High Lane Residents' Association

Minutes of the meeting of High Lane Residents’ Association

Date: Thursday 5^th February 2026                                                                                                                        Time: 8pm

Venue: High Lane Library

Present: Caroline Smith; David Burks; John Baker; Darrell Williams; Barry Sequeira; Sue Forrester; Lisa Robinson-Hall and Cllr Shan Alexander

Apologies: Eryl Hughes and Angie Sequeira

1.  Welcome given by Caroline Smith and apologies were made for the confusion about the meeting location as advertised in the church magazine. Meetings will mostly be in the library room except for the AGM which is held at the village hall. Caroline announced there was a raffle draw at the end of the meeting with the winning ticket getting a voucher worth £100 from The Red Lion.

2.  Minutes of the last meeting – approved.

3.  Police and Crime Report – no police presence at the meeting – see “Post-Meeting Updates” section at the end.

4. Finances by John Baker

The HLRA General account

The opening balance for the HLRA General account at the beginning of January 2026 (taking rounding into account) was £3,492

Income

The income during January was:

Expenditure

The expenditure during January was:

For January, our Total Expenditure from the General Account was £ 2,585

The Account balances now are                 

General account                         £1,956                                                                                                          

HLRA Project Account               £6,100

HLRA Total Amount                    £8,056

 HLRA War Memorial Account February 2026 provided by Barry.

Barry mentioned that the HLRA War Memorial had donated £500 towards the outdoor gym.

5.  Planning applications provided by Eryl

a.  Outside 29 Alderdale Drive DC/098065: regulation 5 notice intention to install fixed Line Broadband Apparatus

b. 40 Bowfell Drive DC/ 098963: regulation 5 notice intention to install fixed Line Broadband Apparatus

c.  30, Windlehurst Rd. DC/098104: Two storey side extension, single storey rear extension, with raised patio area to rear garden. Porch and garage extension to front elevation OFN

d. 108 Andrew Lane DC/ 098067: T8 Holly Tree fell to ground level to allow space for other trees to form undisturbed crown  TPO270E OFN

e. The Old Court house DC/097926: Demolition of existing kitchen/conservatory and wc extension. Proposed replacement extension single storey side and rear extension. Reinstatement of internal doorway to facilitate internal access to the proposed side/rear extension OFN

6.  Outdoor Gym

David gave an overview of the outdoor gym project, which has been in progress for about two years. He continued to say that we're aiming to have eight units installed, though there may be some adjustments. Currently, the fundraising target was £10,900, and we have raised £11,135 so far, with hopes to increase this slightly. Shan advised David to make an application to Marple Area Committee for a donation of £500 before the 31^st March. David replied that he had already submitted an application but it had been rejected. Shan advised not to re-apply but that she would follow up the existing application. The equipment was tested at a local school and found to be in excellent condition. The equipment will be installed near the football pitch, accessible via a path from Keswick Road and is therefore suitable for people with mobility needs. The installation requires a suitable surface such as Conipave [a rubber-based water-permeable, slip-resistant surfacing] as grass or tarmac are either unsuitable or too costly. There have been concerns about potential charges for installation, but ongoing discussions with the council are continuing to resolve this.

Funding applications have faced some challenges, including a previous rejection due to existing funds. Installation costs are significant, mainly because of the need for proper surfacing. The equipment will be arranged logically, grouping strength, cardiovascular, and rehabilitation stations together. The manufacturer [Sunshine Gym] will handle installation and commissioning to ensure quality. There are separate issues with drainage and soil conditions in the area, which require proper work to prevent waterlogging. The project is progressing well, and community groups like the scouts are encouraged to use the gym and could perhaps help others learn to use the equipment although there are clear instructions for each piece of equipment. Overall, while some challenges remain, the project is moving forward positively.

7.  A.O.B.

• Carpet: Caroline announced that pieces of carpet have been donated in order to improve the room's acoustics.
• Monthly Friday coffee morning at the library: the library are hoping to set up a monthly coffee morning here, possibly on Fridays, to make better use of this room. The Monday coffee morning at the village hall already has committed volunteers and attendees. The library staff will initially provide refreshments, but future supplies would come from donations. The library are asking for a nominated person and volunteers to coordinate this. Suggestions were to contact the church to include a piece in the church magazine and to advertise for volunteers through the HLRA website and Facebook.
• Young resident of care home: a resident expressed some concern about an ongoing issue of an individual living in a local residential home who patrols the A6 encouraging passing heavy goods vehicles to sound their horn in response. The resident reported that he [the young care home resident] often steps into the road and although he has a care giver accompanying him, they seem to be unresponsive during these outings although a request has been made to monitor him more closely. People have approached the young man but he can be difficult [eg verbal abuse and intimidating behaviour]. Caroline stated that the councillors have been asked for advice previously and the problem may need to be referred to Adult Social Services. Shan explained that there is some uncertainty as to whether it is a private home, which in that case limits what can be done but Social Services should still be involved. The manager has been contacted but as yet has not replied. The resident added that some neighbours have experienced troubling behaviour from the boy and it was agreed that while care responsibility is important, action is needed to prevent further issues. Shan is waiting to hear back from social services and will report back on any developments.
• Covid memorial and bench: Shan told the meeting that a war memorial has been completed at St. Thomas' Church along with a bench, and she invited the HLRA committee, along with High Lane residents, to attend the opening when a date is finalised. She thanked the committee for supporting this project financially. It's located on the left side when you enter the church, with a large bench. One of the congregation will add flowers and plants and Shan welcomed anyone who wants to visit to come along.
• Bluebells in Hartley Woods: David had heard from Owen that the 1000 bluebells in Hartley Woods, which were planted in November, are starting to show so he’s hopeful that we'll have bluebells soon.
• Bridleway: a resident reported a problem with horses using the pathway from Thornway onto the A6 especially on weekends. The narrow path makes it difficult for horses and pedestrians to share the passageway safely thereby creating a hazard for people walking the opposite way with dogs. Dogs barking at horses could lead to serious injuries. He wondered if barriers could be placed near the lamp post, which is council responsibility, to prevent conflicts. There used to be a "no horses" sign, but it rusted away. Where the horses are stabled is uncertain. Caroline offered to email Shan with photos of the location.
• Persimmon Homes: a resident stated that he was surprised to learn someone had submitted an application for the development of land between Windlehurst Road and the canal. David reassured the meeting that it’s not a planning application but a consultancy to gauge reactions before a formal submission is put forward. He went on to explain that there are two fields involved, one possibly reserved for a future bypass by the government, which the council must keep available for a few years. The Highways department has objected due to traffic concerns, especially where it would connect to the A6. Splitting the field raises questions about economic viability for housing. The development isn't in the local plan, and discussions are ongoing with the planning section.
• Consultation: There's also a Greater Manchester Transport Strategy consultation up to 2050, which includes the bypass proposal. It's a good idea for everyone to review it and provide feedback. The consultation closes on Monday 9^th March 2026.  Consultation forms are available in the library.
• Inconsiderate/dangerous parking: a resident reported that since the car parking charges were introduced, cars are parking on the side roads especially on Daisyway, causing problems like blocked pavements, unsafe junctions, and difficulty entering or exiting drives. Old and untaxed cars often stay parked for weeks, creating hazards for pedestrians and drivers alike. Despite complaints to the council and police, responsibility is unclear, and enforcement is limited unless cars block entrances or are untaxed. Double yellow lines might help, but current ones don’t cover enough area, and cars still park dangerously close to junctions. The situation remains difficult to manage, but continuing to report and document the issue with photographs may eventually prompt action from authorities. Warren said he would try to get clarification from the traffic police at the next Speedwatch event. Cars parked on verges can be reported to the council as they damage the grassed areas. A resident remarked that according to Rule 243 of The Highway Code “you should not park opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction”.
• Coach House break-in: Warren spoke about a break-in reported at the Coach House garage on the night of 17^th January. He added that on a Sunday morning, he was outside the garage and heard the alarm but saw nothing. On Monday, the garage said someone had broken a window at the back near the car park and had taken two ignition keys from a car inside. Warren reported it and is waiting for a response from the police. CCTV from nearby covers the area but police need access to review it. He  hasn't spoken to the anyone at the garage since. Caroline replied that we would ask the police for a crime report for High Lane as we haven’t had a police presence at the HLRA meetings for quite a while now.
• Parking charges at the surgery/pharmacy and the library: clarification is required about the doctor's car park and the pharmacy car park. There are three bays marked as "30 minutes' free parking", but it’s unclear because there’s no clear signage except on the posts themselves. It was noted that one side said you had to pay, the other said it was free, and online information is also lacking. Another issue of concern are the bays near the library; again it’s unclear if visitors need to pay or if it’s free for quick stops. Clearer signs would help. Parking is becoming more difficult, especially on busy days, and some people avoid shopping locally due to parking costs and congestion. There’s also confusion about blue badge parking rules, as at the village hall where someone might stay longer than the allowed three hours but is not sure if they need to pay afterward. Overall, clearer information and signage would solve many of these problems – see Post-Meeting Updates below.
• Zipwire: a resident had observed that the surfacing underneath the zipwire at the park needs attention. It’s holding a lot of water and the rubber covering needs replacing. Caroline would submit a report to Parks and Green Spaces department at SMBC.
• Raffle: the winning ticket for a £100 voucher to spend at The Red Lion was won by Irene Wilkinson. Congratulations to Irene!

8.  Post-Meeting Updates

• Police: Police representative was invited to the meeting and we did expect an officer to attend but they may have been called to an incident as our meeting is not protected time. A crime report update for High Lane has been requested.
• Parking: This information from Greg Kenyon [Parking Facilities & Moving Traffic Enforcement Manager] was received after our meeting took place:

“There are legacy arrangements in the following car parks: High Lane Library – Library user only and short-stay bays. Brabyns Brow (Lower) – short-stay parking only

In both instances, we’ve retained the original arrangements but charges now also apply across the whole site and all bays including the library bays. The library recently asked us to remove the ‘library user’ bays but following discussion we’ve agreed to retain them for a further 6 months to see if that’s advisable or not; we’ll then review the situation. The three free medical centre bays have been introduced on a trial basis. It’s extremely unusual to provide free parking bays on a charged car park and we have to strike a balance with signage so it isn’t confusing and achieves minimal signage clutter. As things stand, we have two signs either side of the three bays, detailed below:

This signage clearly states “30 mins free parking” using standard DfT signage. My concern is that stating ‘free parking’ in a bolder manner could then be read and misinterpreted by users of the charged bays as meaning parking is free there too; at which point they may receive a fine. There is also the cost and signage clutter issue to be taken into account.

Can I suggest that we leave the medical centre signage as it is for now and review in 6-12 months’ time when regular motorists have become more familiar with the change?”

The next HLRA meeting is on Thursday 5^th March 2026 at 8pm in High Lane Library