Stockport Independent Issue 205

JULY 2026 2 POLICE are investigating after bricks were reportedly thrown over a bridge onto the M60 in Stockport. Greater Manchester Police say they are looking into three danger- ous incidents which took place near Junction 1, which left three cars with smashed windscreens. The first report came when a taxi passenger reported that a brick was thrown from a bridge and through the windshield. Soon afterwards, police received another report about a dropped stone from the same bridge, resulting in another smashed windscreen. Another driver nearby reported their window had been damaged in a simi- lar way. Although there were no injuries, officers said the incidents “could have had extremely serious consequences”. AMAJORmusic festival is coming to a Stockport farm after plans got the go ahead. It’s hoped over 5,000 people could attend with bosses hoping to take the event to the next level. Manchester Event Catering Ltd, a company based in Leeds, are the com- pany behind the Made in Manchester festival at the Waterside Farm on Otterspool Road in Romiley. They suc- cessfully applied to Stockport Council for a licence to allow the event to go ahead with conditions. The festival was due to be held between August 28 and 31 and fea- tures tributes to Taylor Swift, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, ABBA, and the Stone Roses. However it will now only take place on the Saturday and Sunday of that weekend. Organisers are hoping for around 3,000 people to attend on the Saturday and then around 2,000 on the Sunday. The event organisers are promising a funfair, thrill rides, a food village, a ‘zoo’ showing exotic animals, and ‘bringing the party to Stockport with another amazing lineup of live music’. The festival is returning for its sixth year. On the events website, infants can go in for free while tickets for chil- dren are selling for £12.50 with a £1.25 booking fee on top. The highest priced ticket is for families with two adults and two children for the whole weekend which will cost £130 plus a £13 booking fee. HAZELGrove High School is celebrating a ‘highly positive’ Ofsted report following an inspection in April this year. Under the inspectorate’s new grading system, the school was deemed ‘strong’ in four areas, and of ‘expected standard’ in three others. Of strong standard at Hazel Grove High School were: inclu- sion; leadership and governance; personal development & wellbe- ing; and post-16 provision. Of expected standard were: achievement; attendance; and behaviour. Inspectors found that the school’s staff and governors had “a clear, ambitious vision for the school” and “uncompromisingly high expectations for all pupils.” They also praised the school’s broad and well-taught curric- ulum, where teachers demon- strated not just great subject knowledge but also good com- munication skills. DISABLED patients, visitors and carers at Stepping Hill Hospi- tal now have additional support thanks to new specialist changing and toilet facilities on the site. Stockport NHS Foundation Trust’s capital projects team have worked together with building contractors Tilbury Douglas to build the new Changing Places facilities. The major- ity of funding for the project, as well as labour, has come from Tilbury Douglas and their supply chain, with additional funding for the project also being pro- vided by Stockport NHS Charity. THE former Lex Autolease site off Heathside Park Road in Cheadle Heath has been chosen to replace the existing Bee Network depot off Daw Bank. Daw Bank, in the town centre, is to be redeveloped into housing. Transport for Greater Man- chester has been on the hunt for a replacement depot that could accommodate its grow- ing fleet of electric buses for some time and had been eye- ing up the ambulance station on Travis Brow. However, TfGM has now plumped for a site two miles from the town’s main bus station in Cheadle Heath. Plans for the EV depot, which will be able to accommodate 200 buses, are to be submitted this summer with construction scheduled to begin in 2027 and complete in 2029. In the meantime, two tem- porary depots – the former Heaton Lane car park and the former Lundy site off Kingston Street – will be used to house buses while ECF gets on with the redevelopment of the Daw Bank site, part of the 1,300- home Stockport 8. TfGM said it is on course to have a fully electric fleet by 2030.**** Chris Barnes, infrastructure delivery director at TfGM, said the Cheadle Heath site provided the “perfect opportunity to build the first electric bus depot of its kind in Greater Manchester”. “Modernising the Bee Net- work means better services for passengers and cleaner air for everyone in Greater Manches- ter,” he said. “That’s why we’ve been investing in our depots, upgrad- ing them to accommodate our growing fleet of electric buses.” “These proposals represent another important step in two major ambitions we share across Stockport: creating a modern, fully electric public transport network and con- tinuing the transformation of Stockport town centre;” said Cllr Mark Roberts, leader of Stockport Council. “The move to a purpose-built electric bus depot is intended to support the Bee Network’s journey towards a zero-emis- sion fleet and sits alongside our wider regeneration ambitions, including Stockport 8, which will deliver new homes, public spaces and opportunities for future generations in the heart of our borough. Now a depot site has been selected, the Daw Bank site is due to be demolished in early 2027 to make way for more the 435-home first phase of Stock- port 8. A POPULAR pub in Offer- ton is in the running for a big win in what has been described as ‘the pubOscars’. The Puss in Boots has been named a finalist in the ‘best pub for families’ category at this year’s Great British Pub Awards. The awards, which run every year, describes itself as ‘the ulti- mate celebration of British pubs’. For this category, The Puss in Boots will be facing off against establishments from London, Bristol, Dorset and Cheltenham. The judges, who have whit- tled down this shortlist, will choose the pub which ‘caters for all ages’, and which has “a family friendly food and drink offer and facilities to keep all the family entertained”. The Puss in Boots’ nomination comes not long after the building underwent a £400k refurbish- ment, following an investment from Almond Family Pubs and Robinsons Brewery. Almond Family Pubs, which manages the pub, said they were ‘proud’ to be nominated. “We’re absolutely delighted to see the Puss in Boots short- listed for Best Pub for Families”, said James Almond, director at Almond Family Pubs. “To be recognised on a national stage, and as the only finalist in the category from the North West, is a real credit to Nick and the whole team. “The Puss is a community pub Offerton can truly be proud of, somewhere families of every age feel welcome. To see that recog- nised so soon after reopening means a great deal to us.” Nick Bateson, co-general manager alongside newly appointed Naomi Proudfoot, added; “I couldn’t be prouder of the team. We’ve always been a proper family pub, and that’s never changed. “This nomination belongs to our regulars and their families as much as it does to us.” The winners will be announced on 23 September at the Leeds First Direct Arena. The Puss in Boots, on Nangreave Road in Offerton, is a finalist at the 2026 Great British Pub Awards (Image – Google Maps) School’s ‘positive’ report Much-loved pub named finalist at ‘pub Oscars’ New support at hospital Music festival go-ahead Bricks thrown from bridge CONTACT US 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. Thisnewspaper ispublishedmonthlyby Investors in Publishing,PublishingHouse,3Bridgebank IndustrialEstate, TaylorStreet,Horwich,BoltonBL67PD.01204478812 EDITOR Mike Hulme mike@independentnewspapers.co.uk CONTACT JayneMeadowcroft 01204 478812 or 07703 045189 jayne@independentnewspapers.co.uk ADVERTISING Robin Atkins 07767 840274 robin@cheshireindependent.co.uk The new site is two miles from Stockport bus station. (Image: Google Earth) Site chosen for new electric bus depot