NEVILLE FIELDS MEMORIAL BENCH

A new memorial bench dedicated to the late Neville Fields has been erected on the War Memorial Gardens, on Wilmslow Road, close to where Neville lived.  Neville lived all his life in Stockport and most of his adult life in Heald Green until he died, aged 93, last year.  He was a Heald Green Councillor for 26 years and was the Mayor of Stockport in 1995.   Members of the Ratepayers' Committee, the Heald Green Festival Committee and the Manchester Steam Locomotive Society, all of whom contributed to the cost of the bench, were represented at the dedication ceremony.  Cllr Peter Burns spoke about Neville's long, diligent and successful work for the community and his dedication to Heald Green.

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MALLARD COURT

The redevelopment of Mallard Court has taken a step forward with the submission of a planning application by Harvest Housing Association (formerly Manchester and District Housing Association).  The application is for a part three storey, part two storey development of 55 flats, for over 55’s.  The proposed development would include extra-care facilities which would enable elderly people to stay on in the same location, if they reached a stage where they were unable to look after themselves.  Also incorporated would be communal facilities, which would be available to non-residents.  About half of the flats would be for rent and the others would be for sale or part sale.

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RETURN OF THE FLOWER TUBS

In the Spring, Stockport Council took away the flower tubs from local centres across the Borough including Heald Green Village due to the government imposed cuts. Most residents were horrified and Cllr Peter Burns contacted the Council to demand their return, so that the local community could plant them up and maintain them. This was agreed and ten tubs arrived with soil but no plants. Peter Robinson from Robinson's Nursery on Bolshaw Rd, very kindly offered to donate plants and produce a planting plan for each tub. Cllr Burns then contacted young people's groups in Heald Green and they agreed to plant and adopt a flower tub, planting, watering and weeding when necessary. Within a week at the end of May all the plants were planted by Bolshaw, Etchells, North Cheshire Jewish, Oakgrove, Outwood, and Prospect Vale Primary School children as well as the Cafe Unity Youth Group, Cubs, Scouts and Guides. Heald Green Ratepayers' Association and Cllr Burns are arranging for plaques to be installed on each tub to acknowledge the work of the young people and the donations of plants from Robinson's nursery.

The young people of Heald Green can be proud that they have contributed to making the Village bright and colourful this summer.

UPDATE:  Peter Robinson, of Robinson’s Nursery offered to provide Winter bedding plants for the tubs.  So the tubs have been cleared, the compost topped up, slow release fertilizer added and Winter plants planted.  Whilst Winter plants are neither as prolific nor colourful as Summer plants, they have added a welcome lift to the appearance of the Village in the Winter months.  Our thanks to Peter Robinson for the plants and to the young people who have worked on the tubs.

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HEALD GREEN FESTIVAL - 2011

Saturday, 25th June didn't promise to be a scorcher but the weather didn't deter the thousands of visitors who came to the Village Hall Playing fields for the Heald Green Festival. The field was packed and the crowds enjoyed touring even more stalls than ever before, playing the games, winning prizes, enjoying refreshments and drinks, watching the entertainment and Punch and Judy as well as watching the local primary schools playing in the football tournament. Finally Outwood Primary School won the Festival Trophy for the second successive year. Congratulations were given to them by the Mayor of Stockport, Cllr Les Jones, who presented the trophy and medals. Bolshaw Primary School team was a close runner up.

The Festival Committee, made up of representatives from Heald Green Ratepayers’ Association, Churches Together, Cheadle Muslim Association, Rotary Club and Heald Green Business Club, would like to thank all those who worked to make it such a huge success. The Festival Committee were very pleased with another successful Festival. They would welcome more helpers for next year. If you can help or have a good idea, please contact Ged McAndry on 0161 437 7968.

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EAST AVENUE PARK

Take a look at  East Avenue Park now!

Over many years, East Avenue Park had become a sad reflection of its former self and a "Friends of East Avenue Park" group was formed in 2004, following a public meeting organised by the Ratepayers, to co-ordinate ideas and raise funds to restore the Park.  As a voluntary group, "The Friends" can access funding which the Council cannot and has been bidding for funding from various sources.

The “Friends” group meets regularly with the Park Development Officer from Stockport Council and over the last few years has developed plans and successfully raised funds to improve the facilities in the park. Pupils from Etchells Primary School also helped to formulate the plans and have helped with litter-picking in the park as well as planting 10,000 spring bulbs over the past 4 years.

Most of the Friends group’s plans have now been realised and work is almost finished to make East Avenue Park a place for fitness and healthy exercise for Heald Green residents of all ages.

The “Friends” group wanted to re-lay the quarter mile perimeter path and make it into a safe exercise track for everyone, whether it be for power-walking, jogging, skateboarding, scootering, cycling with care, pushing a buggy, using a wheelchair, driving a mobility scooter or walking the dog. The new track was funded with a successful bid by the Friends of East Avenue Park for a Biffaward of £43,000 through the Land Refill Tax Scheme, together with some funding from Stockport Council.

Three pieces of outdoor gym equipment, intended to exercise different parts of the body, have been installed. It’s like going to the gym but in the fresh air and it’s FREE! The gym equipment is intended for anyone of adult size without any upper age limit. If it proves popular, there may be opportunity to add further pieces of equipment.

Particularly for young people, the Friends group obtained funding for a multi-use games area (MUGA)on the site of the disused tennis courts. The surface has been re-laid with new edgings. Two goal ends have been installed and games markings painted. The other half of the hard surface area is to have road markings and games marked out for under eight year olds, once the cold weather has finished.

Funding for the MUGA and the surface markings came from:

Brookfield Family Trust Fund, Awards for All (Lottery), Manchester Airport Community Fund, Heald Green Youth Club Trust Fund, Police Property Act Fund, Co-operative Community Fund, Stockport Youth Opportuntiy Fund, IMPACT, Heald green Festival Committee, Greenspace Development Grant and SMBC. The Friends group wish to thank those organisations for the funding.

The Friends of East Avenue previously also received funding for benches and litter bins from Heald Green Ratepayers’ Association, Heald Green Festival Committee and IMPACT and again the group wish to thank those donors. The group have other plans in the pipeline for the children’s play area but it you have any ideas about the future of the park, please contact Margaret Burns, Friends Group Chairman, 437 7197.

The hedge at the front of the park has been replaced by a fence and new gates. This improves visibility and security in the park. The Police are prioritising East Avenue Park for security observations, especially at the week-ends.

If you are concerned about incidents in or around the Park, please call “Park Watch”,  474 5555, and a  Council Security Officer will come to investigate or you can report incidents to the Police on 872 5050

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CAFÉ UNITY

By now, most people will be aware of our community Internet Cafe on Finney Lane. Cafe Unity is its name and it is the result of much hard work by the Heald Green Churches Together. They should be congratulated on providing such a worthwhile facility for everyone in Heald Green. At present the cafe is open from 9.30 am till 4.00 pm, Monday to Saturday and 10am-1pm on a Sunday, staffed by volunteers under the supervision of  the manager, Sarah Pritchard.

On Wednesday evenings the Cafe and upstairs room are open from 7pm-9pm to provide a meeting place and activities for our young people from Year 7 upwards.  More volunteers are welcome to apply and all volunteers undergo police checks. Friday sees the cafe become a drop-in for young people where they can meet friends and “chill”. If you would like to help, phone Margaret Burns 437 7197 for more information.

During the day Cafe Unity  provides a superb facility for everyone, where you can drop in for a tea or coffee  whilst shopping and have a chat, before going home.  There is a play area for toddlers and  high chairs are provided.  Importantly, there is a toilet available, with baby changing facilities.  Why not arrange to meet your friends at the Cafe to catch up on the latest news?  You are welcome to take your own sandwiches to eat and you can buy scones, toasted tea-cakes, biscuits and home-made cakes. Where possible all the products used are “Fair Trade”.  Internet connections are provided at three computers downstairs, one with wheelchair access.  More computers are  available upstairs. The upstairs room can be accessed by chair lift and has a loop system. The room can be used by local groups as a meeting room and is available for hire. If you are interested in volunteering to work in this friendly environment for a few hours a week or interested in hiring the upper room, ring the manager at the cafe, 437 6345

The words along the front of the Cafe are “Relax, Enjoy, Unwind, Connect” and that is exactly what you can do at Cafe Unity. There is a comprehensive web site at: www.cafeunity.com

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ROSE VALE PARK

Rose Vale Park has undergone significant development and improvement, thanks to the work of the Friends of Rose Vale Park group, formed by the Ratepayers’ Association.  This voluntary group is able to access funds for the park which are not available to the Council.  Groups like this have been formed throughout Stockport.

By their own fundraising, money which the local councillors accumulated over three years and some council funding, the Friends group organised a new playground, complete with a safe surface and fencing.  They  painted the entrance railings and gates and planted  roses to enhance the entrance on Rose Vale,  making it more attractive and welcoming. Large sections of the paths in the park have now been relaid.  They have now  installed a “playbridge” over the stream to lead onto a play area for older children.  If you would like to find out more, ring Ron Caseley on 437 3162.  New members of the Friends group are always welcome.

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CHEADLE ROYAL NURSES’ HOME

The saga of the former Cheadle Royal Nurses’ Home, off St Ann’s Rd North, continues.  This listed building was sold off some years ago and the owner was granted planning permission to build on another matching wing and convert the building into 20 flats.  However, he failed to do so and just left the building to fall into dereliction.  The result has been vandalism, nefarious activities by youths, the slow degradation of the building and its degeneration into an eyesore and nuisance to neighbours.  Throughout this period the Ratepayers Councillors have regularly pressed all relevant Council Officers to make sure no means of improving the situation were missed.  This pressure resulted in the Council putting in train the process of compulsory purchase.  However, for a legal reason, this was unable to be served, to everyone’s great disappointment.

It also led, in 2008, to the Council serving a legal notice on the owner to tidy the site.  However, the day before the magistrates’ hearing the owner sold the site.  As the legal notice is personal on the owner, it became invalid upon the sale.

We  also made the Police aware of a number of incidents in the area and they  carried out a special operation throughout the area from Cheadle Royal Business Park to Finney Lane, including St Ann’s Road North.

In 2010, the Council served the  owners with a S215 Notice, which gave them three months to tidy the site, sheet over the roof, renovate the gutters and downspouts and make the doors and windows secure.  This expired last December but all the works had not been carried out.  The owner was then given a one month extension but still not all the works had been carried out.

The owner is pleaded that the remaining works, which were to sheet over the roof and block off the windows and doors, could not be carried out as parts of the floors were missing.  The Council  told him to fit metal shutters at ground level and alternative measures at other levels to the satisfaction of the Council.

In the meantime, the owner  submitted two planning applications to refurbish the building and convert it  into 23 apartments, including the demolition of the existing garage and an extension to the west elevation and erect 10 detached houses on the adjacent land with a new vehicular access onto St Ann’s Rd North.  These applications were refused.

A Committee has  been set up to monitor the situation.  It is comprised of Council officers dealing with planning, regeneration, listed buildings, enforcement and Environmental Health together with the Police and the Fire Service.  Cllr Peter Burns is also a member of the Committee.  Pressure is being put on the owners to progress the site to a final, acceptable use.

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NIGHT-TIME USE OF RUNWAY 2

Having experienced the use of Runway 2 at night for almost all of 2011, we do not expect the airport to need to operate in this way for a very long time.  We will inform you of any changes.

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POTHOLE REPAIRS

Due to the extreme winter weather, many new potholes have appeared.  If you spot a pothole in Heald Green, then report it to Councillor Sylvia Humphreys, 436 4696 or cllr.sylvia.humphreys@stockport.gov.uk.  Don’t assume that someone else will report it, they may be relying on you!  You can also report direct to the Council on 0845 833 4444 or stockportdirect@stockport.gov.uk.  If you report it direct to the Council, always ask for the reference number and make a note of it.

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KEEP HEALD GREEN CLEAN

There is a Council number for you to report any problems of dirt in Heald Green.  This includes litter, graffiti, grot spots, illegal rubbish dumping, fly tipping, abandoned cars etc.

It also covers anti-social behaviour, vandalism, noise nuisance, verbal abuse and under-age drinking.

The number to ring is 217 6111.  Alternatively, email stockportdirect@stockport.gov.uk.  Put it in your favourites, now.

Use of this service should help to improve the state of Heald Green.  It’s up to each of us to do our bit to keep Heald Green clean by using it.

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RATEPAYERS LITTER PICK

On Saturday morning 15th October, the Ratepayers held another of their twice a year litter picks in Heald Green.  The volunteers met at Cafe Unity and went to various sites around Heald Green picking up litter. The pickers then returned to Cafe Unity for a well-earned coffee and cake.  Perhaps, if we all picked up one item of litter every time we went out, then Heald Green would be practically litter free.

The next Litter Pick is scheduled for Saturday, 17th March, 10.00 am at Cafe Unity, as usual.   Why not come along?

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A555 MAELR ROUTE FUNDING

At a meeting on 11 May it was agreed that the North-West’s road construction programme would include £125M for the construction of this road, which is effectively the Finney Lane Bypass.  This money together with the government’s commitment of £165M would be sufficient to construct the road from the A6, at Hazel Grove, to the M56 near the airport. 

Unfortunately, the new coalition government has withdrawn the funding.  Attempts are being made to secure an alternative funding source and phasing.  The Ratepayers’ councillors have met the MP to discuss the situation.

UPDATE - 30 NOVEMBER 2011

The Prime Minister has just announced an increase in government expenditure on infrastructure, which specifically names this road as one of the projects to be funded over its full length from the M56 to Hazel Grove.  We are now awaiting the details, including the timing of the project.

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