The future of Chadkirk

The future of Chadkirk was raised – in some depth – at a council meeting in Woodley Civic Hall on Monday 17 October. If we wind back the clock a couple of years or so, you may recall that the future of the chapel and the estate was in some doubt. At that time, Stockport Council had gone out to consultation, basically asking “which museums shall we close?” – of which Chadkirk was definitely one. Sadly, global events overtook local ones, and the pandemic forced the council to rethink lots of things. One of these was Chadkirk, which was stripped of its museum status, simply because of the loss of council resources.

The Friends of Chadkirk stepped in, to open the chapel once a month – far less than the council opened it, but at least it’s something. We’ve also spent time creating more events so the community can enjoy the chapel in a different context. And we’ve taken over promoting the chapel, by building a new website. 

And yet, things have been in the balance, with little forward movement from the council. Of course, we now have a new council and I’m pleased to report that although the future of the chapel and the estate are far from being assured, that the new council is now recognising the value of the location and is actively investigating what will be needed to secure its future. Hopefully, this isn’t just a PR exercise. We believe that that council really wants to see Chadkirk revitalised and the meeting this week saw us find a lot of common ground. In fact, pretty much all of the ground was common. There was a great deal of agreement on what needed to be done. The council wants to work with the Friends of Chadkirk to explore every avenue and create a plan for a sustainable future for the estate.

Realistically, things are at an early stage and there’s a great deal to be done. It won’t be cheap – and we all know the kinds of tough times we’re living in and the difficult decisions which have to be made. If things move, the results won’t be instant.

But at least it’s encouraging to be able to report that the conversations are positive, and that the council really does recognise the need to protect and enhance the rare gem that Chadkirk is. We can now start actively working together not only preserve it, but also make more of it for everyone.