Minutes of the meeting of High Lane Residents’ Association
Date: 4th September 2025 Time: 8pm
Venue: High Lane Village Hall
Present: Caroline Smith; John Baker; Darrell Williams; Lisa Robinson-Hall; Sue Forrester; Barry Sequeira; and Jeni Whyatt (Cheshire Beekeeping Association)
Apologies: Eryl Hughes; Angie Sequeira; David Burks and Cllr Shan Alexander
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Welcome given by Caroline Smith and a thank you to everyone for attending.
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Minutes of the last meeting – approved.
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Police and Crime Report – no police presence at the meeting.
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Finances - this report covers July and August financial periods.
The HLRA General account
We started July with a balance of £5,138.98 . There was no Income in July - total Income £0.00.
The outgoings from the account for July were:
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1. The payment of the required Public Liability insurance
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£125.80
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2. The Lloyds bank account monthly charge (which has increased by 42p)
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£ 4.67
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3. A payment to IONOS for the website monthly charge of
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£ 9.00
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4. The payment for the village hall hires for the July meeting and a Stockport council safety course for HLRA activity’s supervisors
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£ 45.00
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The total expense being
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£184.47
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Balance then going forward to August was £ 4,954.51
The only income for August, received directly into the bank, after we had closed the financial year for auditing, was a subscription payment of £5 which will be applied to the coming year and carried forward.
The outgoings for August were:
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A payment to HB Printing for this year’s Newsletter £ 270.00
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The Lloyds bank account monthly charge £ 4.67
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A payment to IONOS for the website monthly charge of £ 9.00
The Total expense being £ 283.67
Balance at the close of books for August was £4,670.84
Balance being carried forward to September
and the new financial year is £4,675.84
(This includes the £5 subscription for the new financial year)
HLRA War memorial account
Income June £52.00
July £71.00
Aug £64.00 plus £35 taken today forwarded to September account
Recent payments Hedge Cutting at the War Memorial £ 35.00
Plants and compost for Royal Oak planters £132.00
Work in hand Review the half-moon bed near the Con Club
Balance £2013.00
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20 Fairacres House, Fairacres Rd DC/096249. Discharge of condition 5 of planning permission DC/093749. Planning permission DC/093749 Planning application. Change of use of building from office (class 3 ) to form 4NO dwelling houses (class 3) original application DC/096340. This condition is an explanation of planting etc OFN
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Filter beds cottage Oakfield farm DC/096203 . Dwelling house and associated curtilage OFN
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22 Andrew Lane DC/ 096142. Single storey rear and side extensions OFN
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2 Arnside Close DC/096102. Single storey rear extension and formation of pitched roof over existing flat roof OFN
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Sainsbury High Lane. DC/ 096067. Erection of an illuminated sign to front elevation of building. OFN
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12 Deanway DC/096714. Replace shallow pitched roof to side elevation with matching hipped roof and tile OFN
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27 Fletcher Drive DC/ 096190. Reduce width of works to garage extension and retaining wall, revised materials placement. No material amendment to DC/ 096190 OFN
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8 Meadow Close DC/096578. Single storey rear and side extension OFN
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9 Carr Brow DC/094783. Change of use from residential dwelling house (CLASS 3) to children's care home (use class2) to accommodate up to 5 children (see agenda item) OFN – see A.O.B.
Applications can be viewed on council website https://planning.stockport.gov.uk
Caroline spoke about the AGM on Thursday 2nd October and the possibility of holding it in the small hall instead of the large hall which is booked every Thursday evening for Box n Burn. Linda (the booking secretary for the village hall) has asked the organisers of Box n Burn whether they would change the location of the class just for that evening but she has had no reply as yet – still to be resolved. Caroline asked if anyone has any ideas for speakers and asked for raffle prizes to be donated. Caroline explained that at the AGM the committee is appointed. We can have up to 11 people on the committee and currently we have 9 committee members. The position of Chairperson and one committee member is available and to please get in touch if interested. As well as the HLRA meetings, the committee members meet 4 times a year.
7 members of the HLRA undertook a Task Leader Training session managed by SMBC which covered the safe use of gardening equipment around the village. This means that any jobs undertaken will be covered insurance-wise after completing the necessary paperwork. There are still some committee members to undertake the training course.
1000 bluebells bulbs have been purchased by David and stored on his property ready for planting in Hartley Woods. Owen is to be contacted about when to plant the bluebells. Once a date has been arranged it will be posted on the website. Caroline asked for volunteers to help with the planting.
Signpost for Carers are holding information and support sessions at High Lane library every Friday between 10am and 4pm. Members of Signpost Carer Support team will be in attendance to answer general questions about being a carer or to help complete a carer’s assessment. A private room is available for confidential conversations. To book a slot, please ring 0161 442 0442 or email info@signpostforcarers.org.ok. Information flyers are being posted around the village.
At long last some good news! On a recent visit to a high school David and Eryl were offered 9/10 pieces of virtually new/unused Sunshine Gym equipment. The school has had the equipment installed around 8 years ago. However, because of staffing issues the supervision of pupils using the equipment wasn’t feasible. The school also require the space for development. On inspection the equipment is in excellent condition and has been maintained regularly by the installation company. The premise is that if HLRA pay for the gym to be dismantled and removed, we can have it for free. Jonathan Headlam (officer in charge of green spaces for SMBC) is going to arrange for the equipment to be dismantled after the council have completed their safety checks and is to negotiate with the installation company regarding the cost of the fixing plates with an estimate to reinstall the equipment in High Lane Park. This money will come from funds already obtained from grants. The type of base needs to be decided and quotes obtained. Thanks go to David and Eryl for all their hard work in pursuing this idea and thanks also to Jonathan from the council for his help.
David and Lisa are taking up the mantle of looking at the Bee Network and Stagecoach to try and improve our transport links and will be meeting soon to hopefully progress matters forward. Caroline informed the meeting that High Lane will come under the Bee Network umbrella sometime in 2026 so now is the ideal time for making the bus company aware of what we want in terms of bus services for the village. A resident raised a concern over the commute from Hazel Grove High School for her daughter. She explained that if her daughter misses the school bus and can’t be collected by parents, it’s a 2-bus journey and a walk along the A6 to reach home. The resident is not comfortable with that situation especially during the winter months with the dark nights. Also children who catch the school buses miss out on extra-curricular activities. One idea was to contact other parents who are in a similar position maybe via The Parents of Hazel Grove Facebook page. Lisa has had experience of this situation with her children. She has heard from her children that there is a second bus servicing HGHS but she is not sure of the number or route. Lisa aims to discover more about this before her meeting with David. A resident remarked that the lack of a decent bus service in High Lane has always been a problem. Caroline told the meeting that the problem is High Lane village is only small and up until the Bee Network taking over the franchise, buses were run for profit and the companies weren’t interested in non-profit services. High Lane isn’t classed as rural enough to obtain the extra subsidies. Also the reason given for not extending the 192 service to High Lane have been:
A resident reported that an inspector from the Bee Network was on the 199 recently and was asking bus users where they were travelling to. He told the inspector that if every 2nd 192 bus stopping at Hazel Grove Park & Ride made a return journey to High Lane village it would make a huge difference to residents in the village. It had been noted that the 199 bus stops now have the yellow colours of the Bee Network although the 199 service is operated by High Peak buses. A resident commented that on the livery of the Bee network buses he had noticed the Stagecoach logo on the wheel arch – maybe it’s a joint franchise. One of our committee members has written to Andy Burnham as follows:
“Recently I was in New Mills and I noticed a BEE bus going through the village with the destination on its sign saying Hayfield. Why is a bee bus going to a village in Derbyshire? High Lane has been promised a Bee bus sometime in 2026. As you may be aware that parking at Stepping Hill is limited. I feel that a bus from the park and ride calling at the hospital on the way to Stockport would help alleviate some of the parking issues. Likewise a bus to return from the hospital to the park and ride. If a service could be introduced on the hour and half past the hour I am confident that it would be well used. Such a service would not only serve High Lane but also the villages further up the valley and the Poynton area. I have raised this issue before with stagecoach and received the following reply. It would be inconvenient for those travelling further down the A6. There is insufficient room for a bus to turn around they manage now so what is the problem? A service of this nature would not require any additional buses but a slight alteration to its schedule. I feel this would be a simple answer to the problem. Quite often there are two buses following each other up or down the A6 surely one could call at the hospital. I await your reply with interest”.
The library room has become available again at no cost for our HLRA meetings and residents prefer the library site instead of the village hall. The acoustics in the room are very poor so we need to discuss the acquisition of some carpet tiles and curtains plus coverings/paintings for the walls funded by HLRA as SMBC have no money to help with this. A couple of ideas are to ask Carpets and Flooring by JPG for some free samples or offcuts and to furnish the walls with some paintings from pupils at our local schools. As yet no date has been set for the move back to the library.
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AOB
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Biodiversity questionnaire. Caroline had recently completed a biodiversity questionnaire for SMBC Parks team and discovered that there is a lack of bat boxes in and around the village. Caroline counted 18 bird boxes all in Hartley Woods, 9 on each side of the wood but none installed in High Lane Park. A resident thought there were some behind Brookside School and pointed out that there are bird boxes; bat boxes and hedgehog boxes installed in St Thomas Church graveyard. Caroline replied that the graveyard doesn’t come under SMBC parks. Caroline is hopeful that following on from the completion of the biodiversity questionnaire we will have some bat boxes installed.
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New name for HLRA – Caroline mentioned that HLRA may have a change of name to include High Lane parks – to be debated further.
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Carr Brow – Caroline mentioned that there have been quite a few additions added to the planning application over the summer holidays – a police report and some replies. There are no replies to individual neighbours because it doesn’t close until tonight but after that there should be some evidence of replies. Eryl has sent an email to Mark Burgess from the Planning Department at SMBC on behalf of the HLRA – see below. Caroline thought there was no need to submit individual’s points of view because the Carr Brow residents have done enough to activate an area committee meeting hearing. A resident from Carr Brow wanted to emphasise to the meeting that people on Carr Brow weren’t averse to the idea of converting an existing property to a children’s home, it was the way in which the plans had been presented with misleading information as though the planners have never visited the site. These plans have been challenged but there has been no response. In addition the fact that children at risk were going to be living within 100m of the A6 and with no major bus routes their route from school could involve using Middlewood station and Middlewood Way which during the dark winter months could put children in an unsafe position.
“As the person who oversees planning applications on behalf of High Lane Residents Association, I am contacting you regarding the proposed change of use for 9 Carr Brow, High Lane. Various people have sent me their views on this application. On reading the Stantec report that the home will accommodate up to 5 children, each with their own bedroom. It states that there will be staff sleeping accommodation. On looking at the plan it shows only 5 bedrooms the largest with an ensuite and closet, is the closet meant to keep any COSH materials and equipment safe? This means that only 4 children could be accommodated and for each to have their own individual bedrooms. If so this means that the staff will not have private sleeping accommodation. Looking at the plans the home as it is, will not be able to house the children and staff in private accommodation. The road on which the house stands is regularly used by heavy traffic especially morning and evening rush hours. Bus service to Stockport runs on the hour and half hourly . In addition the nearest railway station is Middlewood which has no access to any form of transport and in addition the footpath is rough and with no lighting, not ideal for anyone and especially not for children. Also there is a lack of clarity as to the type of youngsters/youths that will be accommodated.
The response from the police has indicated that there will be increased work for them, perhaps they are aware that there may be issues. To refresh my memory I decided to have another look at the application, to my surprise I found that many of the documents are no longer available to view. The few I tried were the floor plan, statement of purpose, location plan, statement and behaviour management policy. Why is this?”
The resident from Carr Brow thanked HLRA for their involvement in this matter.
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Barrier around the car park and overhanging trees on Broadwood Close – a resident reported that the wooden barriers at Brookside Car Park were in a state of disrepair and collapse. Caroline had met the park inspector on site and was hopeful that that task was in hand. Overhanging trees on the A6 footpath from Broadwood Close necessitate walking in the road or ducking down to avoid them. If they are on SMBC land they can be reported using the email address https://www.stockport.gov.uk/topic/trees-grass-weeds - Caroline would report the overhanging trees in question.
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Food waste refuse bags – a resident pointed out that the roll of green food waste bins delivered by the council are much smaller than in previous years. Caroline thought it may be a waste-cutting exercise and spare rolls can be obtained from the library when it’s staffed – you just have to provide your postcode.
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Car parking fees – it was observed that a police notice had been erected in the surgery car park with information about the upcoming charges. The plans for paying in local car parks have already been passed.
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Speedwatch – a Speedwatch event had taken place recently through Thornway and Meadway which was well attended by police. 51 vehicles had been counted exceeding the speed limit and in total over 300 vehicles had come through the area during the morning. Up to date there has been 1700 vehicles caught exceeding the 20mph speed limit. Comments were made about vehicles turning left off the A6 from Disley onto Hartington Road which has a “No entry” sign.
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Police presence in High Lane – a resident praised the work of the police in High Lane not just with speeding problems but with other law enforcement issues. He told the meeting that they have some great problem-solving plans. He intends to contact Sgt Rachel Walton to ask if she would speak at the October AGM.
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Sainsbury’s lighting – the proposed plan by Sainsbury’s to erect an illuminated sign to the front elevation of the building is causing concern amongst residents who live in close proximity to the store especially those on Eden Avenue. A discussion about the car park lights already in situ took place. Residents say that they are causing significant disruption and impacting the quality of life for the residents. Sainsbury’s have been contacted both instore and head office but little or no effort has been made to resolve the issue. Was there a possibility of adjusting the angle and height of the lights or could they use less powerful bulbs (a possible saving for Sainsbury’s)? Could deflectors be fitted to prevent light spillage into the area? An idea was to contact Cllr Aron Thornley who lives on Eden Avenue for his advice and to ascertain whether any residents on Eden Avenue have received a notification letter. A remark was made that goods are being delivered at various times during the night when it was stipulated by Sainsbury’s that this would only take place during a certain time. [Editor: Condition 9 of planning permission DC/084061 states: "No part of the premises hereby granted shall be open for trading purposes except between the hours of 06.00 and 23.00. No deliveries shall be taken at or dispatched from the site except between the hours of 07.00 and 20.00."]
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Asian hornet (yellow-legged hornet) - Jeni Whyatt from the Cheshire Beekeeping Association told the meeting about several sightings of the Asian hornet that can decimate the pollinator population. She handed out cards with a description of these aggressive predators – an entirely dark body with a dark abdomen, fourth segment is yellow/orange and yellow tips to legs. It is slightly smaller than the native European hornet. There is a poster at the A6 entrance to High Lane Park which displays the hornet’s colours. 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.
The next HLRA meeting is the AGM on Thursday 2nd October at the Club (Conservative Club) – please note change of venue – doors open @ 7pm for a 7.30pm start. (Please note if you are arriving by car you must enter your registration number on a machine by the bar.)
