Stockport Independent Issue 202

MAY 2026 2 Official Hi1 (UK) Ltd of 70 Brinksway, Stockport, SK3 0BY is applying for a restricted operators licence to use the aforementioned address as an operating centre for one goods vehicle. Owners or occupiers of land (including buildings) near the operating centre who believe that their use or enjoyment of that land would be affected, should make written representations to the Traffic Commisioner at Quarry House, Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7UE, stating their reasons, within 21 days of this notice. Representors must at the same time send a copy of their representations to the applicant at the address given at the top of this notice. A Guide to Making Representations is available from the Traffic Commissioner’s office. 28/04/2026 GOODS VEHICLE OPERATOR’S LICENCE 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 STOCKPORT has been named one of England’s top ten ‘pub towns’. The town’s diverse hospi- tality sector featured in a list published by national news- paper The Daily Telegraph. The list highlighted towns offering both an affordable pint as well as a traditional pub culture, with Stockport the only town in the North West to receive a mention. Other towns making the list include Hastings on the South Coast, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, and brewing heav- yweight, Burton-on-Trent. In the list, compiled by the paper’s travel writer and author of its England’s 500 Best Pubs guide, Will Hawkes, two Stockport town centre establishments were mentioned by name: The Crown, situated beneath the town’s iconic viaduct, as well as The Magnet, on the A6. The writer praised the two pubs for their traditional properties would be provided as affordable housing for local people, under proposals put forward by Bellway Strategic Land for the 12-acre site off Chester Road. The full planning applica- tion will now be considered by Stockport Council. It is the sec- ond homes plan forHazel Grove unveiled by the developer. Bellway Strategic Land has also recently submitted plans for 176 homes on a 19-acre site off Jacksons Lane. It says half of these would also be afforda- ble housing. If given the green light, the Chester Road development would be a mix of three and four-bedroom houses for pri- vate sale, as well as one and two-bedroom apartments and two and three-bedroom affordable homes for low-cost rent or shared ownership. Sebastian Burrow, stra- tegic land director for Bell- way in the North West, said: “Stockport Borough has an urgent need for new homes and the two developments we are planning in Hazel Grove would make a significant con- tribution to reversing years of housing under-delivery across the district. “The high proportion of affordable homes proposed for both sites would also make a vital difference in a district where an estimated 11 per cent of households are in need of an affordable property. “Our land and planning specialists have undertaken comprehensive assessment work on the Chester Road site, and this evidence aligns with the council’s intention to allocate the land for housing within its Draft Local Plan.” He added: “The homes have been carefully designed to reflect the character of sur- rounding properties, through the choice of materials such as grey roof tiles, red/orange brick, and blackwindows and fascias. “More than three acres of the site would be provided as public open space to ensure the development reflects its countryside setting while also increasing biodiversity.” Bellway says it is estimated that the development would create 58 full-time jobs dur- ing the construction period, as well as 67 full-time jobs in the supply chain. It says the development would also generate an addi- tional £1.5million of annual spending in the local econ- omy, as well as an extra £300,000 per year in council tax revenues. A STOCKPORT leisure centre operator has become the first in the UK to launch the ‘Ask for Angela’ scheme. Life Leisure has introduced the initiative, which supports anyone feeling safe, vulner- able or uncomfortable while using its hubs. While ‘Ask for Angela’ is often associated with bars and clubs, the scheme is designed for everyone. It is now widely used across a range of settings, including hotels, chemists, taxi services, theatres, cinemas and shops. The initiative has now been rolled out at Life Leisure’s hub in Houldsworth Village. By simply asking a member of staff for “Angela,” visitors can communicate that they need help without having to explain their situation in detail. Life Leisure’s trained team will respond quickly, calmly, and without judg- ment to provide appropri- ate support. The initiative also rein- forces a clear message that harassment and unwanted STOCKPORT Council is demanding government funding for flood defences and relief to help victims. It is calling for the gov- ernment to increase capital investment in defences and urgently review the thresh- olds that leave flood-hit com- munities without support. Councillors passed a Lib Dem motion demanding action after ministers ruled the New Year’s Day 2025 floods were not “catastrophic enough” to warrant support. The Flood Recovery Frame- work is financial support that the government can provide to families via local authorities that have suffered flood dam- age. It is at the government’s discretion if they release the funding on a case-by- case basis. Jilly Julian, council deputy leader and cabinet member for finance and resources, said: “The government must act. We cannot have families forced to live in fear while ministers debate what counts as a disaster and refuse to recognise that flood risk is a much broader concern than it used to be. “Whilst Stockport Council is doing great work to protect residents from flooding, we cannot do it alone. “The lack of funding the council receives from central government is highly concern- ing, and despite lobbying to ministers across government, we are yet to find one who seems to care.” She recounted the experi- ences of Liz, a neighbour in Cheadle and founder of the Cheadle Flood Alliance, who said: “Every weather warning becomes a source of anxiety. Every raindrop on the roof triggers fear.” She added: “Stockport will receive £52million less next year than the average for councils of its kind, and 75 per cent of our budget is spent on providing support to vulnerable children, adults, and families. “Yet the government seems intent on shifting responsi- bility away from itself onto overburdened councils. They expect us to find the capital funding and have contingency set aside whilst also forcing us to run down reserves.” New Year’s Day storms in 2025 saw flooding which trapped around 400 people in their Stockport flats without electricity or running water. STOCKPORT is set to become home to the North’s first bar focused on women’s sport. New leisure concept Rita Ray’s has been confirmed as one of the tenants of the inde- pendent hospitality venues being created at the £60mil- lion Weir Mill development Open to everyone, the bar will champion the rise of wom- en’s sport while keeping the proper sports-bar buzz – big games on screen, great drinks and a lively social atmosphere. By day the space will be family-friendly, before shifting into a social hub by night with music, drinks, and plenty of post-matchday energy. Rita Ray’s founder, Becky Brown, said: “Women’s sport has grown massively, but the spaces to watch it haven’t caught up. “There’s nothing like this in the North at the moment, and Stockport and the Weir Mill neighbourhood felt like the perfect spot – creative, inde- pendent, and full of character. Rita Ray’s is about sport, com- munity, and inclusion.” The space will host run clubs, classes, quiz nights, book clubs, pop-ups, and community meetups, as well as creating a welcoming place for locals to gather beyond match days. The bar takes its name from founder Becky Brown’s grandparents, Rita and Ray, known for their love of life, games, golf and good company. Tom Wilmot, joint manag- ing director at Capital&Cen- tric, the developer behind the restoration of the historic Weir Mill into a new river- side neighbourhood within Stockport’s Town Centre West regeneration area, has welcomed the news. He said: “Rita Ray’s is exactly the kind of bold, indie concept we love bringing into our neighbourhoods. It’s a brilliant addition to Weir Mill and a great example of the independent operators helping shape this new part of Stockport.” Developer unveils second housing plan PLANS have been submit- ted for a new 134 home housing development on the edge of Hazel Grove. Exactly half of the Leisure centre adopts safety scheme Safety scheme: Staff members at Life Leisure Houldsworth Village and Support Office: (L-R) Alistair Dixon, Eve Fox, Shaun Adamson, Sarah Potter Women’s sports bar is a first Raising a glass to our pubs Action demanded on flood support behaviour will not be toler- ated in Life Leisure hubs. It demonstrates that staff are trained and prepared to respond effectively when someone may be in need of help or reassurance. Eve Fox, inclusion officer at Life Leisure, said: “We want everyone who walks through our doors to feel safe, sup- ported, and respected. “Ask for Angela gives people a simple and discreet way to ask for help if they need it, and reinforces our commit- ment to creating spaces where everyone can enjoy being active without concern.” This move is part of Life Leisure’s wider mission to ensure its hubs are not only places to exercise, but safe, inclusive communities where everyone can feel confident, supported, and able to thrive. Northern feel and the “qual- ity of their beer” respectively. Commenting on all the state of pubs in place in his top 10 list and in towns across England, he said: “The truth is that, whatever their per- ceived deficiencies, plenty of English towns are full of excellent pubs – most of them the sort of community-focused places that some assume are a thing of the past.” Recognition for all of Stock- port’s pubs follows recent successes for Robinsons Brew- ery, which has been brewing beer in the town for nearly 190 years. The sixth-generation fam- ily-run brewer was awarded the title of Best Brewing Pub Company at the 2026 Publican Awards, one of the most competitive awards programmes in the UK pub industry. The quality of its brewing has also been recognised with two gold medals at the so-called ‘Oscars of brewing’. Both its Helles lager and Old Tom dark ale received Gold Medals in their respec- tive categories at the Interna- tional Brewing Awards 2026.