Minutes of the AGM of High Lane Residents’ Association
Date: 2nd October 2025 Time: 7.30pm
Venue: The Club (The Conservative Club)
Present: Caroline Smith; David Burks; Barry Sequeira; Angie Sequeira; Sue Forrester; Darrell Williams; John Baker; Eryl Hughes; Lisa Robinson-Hall and Cllr Shan Alexander
Guest speakers: PC Darren Crompton; Jeni Whyatt and The Reverend Lynn Boyle
Apologies: Sgt Rachel Walton
1. Welcome and Introductions
Caroline introduced herself as Vice Chair of the HLRA. She asked if all attendees had registered their vehicle registration number and had signed in. She mentioned the raffle prizes to be won (see end of minutes for the full list) and tickets were available to buy at the interval. The meeting were made aware of the committee members and their roles within HLRA and David welcomed anyone who would like to join the committee.
2. East Neighbourhood Policing Team update
PC Darren Crompton apologised for the lack of police representation at the recent HLRA meetings. He spoke about his career in the Police Force and his family life and then continued to talk about the East Neighbourhood Team members based at the Marple Hub in Hollins House:
East Neighbourhood Police Team
- Our Chief Superintendent is Lewis Hughes followed by the Stockport SLT (Senior Leadership Team) consisting of Superintendents followed by Chief Inspectors - Chief Inspectors oversee certain teams.
- From there we have response teams, investigation and neighbourhood teams. We cover High Lane, Hazel Grove, Marple, Bredbury, Romiley, Woodley, Compstall, Marple Bridge, Mellor, Offerton, Great Moor and Stepping Hill. The East Stockport team consist of: Inspector Singh; Sgt Rachel Walton; PC Mark Crowley, PC Adam Burgess, PC Jordan Weakley. PC Hannah MacNeil and myself. We are short staffed – only 5 personnel when we should have 11 so we all chip in and help out with other areas.
- We are a very proactive team in the east and have been recognised as one of the best neighbourhood teams at Stockport. We have the highest number of cars stops, myself being in the top 5 of all the divisions out of 400 police officers with 100% positive result from stops. We have one of the highest stop-and-search records out of the town centre hitting over 100 stop-and-searches in the last few months and our response team has a 95% record of responding to 999 calls generally within 15 minutes.
- We then have special teams – NTT (Neighbourhood Tasking Team) who are a tasking team who locate and arrest wanted offenders; NCT (Neighbourhood Crime Team) who deal with burglaries and robberies and last year they were awarded the best team in the whole of GMP. A Warranted Officer liaises with these teams. We have the DAT (Domestic Abuse Team) who have received an award for reducing the incidents of domestic violence and getting good results for victims.
- Darren mentioned some team members - PC Burgess had achieved 14 arrests for anti-social behaviour and harassment; PC Jordan Weakley based at Hazel Grove won Police Officer of the Year and PC Mark Crowley and I arrested a prolific shoplifter and an offender wanted for drug dealing. The team helped out in North Manchester with the apprehension of 2 young lads in possession of over 12 grand’s worth of cocaine and cannabis. He reassured the meeting that the team are proactive in the area and often are patrolling in plain clothes and he stressed that without intelligence provided by residents the police would be unaware of any problems.
Speedwatch Initiative:
- Thanks to our Speedwatch volunteers, Alan and Joyce, and if it weren’t for them the police wouldn’t have become involved. On average since 2023 a Speedwatch event has been carried out approximately once every 2 weeks with some good results. In May I was in attendance and stopped a vehicle and arrested the motorist for the possession of a large amount of cannabis. He was arrested and taken off the streets.
- On average over 375 cars are recorded every single day and about 50 of those are speeding on Carr Brow, Meadway and Hartington some in excess of 50mph in a 20mph zone. Excess speeds of 40-50 mph in a 20mph zone is classed as dangerous driving. If a Speedwatch event took place 5 days a week on roughly 40 cars it amounts to 200 per week speeding cars. It works out on Carr Brow and Meadway over 20,000 cars speeding in 2 years and if Hartington Road is included you could double that amount to 40,000. I recently sent these stats and figures to the RPU (Roads Policing Unit) who work alongside the Serious Collision Unit (SCU). They were astonished and shocked by the statistics.
- Not so far in the future I have arranged for the unit to come down to High Lane with a speed gun and to help issue tickets in the hope of reducing this. With this much traffic footprint, this area is dangerous and it is only a matter of time before a major accident happens. High Lane Village is situated on a major line with the A6 running through the village. Traffic comes from Disley, Chapel and Buxton and in heavy traffic using Jacksons Edge and Carr Brow as a cut through. Even with the traffic calming measures on Carr Brow some vehicles still reach speeds of up to 50-60mph. They then access the side streets through Meadway and Thornway.
- The Speedwatch initiative in High Lane run by Alan and Joyce is the only one within the GMP area and now other councillors are asking for volunteers to try and organise their own traffic operations. Darren asked for more volunteers to help Alan and Joyce – you must undergo some training and be GMP approved. He continued to say that he will support Alan and Joyce whenever he can. Joyce praised Darren and his team for their pleasant attitude when dealing with speeding motorists.
- Regarding cars using Access-only roads to avoid the A6, Darren said that a lot of the time drivers use these roads unintentionally or are following their satnav. It is difficult to police and evidence is needed that the offender doesn’t live on that particular street before a driver can be cautioned or fined.
Planned care home on Carr Brow:
- With my knowledge, having a children’s home on Carr Brow is going to increase crime in the area. Not all children in residential care get into criminal activity but most children in these homes link up with other children in homes. This could raise the crime levels in High Lane by bringing in drugs; increasing criminal damage; theft of cars and anti-social behaviour which in the long run this will increase your house and car insurance [premiums] and potential decrease the value of the area and your home.
- In a recent report about the planned care home on Carr Brow it stated that “the traffic is light and there’s no risk of speeding traffic to children living in the care home. The surrounding streets are subject to low traffic volumes and vehicle speeds. Parking can be accommodated on that site within the existing street capacity. There are no existing issues re congestion” bearing in mind that Carr Brow is used by vehicles as a way of avoiding the A6. This report can be accessed on the council website. In my opinion Carr Brow isn’t an appropriate place for a children’s residential home. Thanks again to Alan and Joyce for raising awareness of the speeding problems in High Lane and for suffering verbal abuse from some motorists.
- Q: How do Alan and Joyce get the cars to stop?
- A: They don’t have the authority to stop speeding vehicles, only the police do. Alan uses a device provided by police that monitors the speed of the vehicles as they travel down the road and then he logs the licence plate of any speeding cars and then passes them onto the police. Motorists then receive warning letters. Repeat offenders may get a personal visit from a police officer.
- Q: What is the possibility of erecting speed cameras?
- A: This is the council’s area not the police. Normally a 20mph zone is non-enforceable as an offence and the council won’t install cameras in a 20mph zone – it wouldn’t be financially viable. Evidence must be produced to show that speeding is an issue. Alan and Joyce now have evidence that this is happening. The alternative is to install speed bumps which can be detrimental to your car.
- Q: In view of the speeding issue what would you say to parents with children at high school who are encouraged by the school to allow their children to walk to and from school on their own?
- A: All parents want to give their children the independence to go to school safely – it’s a difficult choice to make. Children have to learn to walk and navigate busy roads responsibly.
On the advice from an attendee at the meeting PC Darren said he would visit the local schools and inform them of the Speedwatch initiative and how the volunteers are helping to reduce the incidents of speeding on certain side roads.
A member of the Carr Brow Action Group Carr Brow mentioned that they have been working with HLVNF and hopes that Stockport Council will make the right decision concerning the care home and he referred to the Child Care Home Act.
Current crime statistics in High Lane
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- 18000 crimes recorded in Stockport up to this point [in the year?]. 57 crimes reported in High Lane. High Lane has a crime rate of 0.32 % in Stockport. On average in the whole of GMP there are 200,000 recorded crimes - High Lane’s crime rate is 0.02 % of that figure.
Operation Hurricane
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- Darren explained that the operation is in force to deal with off-road bikes. He said that the police can’t pursue them in case an accident occurs during pursuit but police helicopters can be called upon.
- Intelligence – Darren asked that witnesses report incidents of speeding off-road bikes via Crimestoppers or online. He went on to say that the more information provided, the higher the chance of catching these offenders.
Cllr Shan Alexander spoke about the 2-week trial [Editor: I believe this lasted 6 weeks between 23-Jan-2023 and 06-Mar-2023] of closing Hartington Road to through traffic and this event provided a good amount of data. The problem was that traffic then re-routed through Meadway, Thornway and Carr Brow. Shan stressed that the Council does understand that the traffic is bad in High Lane and she thinks personally that a bypass in the only solution to the problem but there is always a financial concern. The RPU (Roads Policing Unit) is now active and are in receipt of the report regarding traffic and speeding problems. Stockport Council, Transport for Greater Manchester, the current government and the police are involved in the decision to install a bypass or speeding cameras and they all must agree before a bypass or cameras would be considered. She continued to say that our local MP Lisa Smart is fighting to change the legislation regarding speed cameras. The legislation at present states that there has to be 3 serious accidents or deaths before cameras can be installed. She spoke about the planning application for the children’s home on Carr Brow and said that until the report is presented at MAC, she can’t comment because she is one of the councillors on the committee.
A resident thanked Shan for listening and for her comments and also thanked Lisa Smart for her work in trying to alter the legislation for the installation of cameras but continued to say that speed cameras wouldn’t alleviate weight of traffic on the A6.
3. Chair’s Report by Caroline Smith.
In the absence of a Chair, Caroline as Vice-Chair gave the report.
“The High Lane Residents' Association was founded in 1931 (94 years ago) as the High Lane Rate Payers' Association with one of its aims being to provide a new infant school which opened on Andrew Lane in 1950. Another aim was good access to Middlewood Station which we still haven’t achieved! Over the decades the Association has evolved to address various community needs, including preserving green spaces like Hartley Woods and enhancing our public parks. High Lane is a wonderful place to live as I have found out myself over the last 9 years. The village has a good community spirit, ample green spaces, parks and community resources. This year Sainsbury’s opened on the old Dog and Partridge site and other shops have also changed ownership. The volunteers and committee of the Residents' Association work very hard to preserve the spirit of the village, from looking after the planters, park areas, litter picking (30 sacks of rubbish at the last event), sign cleaning, bench repairs, bus stop maintenance, delivering the newsletter and many other tasks we barely notice as we go about the village. Over the last year 2500 daffodil bulbs and 500 tulips bulbs have been planted around the village and more recently about 500 bluebells in Hartley Woods with another 500 still to plant. Alongside these tasks we interact with the Local Authority on hedges and verges, roads, pavements and other items needing repair. We have completed several questionnaires including one on Biodiversity. Some members of the committee also attended the LA ‘Task Leader Training Day’ allowing us to hold work days around the village with Council approval and insurance. Our MP Lisa Smart attended one meeting for a question and answer session which was ‘lively’ and Sue Stevenson (Head of Highways and Transportation at Stockport Council) attended another meeting to discuss the A555 MARR 5-year report, Journey and Traffic Summary alongside Darrell Williams’ report - A6MARR: an Evaluation of 5-Year Post-Opening Data from a Local Perspective. Sue had already actioned further traffic monitoring from this report. A big thanks to Darrell for all his work on this. A new noticeboard was erected in Brookside Park after the old one rotted. The money was donated by the Marple Area Committee. Behind the scenes members are updating the website, Facebook, maintenance of the defibrillator and working on various projects one of which is the Outdoor Gym which David will talk about. At this point I would like to offer my and your heartfelt thanks for all the work these volunteers do around the village and I apologise for any I haven’t mentioned”.
4. Treasurer’s report RA & War Memorial by John and Barry
The HLRA General account
The opening balance for the HLRA General account, at the beginning of September 2024, carried forward from the previous financial year, was £3,230.27
Income
During this financial year the income to HLRA has been £2,988.93
This consisted of:
| Subscriptions | £ 548.93 |
| Refreshments, Sales and Raffle at the last AGM amounting to | £ 185.00 |
| Two donations from businesses in the village totalling | £ 300.00 |
| The Manchester airport community trust donating |
£ 1,735.00 |
| And the High Lane Village Hall community coffee group donating | £ 200.00 |
|
The other income making up the total, was a payment made through us for the hire of the Village Hall of |
£ 20.00 |
Expenditure
The expenditure for the financial year was £ 1,548.45
The large item payments over £100 were:
| Sunflower Planting at the old High Lane Station Middlewood way |
£ 378.75 |
| HLRA Newsletter Printing costs | £ 319.00 |
| Village Hall Hire | £ 255.00 |
| Hartley Woods and Planters around the village | £ 215.59 |
| Public Liability Insurance | £ 125.80 |
| IONOS for website licensing | £ 120.00 |
|
There were four other smaller expense costs for AGM prep, litter picking costs, bank charges and a donation to Marple Civic Society which totalled |
£ 134.31 |
The accounts were verified and signed off by R Taylor on 22nd of August
We are carrying forward into this financial year a total of £ 4,670.75
Accounts from September 2024 to August 22nd 2025
Opening Balance Brought Forward from Prev F Yr £3,230.27
INCOME
| Subs | £ 548.93 |
| Marchington Stone donation | £ 250.00 |
| Coach House Garage donation | £ 50.00 |
| Refreshments and Raffle and Sales | £ 185.00 |
| Mcr Airport Community fund | £ 1,735.00 |
| HLVH Community Coffee fund | £ 200.00 |
| Carr Brow Village Hall Hire | £ 20.00 |
| Income this year Total | £ 2,988.93 |
| B/Fwd + Income Total | £ 6,219.20 |
EXPENDITURE
| Middlewood Way planting | £ 378.75 |
| Website and Email fees IONOS | £ 120.00 |
| Village Hall Hire | £ 255.00 |
| HLRA Newsletter printing | £ 319.00 |
| Hartley Woods and Planters | £ 215.59 |
| Public liability insurance |
£ 125.80 |
| AGM Costs | £ 64.85 |
| Litter Pick Costs | £ 33.12 |
| Lloyds Bank Charges | £ 26.34 |
| Marple Civic Society | £ 10.00 |
| Total | £1,548.45 |
Closing Balance £ 4,670.75
HLRA War Memorial Account Statement AGM October 25
Total income from donations and Drs book table £733.76
Total expenditure £515.49
Apart from plants and compost we bought a power washer and leaf
blower at a cost of £441, the wreath in November - £25 and paid for
some professional work on the memorial - £35
Present balance is £2155. This is £217 more than this time last year.
The table in the Health Centre generated an average of £53 per month this year.
Lloyds Bank charges us approx. £5 a month now for administration.
5. Change of wording to Constitution
Caroline told the meeting that the committee want to make a slight change to the wording of the constitution under the objectives section – “to ensure community assets such as local parks, woodlands and open spaces in High Lane are managed to protect and preserve these important green spaces for the benefit of all residents”.
HLRA are quite unusual in that teams in other areas are involved with parks so this will align High Lane with the Council aims concerning parks. Caroline asked the meeting if anybody had any objections to this wording being added to the constitution. The motion was passed.
6. Appointment of Executive Committee
Caroline introduced members of the committee: - Caroline (Vice-Chair and looks after the defibrillator); Sue Forrester (Secretary); John Baker (Treasurer); Darrell Williams and Angie Sequeira (Environmental and Transport issues plus Darrell looks after the HLRA website; Eryl Hughes (Planning); David Burks (Projects); Lisa Robinson-Hall and Barry Sequeira. The committee members will be ratified at a later meeting. Caroline invited any interested parties to join the committee and said they would be made very welcome. There were no objections from the meeting regarding the committee members.
7. Yellow-legged Asian Hornets
Caroline introduced beekeeper Jeni Whyatt. Beekeepers have been asked by The National Bee Unit wants to raise awareness of the yellow-legged Asian hornet. She continued to say that it is a very invasive species and a risk to bees and all our pollinators. They are prevalent in Jersey and Kent and they are predominantly black apart from a dark orange/yellow stripe on the 4th segment of the abdomen. There are some descriptive leaflets on display. Jeni asked if people could log any sightings of the Asian hornet via the Asian Hornet Watch app. For more information Jeni recommended reading The Kids Comprehensive Guide. During leaf fall the Asian hornets’ nests are more visible. They are larger than the European hornets’ nests and are situated high up in trees. Another difference is the entry into the Asian hornets’ nest is half-way up but in European hornets’ and wasps’ nest it’s at the bottom. The Asian hornets’ nest can produce 100 queens per nest at this time of year. Jeni advised the meeting not to approach them as they can be very aggressive with a 3.5mm long sting.
Q. Once a sighting is reported how do you track the hornet?
A. We can track the hornets back to the nest with a device which measures the decibels of the humming noise when they fly and can track the general trajectory of their flight path. Also microchips can be attached to the hornets. Jeni believes that they nest in Runcorn and can track where the nest has originated from.
Q. Is there a specific tree that the hornets use for the nest?
A. Queens prefer brambles for their primary nests in February so be careful if cutting down any bramble bushes. The bigger nests can be found in any UK native trees.
Caroline thanked Jeni for her informative talk.
Following on from the September meeting, her advice to anyone who spots the insect is to take a photo of it if possible and report it online at nonnativespecies.org/asianhornet or by email to alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk. SNAP IT. REPORT IT. DON’T KILL IT.
8. Adult gym
David spoke about his and Eryl’s involvement in this project. He continued to say that the equipment (10 pieces) has been donated by a local school and we have sufficient funds to situate the equipment in grass but the Parks Department at Stockport require a surface to be placed around the equipment at a cost of approximately about £3000. David will be asking for support from the residents to try and reach this figure.
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- Can the funds already granted (£6000) be used to provide a surface?
- The £6000 will be used to install the equipment.
Cllr Shan Alexander suggested emailing the MAC (Marple Area Committee) for flexibility funding of £500. David thanked Shan for that suggestion.
9. St. Thomas Church - Vicar
Caroline introduced the new vicar – Reverend Lynn at St Thomas’ Church. She spoke about herself, her family and her background in education - 36 years a teacher and for half of that time she was a headteacher at a primary school in Offerton. She became a headteacher and a C of E priest at the same time and became the vicar of St Paul's in Compstall for 11 years before retiring. She came to help out in High Lane in March and she is now installed as the new vicar. She is enjoying re-establishing the choir at the church and invited anyone who loves to sing to join them.
10. AOB
- Signpost Stockport for Carers are holding a session at High Lane Library every Friday from 10am to 4pm [Editor: until Christmas 2025]. Leaflets are available to pick up.
- Sandown Road in Hazel Grove proposed development. There is a meeting on Monday 13th October @ 7.30pm at Hazel Grove High School. Again leaflets are available to pick up.
- HLRA regular meetings will return to the High Lane library from November.
The raffle prizes were donated by: Penumbra (a £50 voucher from Sainsbury's); Home Instead (a hamper); Blueberries (2 mini breakfasts); The Horse Shoe Inn (a meal for 2); High Lane Garage (a bottle of gin); Marchington Stone (bottles of wine and spirits); Simon Dunn (chocolates); The Coach House Garage (a £50 voucher for an MOT or towards a service); The Bulls Head (2 complimentary pizzas); The Red Lion (a £20 voucher) and from local residents.
The next HLRA meeting is on Thursday 6th November 2025 at 8pm in the Library