Welcome to my latest e-bulletin, where I'll be updating you on the recent goings on in our area and in Westminster.

It has sadly been a bit of a damp squib of a summer with plenty of grey drizzle, but that hasn't stopped me from getting out and about meeting residents and organisations across the constituency, as well as going back down to London after Parliament was recalled for a debate on the difficult situation in Afghanistan.

So many fantastic events and initiatives have taken place over the summer, including the annual National Citizen Service programme for 16 and 17 year olds and Holiday Clubs for primary school pupils. 

Keep your eyes peeled for my 'Reporting Back' update, of where we are for Our Plan for Cheadle, which will be hitting letterboxes in the next few days.

Local neighbourhood plans

The past year has made people more aware of their neighbourhood, the things they value, and what they want to see happen in their local area, like Heald Green and Gatley for instance, where people want more say on planning for new homes and protection of green spaces.

I have begun by writing to every household in Gatley in order to see if there is support for a local Neighbourhood Plan for Gatley. Whether Gatley residents would consider being part of a local Neighbourhood plan. 

I want more people in our area to be able to design their own local neighbourhood plan, giving individual communities a say in the development of their area - so I have written to every household in Gatley, to see if there is appetite for this. When it comes to planning, it is often more helpful to have as much local input as possible, which is precisely what a neighbourhood plan does. Having one in place means that whilst Stockport Council is drafting its local plan for the future, communities can have more say in planning in their local areas. 

Woodford's Neighbourhood Plan highlighted the value of this approach and I would like to see similar engagement in other areas. If you are a Gatley resident, please do fill in my quick survey here.

Should communities get behind this initiative, this will be a great way for us to follow in the footsteps of Woodford whose local plan informs the basis of future protections and planning arrangements. 

VISIT TO NCS

The National Citizen Service has now been running in Stockport for a decade after a successful pilot scheme. The National Citizen Service is a flagship initiative supporting the government’s vision for building the Big Society. 

The programme will promote:

• A more cohesive society by mixing participants of different backgrounds.
• A more responsible society by supporting the transition into adulthood for young people.
• A more engaged society by enabling young people to work together to create social action projects in their local communities.

Thousand of young people have benefitted from this programme through their experiences and skills that have been developed, the community itself self has also benefitted. I went to visit the NCS teams to see what projects that the teams were designing and conducting, many of which were supporting local charities such as AgeUK Stockport, Perry's Pantry Foodbank and several women's support services across Stockport. 

Stepping Hill

The NHS is a crucial part of this nation, and the past year has showed this more than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, I decided to visit Stockport NHS Foundation Trust's, Stepping Hill Hospital to have a meeting with the Trust's Chief Executive Officer Karen James. 

The Prime Minister and Health Secretary's announcement of a further £1.85 billion funding in order to prepare NHS frontline services.

Extra funding has also been made available to the Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, with £30.6 million already dedicated to develop a new Emergency Care Campus at Stepping Hill Hospital. 

COVID-19 and the response to the winter season which often sees rises in cases of flu was one of the topics covered in the meeting with Karen James. The Stockport NHS Foundation Trust received £3.6 million in order to help support its services face the pressures of the winter last year. 

HOLIDAY FOOD CLUBS

This week I have had the pleasure of visiting both the Practically Family  Holiday Club at Moss Hey Primary School, and also the Playclub Unlimited at Bradshaw Hall Primary School. Both of these Holiday clubs are prime example of the Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) that the Government brought into affect in  November 2020. 

It was wonderful to see the children dive into all the activities that have been made available to them by these holiday clubs. These holiday clubs encourage children to learn and develop new skills through a variety of activities, whether that be academic, sport or even woodland learning. The facilities that these holiday clubs have available for the children are perfect for enhancing these skills and getting active. 

I am a massive supporter of the HAF programme, speaking about it in the House of Commons as well as writing a letter to the Minister advocating the programme and its development for children across  not only Cheadle but the UK too. The Government has provided  Stockport council with funding of £975,000 to accommodate the HAF programme.