Andrew Taylor of Cheadle - much more than just a solicitor!
| Published: 1st October 2007 01:22 |
Andrew Taylor
On Friday 28th September your editor had the privilege of interviewing Andrew Taylor (the 'founding father' of Village Partnerships) at his offices on Wilmslow Road in Cheadle to talk about the Cheadle Civic Society and much more...
I explained to Andrew that when ever I have been to the Cheadle Village Partnership meetings, that on occassions there are innocuous references made to the past and that I was curious as to what this amazing past history was about?
The Sociey fought off pedestrianisation and a by pass through the village in the 60's.
Andrew explained "The Cheadle Civic Society was set up in 1962, when there was a plan to pedestrianise the High Street in Cheadle, and to build a bypass close to the George and Dragon and Brooklyn Park. In those days the society was run by Erik Dyckhoff a solicitor at Dyckhoff and Johnson, which Andrew had joined in 1975 at the age of 21 years. As a result Andrew became the Society's treasurer and after approximately 10 years he then became its chairman. The purpose of the society was to keep a check on planning applications and fight for suggestions or proposals that would improve Cheadle village". When I ask him where the society gets their funds to enable them to do that work, he says that they have had donations and bequests from people like Alice Kandarassi Hill. Andrew proudly says that the Society pays £1000 towards the Xmas lights every year - therefore Cheadle has more lights than the other local SK8 villages! (He takes a drive through Cheadle every Xmas to count and check the lights to make sure that the council has indeed put up enough lights). The Civic Society meets once a month at his home.
Cheadle Village Action Plan for survival with Cheadle Royal completion in the 90's
Around the time when Sainsbury's and J Lewis were being built at the Cheadle Royal, Andrew raised £25000 to commission a survey on - the state of Cheadle at the time and how Cheadle should be in the future. This massive survey (February 1996) formed the basis of the Cheadle Village Action Plan. The survey/action plan included data on Cheadle Shoppers' habits and profiles, their reasons for shopping in Cheadle, their likes and dislikes of Cheadle and so forth. Opportunities for investment were identified to be - adding to the quality retail offer such as specialist, delicatessen type food outlets, restaurants/coffee bars, book shops and stationers, gift and toy shops, interior furnishing and fabrics, picture shop/gallery, clothing and Art/crafts shops. The strategy therefore also required that there would be better parking, traffic circulation and environmental improvements.
First Ever Village Partnership formed
As a result of this work, the first ever Village Partnership was formed - The Cheadle Village Partnership, an alliance between the Local community, residents and council. There after the Partnership was the model on which all other village partnerships in Stockport were to be built, Andrew going along to Cheadle Hulme and the Heaton Mersey ones to help set these up.
"It should be the residents and trades people of Cheadle who should be encouraging new business to come into Cheadle - it's nothing to do with the council". The Trader's Assocation in Cheadle barely exists anymore...
Andrew is very proud of the work that the Civic Society and the Partnership do. He does how ever feel that if the local community want to have more amenities and local shops, that they then have to be prepared to use the local village shops and spend their money there. Also Andrew gets fed up of people saying that the council should bring in more businesses to Cheadle. He says "it's not up to the council - rather the residents and trades people of Cheadle should be encouraging new business to come in to Cheadle. The Traders' Association virtually does not exist anymore in Cheadle as no one is prepared to give up their time to do anything to help; the old businesses are complacent and the others say they are too busy".
Andrew has had his solicitor's practise in Cheadle since 1990. He was part of the Rescue of the village hall (Drill Hall) when the council wanted to shut it 12 years ago as it was losing £5000. Andrew set up a charitable trust and now it has a £40,000 surplus!
And in his spare time - 2nd Dan, Black Belt and cricket coach
Andrew is a 2nd Dan, Black Belt in Judo which he also teaches to children 4 to 5 years of age on Tuesdays from 5pm to 6pm at the Drill Hall. He also is involved with the Cheadle Cricket Club where he manages the Under 15's. I didn't get the chance to ask him what else he does.....
