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April 2021 
Spring in Woodford

Covid restrictions have resulted in much larger than usual numbers of walkers, cyclists, joggers and horse riders enjoying the delights of our country lanes and footpaths across fields, emphasising the importance of access to countryside. Bright yellow daffodils and tiny white lambs have been adding to Woodford’s charm in the spring sunshine.

Lambs at Hill Top Farm
Woodford Community Council

Local issues recently raised with our local councillors by the WCC management committee have included cars for sale parked on Chester Road outside the former car show room premises and obstruction of the pavement alongside Wilmslow Road by an overgrown hedge and grass verge. Councillor Brian Bagnall contacted council officers on our behalf and both of these problems have been resolved. In addition, reports by residents that flooding in Church Lane has become increasingly serious in recent years have been followed up and investigations into the drainage were initiated.

Redrow Community Liaison

Since 2015, members of the forum and community council committees have attended community liaison meetings with managers from Redrow Homes and Harrow Estates. A virtual meeting was held on 18th March where John Cooper (Land Director, Redrow), Tim Noden (Planning Director, Harrow Estates) and other members of Redrow staff answered questions.

We learned that they are currently building to the original planning permission for 920 dwellings and 360 homes are now occupied. The opening of the pub has been delayed due to the pandemic. Construction of a single-form entry school on site is expected to start in May, with space available to expand to two-form entry if needed, and expected to be ready to accept pupils from September 2022. Commercial premises will be located near to the pub on the former Bodycote site and a consultation is planned before the types of premises are finalised. A link to the Poynton Relief Road, which was associated with the now defunct GMSF proposals for Stockport, is not a consideration without the extra 750 dwellings on the aerodrome site. Public transport commitments will be honoured when requirements are confirmed and the reopening of public footpaths into Cheshire East that were closed when the site became an aerodrome is expected when construction work on site is complete.

Local Electrions 6th May

Last year’s local government elections were cancelled due to the pandemic, but will be held this year on 6th May. Elections will be held across Stockport to elect local councillors to fill one seat in each of the electoral wards, including Bramhall South & Woodford.

There will also be an election on the same day for the position of Greater Manchester Mayor. Nine candidates are standing for election.

Your polling station is Woodford Community Centre. If you have a postal vote and miss the deadline to post it, then you can hand it in at the Centre on polling day.

You can find more information on the local elections on the Council website here

Don’t forget to vote to have your say.

Stockport Local Plan

Following the vote against GMSF in a council meeting last year, Stockport Council is currently developing its new Local Plan. The council website states: “The Stockport Local Plan plays an important part in the future growth of Stockport. It helps to set planning policies and allocates sites for development. The Local Plan is part of the Statutory Development Plan for Stockport. It will form the basis for making decisions on planning applications.”

"Over the next two years we are committed to have an open and transparent discussion with Stockport residents and businesses regarding what land is needed to accommodate the homes, jobs, new infrastructure and local facilities we need from now until 2035.”

You can find more information on the Local Plan on the Council website here.

Stockport Council has put a call out for brownfield sites to help support work on the new Local Plan and issued a Press Release which states:

“We are asking people to put forward land or sites that you consider could be brought forward for development in local communities and the borough. We want to hear about the sites in your local areas which you believe should be considered before we need to make decisions in respect of other land within our borough. They might be derelict or underutilised sites, vacant commercial premises or an occupied building which has a use which doesn’t fit particularly well in an area.”

Instructions on how to submit a suggestion for a brownfield site can be found on the Council website here.

Handforth Garden Village

Cheshire East Council has posted documents associated with the planning application for the Handforth Garden Village (formerly referred to as the North Cheshire Garden Village) on their planning website here. You can find the master plan here. Some of the supporting documents with the planning application on transport include mention of the Bus Rapid Transit through the village e.g. paragraph 3.4.7 in Transport Assessment RT104414-02 (file 08095737) here. The website currently states that the deadline for public comments is 6th May 2021.

Woodford Neighbourhood Forum 

The forum management committee continues to act as a consultee on planning applications in the Neighbourhood Area and the responses can be found in a table on the website here. Many recent applications have been for house extensions, perhaps indicative of people needing more space to work from home. In a less typical case, following refusal by the council of planning application DC/076613 for the erection of two new buildings on Church Lane, an Appeal has been made to the Secretary of State. You can find the Appeal notification and how to submit comments by the 28th April deadline here.

You can keep up to date with forum activities via the website. 

Poynton Relief Road

The company constructing the Poynton Relief Road, Graham, is providing newsletters to keep residents up to date with progress. Their 3rd newsletter provides an update on progress in March 2021.

The company has asked us to let you know that they will be imposing traffic management on Chester Road. Their letter to residents includes the following information:

“The traffic management will commence on Monday 26th April with the installation of 2-way traffic lights to enable service diversions on the north side of Chester Road adjacent to our site. Following the completion of the service diversions, traffic will be switched to a newly constructed temporary single lane carriageway and managed by 2-way traffic lights. The temporary carriageway will remain in place for approximately 12 months and is essential to facilitate the ongoing construction of the new Chester Road overbridge, including the completion of the wingwalls and abutments.” You can read the full letter here.

Find the latest construction newsletter at https://www.graham.co.uk/poynton-relief-road 

Subscribe for updates on the project via https://group.graham.co.uk/l/1F8/PoyntonReliefRoad

Woodford Footpaths
We are featuring a series of articles showing sections of the network of footpaths which pass through Woodford. These have been particularly useful for local walks during Covid restrictions, but beware of very wet and muddy conditions in the fields during wet weather.

9HGB from Church Lane to Foden Lane

This footpath starts on Church Lane at the bend near Pear Tree Cottage. A stile beside a gate leads into the grounds of Bramhall Cricket Club. You will notice on the OS map that the route of the footpath runs straight across the wicket. In order to avoid damage to the grounds, walkers can follow the perimeter hedge to the right of the gate and then walk along a raised bank until you arrive at a gate in the fence on the right. Pass through the gate into the field, making sure to fasten the gate behind you to ensure that livestock cannot enter the cricket ground. The footpath runs across the field to a stile beside a tree in the fence on the opposite side. From autumn to spring, look out for a large seasonal pond on the right which attracts large numbers of geese, gulls, ducks and other birds of great interest to bird watchers.

Cross the stile under the tree and turn left. After a few yards, cross another stile by a gate into the next field. This spot is frequently flooded in winter and then only passable in wellington boots. Follow the path beside a tall hedge along the left hand perimeter of the field to arrive at a gate and a stile leading out on to Foden Lane. Turn right on Foden Lane, which leads to Moor Lane.

Please note that the fields are used for grazing and crops, including hay during the summer, so walkers should stick to the path, keep dogs under control and avoid trampling long grass or other crops, which are then more difficult to cut.

The seasonal pond in the field adjacent to Bramhall Cricket Club attracts a variety of birds, which are very much enjoyed by keen birdwatchers and casual observers alike. Please respect wildlife and those who enjoy seeing it and avoid letting dogs disturb the birds.

Dog walkers, please respect other users by collecting dog poo in a bag and taking it home for disposal in the black bin. Bags that are not taken away cause plastic pollution in the countryside.
Please observe the countryside code: Respect - Protect - Enjoy 
Start of 9HGB from Church Lane
Stile into Bramhall Cricket Ground
Follow perimeter fence
Gate out of cricket ground into field
Stile under tree between fields
Footpath follows fence
Stile between fields
(flooded in wet weather)
Path by hedge to Foden Lane
(in dry weather)
Stile out of field into Foden Lane 
Foden Lane
As you will see from the map below, this path connects with 8HGB and can be linked with other footpaths in Woodford from the Church Lane end or the Moor Lane end.
 OS map of central Woodford showing footpath 9HGB
A more up to date simple line map is below, with route of 9HGB around cricket ground added.

For further information: 
The Stockport public rights of way map can be found
here.
The Cheshire East interactive footpath map can be found
here.

For further information: 
The Stockport public rights of way map can be found here.
The Cheshire East interactive footpath map can be found here.
Woodford Wildlife

The Manchester Birding Forum website includes reports of a wide variety of bird sightings in Woodford from the vantage points of Old Hall Lane and Church Lane. Examples during April include sightings of Curlew, Lapwing, Sand Martin and Goldcrest at Old Hall Lane, and Oystercatchers, Little Ringed Plover and Mandarin Ducks on the Church Lane seasonal pond.

The appearance of a Green Sandpiper on the Church Lane pond caused a flurry of attention from birdwatchers. On one particular evening in April, an impressive array of telescopes lined up along the grass verge to observe a variety of feathered visitors.   In 2019, a Little Egret on a rather water logged pitch at Bramhall Cricket Ground was photographed by local birdwatcher, John Rayner, and  this year it was a delight to witness the return of the swallows in April, seen below sitting on power cables leading to the Lodge on Blossoms Lane.

Little Egret (John Rayner) 
Swallows (Evelyn Frearson)
Woodford Neighbourhood Forum
You can keep up to date with forum activities via the website. The Management Committee continues to respond to Planning Applications in the Neighbourhood Area and the responses can be found in a table on the website here.
WWMCC Update 
Click on the icon:
Woodford War Memorial Community Centre logo
AVRO Heritage Museum and The Deanwater Hotel images. Two of Woodford Community Council sponsors
Visit the AVRO Heritage Museum Website here & the Deanwater Hotel website here.
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