WHY RATEPAYERS
As long-standing residents will be aware, Ratepayers have a long history of service to Heald Green. However, during the 12 months of Covid, we have been as frustrated as you. We have not been able to run many of our traditional events. There was no Heald Green Festival to help with planning and running; there was no Remembrance Sevice; there was no Carols Round the Tree event. However, working to help Covid restricted residents took over as a major effort. Councillor Anna Charles-Jones put together a list of local suppliers and we printed over 5,000 copies of a card, which we delivered to every home in Heald Green. The card gave details of sources of help. It also did two other things. It gave out our contact numbers for anyone needing help and also sought volunteers from the community who were prepared to give help. We received responses to both requests. We then matched the volunteers with the residents who needed help and Ratepayers then operated a support system.
We managed to get our Spring edition of Contact out although Covid Regulations meant that we had to pay a commercial company to deliver it. In addition, we have kept our usual careful watch over Heald Green and our councillors have carried on working for us at their usual great pace. We hope that things will return to normal later in the year.
WHY ANNA CHARLES-JONES
Anna is the Ratepayers’ nomination at the forthcoming Council Election on 6 May.
Anna Charles-Jones was brought up in a farming community before moving to Manchester in 1999 to attend university, where she graduated in Applied Community Studies. She has lived in Heald Green for 15 years, firstly on Queensway and later on Greenway Rd. Professionally, she works as an assessor for disabled students.
Anna has been one of our three Ratepayer Councillors for five years. She gave evidence in person at the Seashell Trust Public Inquiry planning application. She is a member of the Planning Committee and at the full Council Meeting made an impassioned speech against GMSF, which, if it had gone through, would have replaced much of our Heald Green Green Belt with an extra 1,630 houses. Thankfully, Stockport then pulled out of GMSF.
She is also a governor of one of our local schools and for the past two years has been entrusted with the chairmanship of Cheadle Area Committee, where most local issues are decided.
Every year we call at over 5,000 homes in Heald Green so that you can tell us your concerns and priorities. This year, mindful of the Covid situation, we reluctantly decided not to do this. However, we printed a questionnaire in Contact for you to fill in and return to any Committee member. If you missed this, you still have a chance using our on-line form at: http://tiny.cc/HGQuestionnaire21
Due to the Village Hall being reserved for Covid vaccinations, it will not be available as a Polling Station. Those of you who normally vote at the Village Hall will have to vote at St Catherine’s Church on Outwood Rd.
This year there are two elections on the same day. When you enter the Polling Station, you will be given two ballot papers, one white and one yellow. The yellow one is for the GM Mayoral election. The white one is for the Council election and will have Anna Charles-Jones’ name on it. Don’t forget, this time, to wear your mask inside the Polling Station and take your own pencil or pen.
REMEMBER – BECAUSE WE ARE NOT A POLITICAL PARTY, WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PUT THE WORD “RATEPAYER” ON THE BALLOT PAPER. WE HAVE TO REMEMBER:
ANNA CHARLES-JONES = RATEPAYER
This page promoted by Thomas Golden, 7 Drayton Drive, Heald Green, on behalf of Anna Charles-Jones, 71 Greenway Rd, Heald Green.
