Stockport Independent Issue 201

APRIL 2026 2 No part of this publicationmay be used or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure that the articles and advertisements that are carried are authentic, however the publisher accepts no responsibility for claims made. © Investors in Publishing Ltd 2026. This newspaper is publishedmonthly by Investors in Publishing, Publishing House, 3 Bridgebank Industrial Estate,Taylor Street, Horwich, Bolton BL6 7PD. 01204 478812 EDITOR Ged Henderson ged@hendersonnewsandmedia.com CONTACT JayneMeadowcroft 01204 478812 or 07703 045189 jayne@independentnewspapers.co.uk ADVERTISING Robin Atkins 07767 840274 robin@cheshireindependent.co.uk CONTACT US Notice of Application for a New Licence under the Licensing Act 2003 Notice is hereby given that I, Simulator Hub Ltd , have applied on 25th March 2026 to the Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council in respect of the premises known as Unit 2/12C Houldsworth Street, Reddish, Stockport, SK5 6DA for the supply of alcohol from Monday to Sunday 10.00am to 11.00pm. Anyone wishing to make representations about this application must do so in writing by 22nd April 2026 to: The Licensing Officer (2003) Environmental Health and Trading Standards Service Fred Perry House Edward Street Stockport SK1 3XE E-mail: licensing2003@stockport.gov.uk Website: www.stockport.gov.uk/licensing Fax: 0161 474 4369 where the record of this application and the Licensing Register may be inspected. Please note that it is an offence knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in connection with an application and that the maximum fine for which a person is liable on summary conviction for the offence is £5,000. l Continued frompage one Darren Stannage, com- pany manager at NK The- atre Arts, added: “Cultural organisations across the borough are already work- ing hard to widen access and break down barriers. A UK Town of Culture award would help us reach more young people and ensure cre- ativity continues to unite and inspire communities.” A number of neighbouring towns have already expressed their interest in joining the competition. Macclesfield and Congleton have begun putting together their submissions in their separate bids to be con- sidered for the title. Announcing the competi- tion, the government’s culture secretary Lisa Nandy said: “Great culture is not confined to our largest metropolitan centres; it is everywhere, rooted in communities across the country. But for too long that talent and contribution have gone unrecognised. “Everybody deserves the chance to share their pride in the place they call home and to have access to quality art, music, dance and drama wherever they live.” The competition has also attracted interests from towns across the country includ- ing Chorley in Lancashire, Prescot on Merseyside and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole on the south coast, who are considering a joint bid. HAZEL Grove MP Lisa Smart has slammed what she calls the failure of ‘Access to Cash’ and the loss of banking and post office services. Her comments come after figures from the Post Office showed that her constituency has lost more than 90 per cent of its banking facilities in the last 10 years. The MP has been fighting for changes to the contracts available for Post Office man- agers, after services were lost in High Lane and Five Ways in Hazel Grove, with the con- tracts available not enough to attract new managers. She said: “These figures show just how much the situ- ation has changed in the last decade. While the Post Office does an excellent job of mak- ing services available where they can, the system is just not doing enough. “The people most in need of access – particularly those who are not online – are also the ones most likely to strug- gle to get to distant banking services. We need to ensure there are more services close to people, and get public transport better connected.” Figures show that Hazel Gove remains one of the worst affected in the country for loss of banking facilities. The Lib Dem MP added: “I raised the issue of contracts for post office managers in Par- liament again recently. I keep fighting for replacement ser- vices in High Lane and Hazel Grove, and this shows why this is important. Our local com- munities are being hollowed out, and the government must find a way to change this.” OLDER and disabled peo- ple in Greater Manchester can now get free round- the-clock travel on Bee Network buses. From March 1, conces- sionary passholders have no longer had to wait until 9.30am to get on board a bus for free after the time restric- tion was permanently lifted. It follows two successful tri- als, in August and November, during which around 400,000 older and disabled people were able to use their free bus pass at any time of the day. Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “This is another significant change we’re bringing in under the Bee Network that will make a real difference to peo- ple across Greater Manchester. “It will be a huge lift for dis- abled people struggling with the cost of travelling to work and it will give older people the freedom to travel when- ever they want. “Taking control of our pub- lic transport network means we can make Greater Man- chester an even better place to live and work, and this change does exactly that. “We will continue doing everything we can to reduce cost-of-living pressures on our residents, including by freez- ing bus and tram fares across the Bee Network.” During the August pilot, more than 100,000 journeys were made by older and dis- abled people before 9.30am with up to 6,000 people a day taking advantage of the change. In November, the numbers were even higher with nearly 120,000 passholders travel- ling before 9.30am during the pilot, most of whom got on board at least half an hour earlier. According to data collected during the trials, lifting time restrictions spread demand more evenly throughout the morning, reducing the risk of overcrowding on the first post-curfew services. Passholders interviewed at bus stops, interchanges and while travelling throughout the trial periods said that they welcomed the free- dom to travel at a time that suits them, reducing stress and loneliness and increas- ing opportunities for work and volunteering. Nakib Narat, co-chair of the Greater Manchester Older People’s Equality Panel, said: “This change unlocks a huge resource for our region. Grandparents can travel early to provide childcare, helping working parents. This boosts the local economy. “Crucially, we can now attend hospital and GP appointments whenever needed. This gives us flex- ibility and eases pressure on the NHS. It also tackles loneliness and improves our mental health.” All bus and tram fares – including the £2 cap on a sin- gle ‘hopper’ bus fare for adults and £1 for children – is to be frozen for the whole of 2026. People across Greater Man- chester have been encour- aged to have their say on major plans that will shape the future of local transport through to 2050. The Greater Manchester Transport Strategy 2050 and the Delivery Plan (2027– 2037) sets out long-term pro- posals for improving buses, trams, trains, roads, walking, wheeling and cycling as part of the growing Bee Network. Vernon Everitt, transport commissioner for Greater Manchester, said: “We have S T OCK PORT h a s launched a borough-wide 2026 Spring Clean to boost pride in its local neighbourhoods. The programme will bring together council teams, WORK has started on Cheadle Eco Park, a new light‑industrial devel- opment on Bird Hall Lane that will create up to 200 jobs and pro- vide modern, energy‑ef- ficient workspaces for local businesses. The seven‑acre site, previ- ously home to older industrial units, is being transformed into a high‑quality business park designed with sustain- ability at its heart. The development will offer six new units of varying sizes to support growing and inno- vative companies looking to stay and invest in Stockport. Cheadle Eco Park has been planned to meet some of the highest environmental stand- ards for new buildings. The development will use low‑carbon construction materials, energy‑efficient systems and features such as air‑source heat pumps, natu- ral ventilation, smart, low‑en- ergy lighting, and there will be electric vehicle charging for every parking space. The project will also include significant landscap- ing improvements, with new planting, wildlife‑friendly features, and sustainable drainage such as rain gar- dens. Better walking and cycling links will also help people travel more easily around the area. In another step towards reducing carbon, the new buildings will use sustainably sourced timber for their struc- ture, rather than traditional steel. This approach helps cut the carbon footprint of the development even further. Cheadle Eco Park has received £4.4million in Gov- ernment Towns Fund support and is part of the Cheadle Town Fund programme, which also includes plans for a new railway station and improvements to walking and cycling routes. The new park is sched- uled for completion in March 2027. Micheala Meikle, cabinet member for regen- eration, economy and skills at Stockport Council, said: “The start on site marks a major milestone in deliver- ing this ground‑breaking, environmentally exem- plary development. “Cheadle Eco Park is a key part of our ambition to create a modern, sustainable employ- ment zone that brings real benefits to our communities.” community groups, schools, volunteers, Totally Local Company and local partners to help make neighbourhoods cleaner, greener and even bet- ter places to live. The council says activity will take place across the borough in the coming weeks with the campaign highlight- ing civic pride, sustainability and the everyday work carried out by its services. In a statement the council said: “By encouraging volun- teering, community action and stewardship, the cam- paign will help residents play an active role in shaping and caring for the natural spaces that matter to them. “It also shines a light on the vital role local people play in keeping Stockport looking its best, from organised lit- ter picks to the ongoing work of Friends of Parks groups across the borough.” Getting set for a big spring clean Work begins to deliver eco-park Bus boost is welcomed Right road: The free round-the-clock travel move has been welcomed (Photo credit: TfGM) Concern: Lisa Smart with councillors Jake Austin andWendy Meikle campaigning against the loss of the NatWest bank in Hazel Grove, which was closed last year Access to cash “not working” ambitious proposals to further improve transport in every part of Greater Manchester. “Better transport will enable sustainable economic growth, provide access to homes, jobs and education and create greater opportu- nity for all. We want to hear what people and businesses across Greater Manchester think about these plans.”