Eagles Meadow Silences Macclesfield Shopping Development Objectors

Macclesfield residents concerned about a new shopping development in their home town claim they were silenced and banned from taking pictures on a recent visit to Eagles Meadow.

On Wednesday the group called ‘WakeUp Macc’ came to find out more about the effect Eagles Meadow has had on Wrexham as the proposed new development in Macclesfield has a similar footprint and will also be built by the same developers, Wilson Bowden.

Upon entering Eagles Meadow they began asking Wrexham shoppers for their thoughts on the centre’s effect on town and started taking pictures, but were soon approached by security staff and prevented from taking pictures or interviewing people due to it being private property.

Speaking to Macclesfield’s Community Online one of the visitors said of their trip to Wrexham: “It was quite an eye-opener, both original town centre and new shopping centre weren’t exactly busy for a Wednesday morning, lunchtime and afternoon.

“Quite a lot of comments from locals were along the lines of “don’t let this happen to Macclesfield”. A few, mostly younger people, said they like the centre for its cinema and fast food offer – they might not remember the town with thriving shops and community spirit intact.”

A post on the group’s Facebook page said: “The WakeUp Macc delegation was just banned from taking pictures or interviewing people in the Eagles Meadow shopping centre in Wrexham – as it is private property!”

Eagles Meadow centre manager Kevin Critchley disputed the group’s version of events, he said: “What happened was they were wandering around taking pictures of shops and members of the public, including children and my staff simply went up and asked them what they were doing as it’s on private property.

“Their response was ‘why should we tell you?’ and they would not say who they were. It would have been polite to tell us who they were and they were asked if they would like to speak to me, the centre manager, but I didn’t even have a chance to go down before they went away in a huff.

“I’d usually say ‘yes that’s ok’ if they’d have said who they are and what they were doing as long as they stay static and don’t harass members of the public.

“If they wanted pictures I would happily give them architectural pictures of the centre which were taken at great expense.

“To put it another way if we didn’t go and challenge people that we know absolutely nothing about who are taking pictures of shops and children it would be a bit wrong.”

In May last year a group calling themselves ‘The Love Police’ who walked round Wrexham with a megaphone “spreading the love” were asked to leave Eagles Meadow by Mr Critchley for encroaching on private property. However, he later relented and let them stay as they were “having fun”. See from 12.40 onwards on the below video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA7y11yq0tk

“Wakup Macc” have a website on http://wakeupmacc.org.uk/.

We have started this thread in our forums to ask the question “How has Eagles Meadow changed Wrexham?” – click here to read replies or answer.