Stockport Independent Issue 192

JULY 2025 4 ENGLANDinternational Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who scored on his sen- ior debut for the Three Lions in 2024, returned to his roots to open a new 3G football pitch at his former school. The state-of-the- art pitch at Stockport School is one of two new facilities worth a combined £2.4mil- lion, funded in part by a £1.6m investment from the Premier League, The FA, and government’s Football Foundation. Stockport Council has worked with the Football Foundation to deliver the pitch project. Southampton star Taylor did the honours by cutting the ribbon to declare the pitch open for play. The cutting-edge 3G surfacewill enable year- round sports activities, regardless of weather conditions. It has been built to the highest specifications of both FIFA and World Rugby, ensuring safety, dura- bility, and performance. Stockport School head Ian Irwin said:“We are absolutely thrilled to officially open our new 3G pitch. “This fantastic facil- ity will transform our sporting provision, offering our students the opportunity to train and compete on a pro- fessional-grade surface. It reflects our vision of excellence in all aspects of school life, includ- ing physical education and wellbeing.” “This investment also strengthens our com- mitment to the wider community, as the pitch will be available for local clubs and organ- isations to use outside of school hours. We’re proud to be playing our part inpromotingsport, health, and engage- ment across Stockport.” Home plans are unveiled STOCKPORT NHS Foundation Trust cel- ebrated Armed Forces Week with the news it had been recognised for its support for mil- itary veterans. That recognition is in addition to the support it gives to reservists working in its services, and the Armed Forces personnel working them. The trust, which runs Stepping Hill Hospital and community ser- vices in Stockport, has been re-accredited with ‘Veteran Aware’ status, awarded by the Veter- ans Covenant Hospi- tal Alliance. Trusts which receive the status need to demon- strate they can respond to the needs of veterans and their families, keep- ing staff and colleagues informed of their status, and signposting vet- erans and families to other services which can offer support. A ‘Veterans Passport’ has also been introduced which enable a veteran to disclose information that they may wish to share with healthcare professionals in a way that is comfortable to them, reducing the need to recall any informa- tion, which may involve retelling and re-living traumatic memories. The trust also shows support for their reserv- ists in their services. It provides extra paid days leave for reserv- ists and has supportive HR policies in place for veterans, Reserves, and Cadet Force Adult Vol- unteers, as well as the spouses and partners of those serving in the Armed Forces. And it also offers place- ments for Armed Forces personnel to gain NHS experience. Abby Hin- selwood, who serves as a military nurse, is cur- rently on a placement working within the hos- pital’s Acute Medical Unit department. Abby has served in the Royal Army medi- cal services (RAMS) for six years and has been a qualified nurse for the past two and half years. While her primary role is with the military, she had the invaluable opportunity to maintain and build clinical skills by working shifts at the hospital. Abby said “Stepping Hill has shown incredible support in allowing me to undertake clinical work within the hospital. This not only helps me stay current with NHS prac- tices and patient care, but also strengthens the connection between the military and civilian healthcare systems. “I’m incredibly grate- ful to the hospital and my colleagues for welcoming me into the team and for recognising the value of supporting Armed Forces personnel. Their support is a shining example of how civilian organisations can positively impact those who serve, ensur- ing we’re always ready to deliver care.” NHS trust’s support for veterans Placement: Abby Hinselwood who serves as a military nurse Honours: Taylor Harwood-Bellis opens the pitch (Photo credit: Stockport Council) England football star Taylor is pitch perfect Housing development: An artist’s impression of the proposed new homes (Photo credit: Taylor Wimpey) HOUSEBUI LDER Taylor Wimpey has unveiled plans to build 160 new homes in Hazel Grove. The developer is cur- rently preparing an out- line planning application for the scheme on a site south of Jacksons Lane. It says proposed devel- opment will provide a variety of new homes, with 50 per cent des- ignated as affordable housing, and create new public open space, includ- ing new recreational spaces and a play area. A public consulta- tion exercise has been launched which will run until Thursday July 31. Details of the propos- als are available on the developer’s website. It also held an exhibi- tion event at Brookdale Club and Theatre in Bramhall which gave people the chance to speak to members of the project team. Brigid Edwards, senior strategic land and plan- ning manager at Taylor Wimpey Manchester, said: “Collating the views of local residents is an essential part of our development process, and we’re keen to gather as much feedback as we can from residents about our plans for a new commu- nity in Hazel Grove.” It says feedback from members of the community will help to shape the outline planning application before it is submitted to Stockport Council later this summer. Making streets safe for summer Launch: Cllr Dan Oliver (third from left) is joined by representatives from Greater Manchester Police, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, Stockport Council and Stockport County at the Safe4Summer launch GREATER Manches- ter’s ‘Safer Streets Summer Initiative’ – created to reduce crime in town centres – has been launched in Stockport The initiative – known locally as Safe4Summer – is part of the govern- ment’s mission to restore and strengthen local policing in communities and reduce or prevent anti-social behaviour (ASB). As part of this, there will be a greater visi- bility of Greater Man- chester Police (GMP) officers across crime hot spot areas. Dan Oliver, coun- cil cabinet member for communities, culture and public protection, said: “We all want to feel safe while living, working and shopping in Stockport. “The Safe4Summer campaign will help to do just that. There will be more high-visibility patrols to clamp down on retail and street crime, including shoplifting, as well as teams across the council and part- ners working together to target anti-so- cial behaviour.” Assistant Chief Con- stable Matt Boyle, GMP’s lead for local policing, said: “Our neighbour- hoods are negatively impacted by various crimes such as the ille- gal use of e-bikes, drug dealing and other ASB. “As a force, it’s our mission to listen to our community’s concerns and take action where crime is committed.” He added: “Our proac- tive approach to tackling neighbourhood crime has meant that since 2021, we’ve reduced burglary by a third and vehi- cle crime by a quarter, thanks to the dedication of our local neighbour- hood teams, working closely with partners across the region. “Over the summer months, they will be focusing on increasing engagement with our communities to listen and respond to their concerns. “Residents and busi- ness owners will also see an increase in the visibility of officers and partners, as we work together to ensure a safe summer for all. “This isn’t about trying to spoil people’s fun over the summer months, it is making sure everyone can enjoy themselves without feeling unsafe or being hurt.”