October AGM 2026 Minutes

Minutes of the AGM meeting of High Lane Residents’ Association

Date: Wednesday 28th October 2026                                                                                                  Time: 8pm

Venue: High Lane Village Hall

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

Guest speakers: Cllr Shan Alexander [Marple Hub]

Apologies: Eryl Hughes; David Burks; Cllr Dominic Warner; Cllr Colin McAllister; PCSO Simon Carr and Police Inspector Jacqueline Prest

1.  Welcome and Introductions

Caroline Smith welcomed everyone to the High Lane Residents’ Association Annual General Meeting. She explained that this meeting was separate from the meetings about building and planning matters, which may have affected attendance. Caroline introduced herself as Vice Chair. She had been acting as Chair for the past two years because the position remains vacant. The committee introductions included Barry [War Memorial Treasurer including the book sales in the surgery]; Darrell [Website Manager],  Sue [Minutes Secretary]; John [Treasurer]; Angie [Environment and Displays]; Eryl [Planning]; David [who will share the Chair position with Caroline]; Janet [who will share the position of Minutes Secretary with Sue] and Lisa.

Caroline explained the arrangements for the evening: Barry was selling raffle tickets and would sell more during the interval. The draw would take place at the end of the evening. Paul Vickers [Home Instead] was expected to give a talk on scams — his arrival was still awaited. Cllr Shan Alexander will speak about the new Marple Hub and Richard from the Village Forum had been asked for an update, but no update had been received. Another event was taking place that evening, which should be considered when setting next year’s date.

2.  Chair’s Report by Caroline Smith

Caroline thanked residents for attending and reflected on the Association’s history. Founded in 1931 as the High Lane Ratepayers’ Association, it aimed to secure a new infant school, which opened on Andrew Lane in 1950. Improving access to Middlewood station was another early aim and remains an ongoing objective. Over the decades, the Association has responded to changing community needs, including protecting green spaces such as Hartley Woods and supporting the village’s public parks. Caroline described High Lane as a welcoming place to live, with friendly residents, local workers, green spaces and community resources. She noted that even a short dog walk often becomes longer because of conversations with neighbours. Volunteers and committee members undertake many tasks that help maintain the village, including:

    • Caring for planters and park areas
    • Litter picking and cleaning signs
    • Repairing benches and maintaining bus stops
    • Delivering newsletters
    • Planting daffodil and tulip bulbs around the village and 1,000 bluebells in Hartley Woods

The bluebells appeared this year and are expected to become more established over time. Monthly gardening afternoons have also been introduced. Some evening sessions took place during the summer, but these are no longer practical as the evenings become darker. Volunteers have held four or five sessions to clear the library courtyard after staff reported ivy growing through a window. Most of the overgrowth has now been removed, revealing a paved surface. Work is continuing so the courtyard can be used by library staff and local groups. Residents were invited to ask staff for a look around. The older rear wall may once have formed part of the garden boundary of Walford House, although this has not been confirmed. The Association continues to liaise with the local authority about hedges, verges, roads, pavements and other repairs. It has also completed several questionnaires, including one on village biodiversity.

The outdoor gym has now been installed and is in use. Caroline thanked Eryl and David for developing the idea, applying for grants and securing free equipment from a high school. The equipment had been installed at Poynton High School but was never used because it could not accommodate a full class. Receiving the equipment free of charge meant fundraising could focus on installation and associated work, allowing more pieces to be provided than originally envisaged. Caroline had seen residents using the gym, including a man who said he was attending daily for regular exercise following a heart attack. She thanked the village businesses and individuals whose donations made the installation possible.

Committee members also update the website and Facebook page, maintain the village defibrillator and work on other projects. More volunteers are needed for gardening, litter picking and general committee roles. Even a few hours a week would be welcome. Committee support can include responding to emails and acting as a sounding board. A few village planters still have no named volunteer responsible for them, and the Association is working to identify who maintains each one. Gardening afternoons offer a chance to help, chat and enjoy a brew together.

A monthly coffee morning takes place at the library on the first Friday of each month, from 10.15 am to noon. The library provides free drinks, and donations support the upkeep of the village defibrillator.

The coffee mornings also help increase library footfall. Residents share valuable stories and knowledge about the village, and the Association would like to record this information for future generations.

Caroline closed by thanking all volunteers and apologising to anyone she had not mentioned individually.

3. Treasurer’s Report HLRA & War Memorial by John and Barry

Treasurer's Report for the Financial Year  1st Sept 2025 to 31st Aug 2026

The HLRA General account

The opening balance for the HLRA General account, at the beginning of September 2025 carried forward from the previous financial year, was                                         £ 4,670.76

Income

During this financial year the income to HLRA has been

This consisted of:                   

 £3,945.50   

Subscriptions

£1,114.50

Refreshments, Sales and Raffle at the last AGM amounting to  £     91.00

During the year we received donations towards the Adult Gym Project to install exercise equipment in High Lane Park.

The value of these donations during this financial period amounted to

 

 

 

£2,740.00

Expenditure

The expenditure for the financial year was                               £ 6,204.20

The Regular accumulated and specific payments were:

  
New Pads for the Defibrillator after an emergency use at HLMC £   70.80 
Last Year's AGM Costs £   86.34
HLVNF Leaflets for initial Stockport local plan Objections £  100.00
IONOS  for website licensing. Monthly payments totalling £  120.00
Public liability Insurance £  154.31
The SMBC invoice for the installations of the Gym Equipment £5,519.00

Sundry amounts Totalling

(One-off Village hall Hire, Annual Bank Charges, 

Composts and seeds, Marple Civic Society payment)

 £  153.75

The HLRA Project Account

In October Last Year we set up a separate Savings Account to control the monies donated to the Adult Gym Project, which has been going for a few years.

We opened the account with the large donations we had received in the previous financial year from:

The High Lane Village Hall Coffee mornings’ charitable fund of £200
Manchester Airport Charitable trust of       £1,735

During this financial year, we transferred specific Gym donations, received through the General account, to the Project account.

We later transferred funds back to the General account to pay the expenses associated with installing the equipment.

This year’s large donations of £500 each were from: 

 G D Burnett Funeral Services, The Stair shop, The 1st High Lane Scouts group and The HLRA War Memorial Account, totalling  

 

 

 

 

 

£2,000
One individual Donation of

£200
3 individual donations of £100, totalling            £300
10 other donations including the Red Lion voucher raffle £351
The HLRA General Fund donated the finalising amount of £1,511
The total amount of donated from the start has been (with Interest) £6,303
Stockport Council donated from their community fund £4,900

So at the end of January we achieved the target of £11K, finally achieving

So a ‘BIG THANK YOU’ to all involved’

 £11,204

The final figures for the 2025 to 2026 Financial Year:

Total Income to the general Account

£8,616
Transfer from the general acct to the project Account £6,286
At the Gym Installation, Transfer to the General Acct for payment 

£5,519
External payments, (as summarised), to a total of £6,204
Total remaining in the General Account bought forward to this year

£1,645
Total in the Project Account bought forward to this year

£    785

The accounts for the year were examined and confirmed correct by Robert Taylor on 14th August 2026.

This is the report for October at 28th given at the AGM as there will not be a meeting  at the beginning of November due to the AGM Mtg.

The HLRA General account

The opening balance for the HLRA General account,

at the end of September (with rounding)                                                  £ 2,048

Income

During October we have received subscription payments from residents for the coming year.

  The subscription income up to the 23rd October  has been   £     500 
 We have also received donations from the September library coffee morning of    £       25
Giving a total income of (with rounding)   £    525    

        Expenditure

The expenditure during October (with rounding) is:

High Lane village Hall hire £      50      
The IONOS Website Licensing charge  £        9
The Lloyds Bank account charge   £        4
Donation to HLVNF for the printing of some 1000 House banners £      84
For October our Total Expenditure from the General account was  £    147

         The Acct balances(with rounding), for the end of October will be 

General account  £ 2,426
HLRA Project Account  (£0.32 Int payment for this month)  £     786
HLRA Total combined accts  £ 3,212

HLRA War Memorial Account for October 2025 to the end of September 2026

Total Income from book table [on average £55 per month] £   666.21
Bank charges 

£     62.12

Expenditure [inc. £500,00 to park equipment]

 £1,080.00
Current Balance

£1726.99

Money was spent on plants from various sources; compost; a leaf blower and equipment for litter pickers

4.  Marple Hub

Cllr Shan Alexander spoke about the new Marple Hub which is due to open on 11th December 2026. The park improvements are intended to encourage physical activity, accessible and active travel, and community wellbeing. They include:

    • An agility trail.
    • A pump track and all-wheels area.
    • New signage and wayfinding.

Local groups helped shape the proposals, including the Civic Society, the Friends of Marple Memorial Park and other groups working in the park. Walk and Ride and students from Marple Hall School were also involved, with young people helping to identify what residents wanted.

Community engagement sessions took place in 2026 to agree proposals that met Sport England’s funding requirements, including support for physical activity, strength and wellbeing. She explained that the drainage works may look different from what residents are used to seeing. They form part of the hub’s approved drainage arrangements and are designed to manage rainwater safely and sustainably at the surface, helping to reduce flood risk. According to the update, safety measures include shallow side slopes, and the design follows current standards and guidance. Shan was unable to answer technical questions about the system.

The public opening of Marple Hub was announced for 11th December, bringing together health, wellbeing, learning and community activities. The celebrations are expected to include family and festive activities, alongside wellbeing and active-lifestyle activities.

Local community groups and organisations are invited to run an activity, showcase their work or meet residents. The speaker suggested that High Lane Residents’ Association could request a space to present its display. The park facilities were described both as already available and as due to open in early November. Their availability needs confirmation.

Hub facilities include:

    • A library, clinic and police facilities.
    • A café.
    • A five-lane swimming pool, described by Shan as Olympic standard.
    • A gym with exercise equipment.
    • Changing rooms and associated facilities.

Citizens Advice provision was not confirmed. Shan expected reception staff to be able to provide information or signpost visitors to other services. Parking will be available at the hub, although capacity may be limited at busy times. In Shan’s personal view — not an official council statement — Chadwick Street car park could be an alternative if the hub car park is full. Parking charges had not been confirmed. Shan would undertake to share further information when available.

The hub update concluded with thanks. A request was made for Shan to email the PowerPoint presentation.  It is now available to view or download here: Marple Hub.pptx

The meeting paused for refreshments, kindly prepared by Carole. Raffle tickets remained available during the interval, with the draw planned for the end of the evening.

5. Appointment of Executive Committee

All current committee members had agreed to stand again. Those present were asked to propose and second their reappointment. A further committee meeting would confirm individual roles, with members expected to continue their current responsibilities. The Association is still seeking a couple of additional general committee members.

6. AOB

  • Members were asked to complete the sheets provided with their correct email addresses and notify the Association of any changes. Many emails have been bouncing back, and an email address alone does not always make it possible to identify the member.
  • A Russell Avenue resident raised concerns that parking had become more difficult since the introduction of village parking charges. Cars parked on both sides of a neighbour’s driveway were reportedly obstructing visibility when leaving the property. The resident asked how much the parking arrangements had cost to install and how much income they had generated.

In discussion, attendees questioned whether the pharmacy was losing customers and discussed the available free parking period. Three parking spaces are available for stays of up to half an hour. The council has been informed that some Blue Badge holders are using these bays. Shan suggested that badge holders may be able to use other spaces by displaying their badge and parking clock. This was advice given during the meeting, not confirmation of the applicable parking rules; those rules should be checked before relying on it. Shan also suggested that the footfall at the pharmacy may have declined since the post office left the building. The three short-stay spaces remain available for pharmacy visits, including prescription collection.

Cars that had been occupying spaces for extended periods were said to have moved that week. Caroline explained that the car parks have not yet been operating for a full year, so the costs are difficult to establish. Final figures are expected in April or May. Shan will write to the council about the question raised at the AGM and ask whether it can provide a response once the accounts are prepared.

One attendee said they had prepared an email with similar questions to send at the end of March next year and was asked to copy Caroline in. The Association had already submitted its views before the parking arrangements were introduced and would seek further information.

  • Upcoming events:

Next meeting is Thursday, 3rd December 2026.

Coffee morning: A forthcoming coffee morning will take place in the library on the first Friday of the month from 10.15am to 12pm. Members were encouraged to attend,

Possible donation: A raffle item associated with Home Instead was mentioned for the next meeting or the first meeting in January, subject to the donation being confirmed.

Tapestry display: Caroline reminded the meeting that there is a Bayeaux tapestry display in the library which is still on for another 10 days and is well worth a look.

The Christmas market: HLRA will have a table at the front of The Club during the Christmas market, with items to hand out to encourage more people to get involved.

The Club was thanked for kindly providing the table free of charge. Members were encouraged to stop and say hello as they passed.

Thanks were given to Caroline for chairing the meeting and to the local businesses and committee members who had donated raffle prizes.

Raffle Prizes:

The prizes announced included:

    • A £20 gift voucher from Hive & Toast
    • A voucher for a free chair yoga session.
    • A Hillcrest Garage voucher for a free MOT
    • A voucher for hot drinks for two from Blueberries.
    • A £20 meal voucher from the Red Lion.
    • A menu voucher from the Bulls Head.
    • Other prizes on display, including a toy unicorn and various items donated by committee members

Winners were asked to come forward promptly and choose a prize so that the draw could proceed quickly. Tickets were called by number and colour, with some confusion over colours, names and repeat winners. The draw was accompanied by light-hearted conversation, particularly about who would take the unicorn!!

The next HLRA meeting is on Thursday 3rd December 2026 at 8pm at High Lane Library