February 2024.
At these events residents were invited to talk to the project team about their views of the proposals in the draft plan and put forward any suggestions of their own.
As in the early-stage consultation, over 250 stakeholders provided feedback on the draft proposals. Comments were invited too.
In the draft plan, proposals were grouped into sixteen themes. The proposals which received most support were:
- Improve crossing points for pedestrians and cyclists on Bury New Road and on Higher Lane
- Plant new trees, create wildflower areas, and install box planters in Whitefield town centre
- The proposals for “Whitefield Common”, which included moving the existing medical centre to the former library, leaving the Uplands site open for sensitive residential development
Key areas of concern or uncertainty which came up in the detailed feedback included:
- Concern around parking availability, particularly near to Slattery
- Fears that improving active travel infrastructure would be inappropriate, due to road width, lack of demand, and the potential of additional congestion being created
- Ambivalence over potential changes to Bury New Road – around 2/3 of responders wanted the road to be kept as it is, (often expressing fears that changes to the road would produce more congestion). Around 1/3 wanted footpath space to be increased for the benefit of pedestrians, cyclists, or bus lanes
- Fear that partial or time restricted street closures would cause congestion and restrict the ability of emergency services to respond
- Concerns over current condition of highways and footways
- Increased costs relating to maintenance
- Frustration at a lack of community space to meet
- The draft Plan was too lengthy and often hard to understand
- The early stage proposal for the "Town of Hearts” place branding received a lukewarm reception
Our response to consultation feedback
Following a detailed analysis and full consideration of all consultation responses, several changes are proposed. Some key changes are noted below:
- Clearer language and layout – the plan’s word count has been significantly reduced and the language made easier to understand. The proposals have been set out in a concise action plan table
- Further detail added to The Uplands proposals and a slight change to proposals relating to public open space
- Removal of the “Town of Hearts” concept, due to implementation difficulties regarding the “Little Cultural Quarter” and “Little Maker’s Quarter” and a lukewarm response to the “Town of Hearts” place branding
- Amendments to transportation related proposals – a commitment to carry out various audits of Whitefield’s roads relating to suitability for improved active travel infrastructure, car parking demand, and vehicle count data
- More explicit regard for heritage – particularly relating to The Uplands proposals, street furniture improvements, and investment in public realm (particularly in or near to the conservation area)
- The proposals could include the installation of local planters (subject to agreements that identified local businesses would maintain them), improved signage and way-pointing, small public realm improvements and potentially shop-front improvements (subject to co-investment)
- Proposals to increase support for events in Whitefield
- Clarification on green space proposals – with a trial extension of community management of some green space in Whitefield
- The Creation of a Whitefield Community Renewal Plan, which will analyse and tackle issues relating to entrenched and geographically focussed deprivation. This Plan would recommend the safeguarding key areas of Council owned land for the future development of social infrastructure.
- A commitment to phase 2 of the Whitefield Town Centre Plan, which will provide more in-depth information on the potentially transformative elements of the Plan.