Hale Independent Issue 190

APRIL 2026 2 No part of this publicationmay be used or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure that the articles and advertisements that are carried are authentic, however the publisher accepts no responsibility for claims made. © Investors in Publishing Ltd 2026. This newspaper is publishedmonthly by Investors in Publishing, Publishing House, 3 Bridgebank Industrial Estate,Taylor Street, Horwich, Bolton BL6 7PD. Tel. 01204 478812 EDITOR : Ged Henderson ged@hendersonnewsandmedia.com CONTACT: JayneMeadowcroft 01204 478812 / 07703 045189 jayne@independentnewspapers.co.uk ADVERTISING: Robin Atkins 07767 840274 robin@cheshireindependent.co.uk CONTACT US SHOWROOM: 410 Flixton Road, Flixton M41 6QY DOMESTIC & COMMERCIAL ROLLERS - ROMANS - WOOD VENETIANS - VERTICALS bd BLINDS DIRECT Flixton For a FREE no obligation quote call: 0161 749 8525 l Continued frompage one Helen Davies, Best Places To Live editor, said: “This guide is a great opportunity to highlight the best places in Britain. “It is full of places that show that our village, town and city centres can still be full of life, as well as places bursting with natural beauty, culture, connec- tivity and most importantly a sense of community.” OLDER and disabled people in Greater Manchester can now get free round-the- clock travel on Bee Network buses. From March 1, con- cessionary passhold- ers have no longer had to wait until 9.30am to get on board a bus for free after the time restriction was perma- nently lifted. It follows two suc- cessful trials, in August and November, during which around 400,000 older and disa- bled people were able to use their free bus pass at any time of the day. Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “This is another sig- nificant change we’re bringing in under the Bee Network that will make a real differ- ence to people across Greater Manchester. “It will be a huge lift for disabled people struggling with the cost of travelling to work and it will give older people the freedom to travel whenever they want. “ T a k i n g control of our public trans- port network means we can make Greater Ma n c h e s t e r an even better place to live and work, and this change does exactly that. “We will con- tinue doing everything we can to reduce c o s t - o f - l i v - ing pressures on our residents, including by freezing bus and tram fares across the Bee Network.” During the August pilot, more than 100,000 journeys were made by older and disabled peo- ple before 9.30am with up to 6,000 people a day taking advantage of the change. In November, the numbers were even higher with nearly MORE than 70 guests gathered at Cottons Hotel and Spa as the mayor of Knutsford hosted his annual charity ball. The event brought the community together to raise funds for East Cheshire Hospice and Knutsford in Bloom. Gemma Jackson, civic events officer, said: “The ball was a fundraising success thanks to the support of local shops, res- taurants and businesses.” Town Mayor Bryan Hartley added: “I would like to thank everyone in the Knutsford com- munity who helped make the event such a success, from those who donated prizes to my civic guests and members of the local community. “Raising money for these two great causes, while enjoying good food and great company, has been one of the highlights of my year serving as your town mayor.” New drive to improve connectivity A BAR in Altrincham which Traf ford Council said attracted more trouble than any other nightspot in the area has been shut down. The council said that Traders Tiki Bar, in Goose Green, had become “a magnet for antisocial behaviour” including several vio- lent altercations inside and outside the premises. Manchester Magistrates granted an immediate, month- long closure order for the night- spot. A previously planned council licensing committee meeting to review its license will be brought forward. Trafford Council’s Licensing Enforcement and Community Safety teams sought the closure order after data from council CCTV and police logs showed the bar had been generating the highest number of violence-related incidents of any licenced premises in the borough, though it was only opening three days per week. Speaking after the hearing, Rose Thompson, Trafford Council’s executive member for communities and safety, said: “The conduct at this bar falls significantly below the standards that we would expect at any premises licensed to trade in Trafford, and clearly the safety of members of the public has been put at risk. “I am pleased that our teams and partners have worked collab- oratively to find solutions to this problem in an area that is other- wise well known and enjoyed by many for its good quality leisure and entertainment scene.” Mayor’s ball is a hit Bar closed after antisocial claims To advertise call 07767 840274 TRAFFORD is set to get a series of improvements to local buses, includinganewnightservicetolink towns with Manchester city centre andboost thenight-timeeconomy. Later this year the 263 service will connect Altrincham, Sale and StretfordwithManchester city cen- tre around the clock on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The 263 at other times will see frequency and performance improvements. Also planned are more regular buses on the 255 service between Partington and Manchester city centre, with the frequency increas- ing fromevery 30 to 20minutes. In addition, there will be later journeys for the 132, with more capacity to support staff journes fromtheTrafford Centre. The moves are part of wide- spread improvements coming to bus services in every part of Greater Manchester, as the Bee Network continues to power the city-region’s economic growth. Mayor of Greater Manchester, AndyBurnham, revealed36 service changes, the most significant and wide-ranging upgrades to the Bee Network since bus franchising was completed on time and on budget in January last year. He said: “These changes will benefit people right across Greater Manchester.Theyhave comeabout as a direct result of your feedback and support for the Bee Network and have been made possible by the decision we took to bring our buses back under local control.” Bus boost is welcomed Right road: The free round-the-clock travel move has been welcomed (Photo credit: TfGM) the freedom to travel at a time that suits them, reducing stress and loneliness and increas- ing opportuni- ties for work and volunteering. Nakib Narat, co-chair of the Greater Man- chester Older People’s Equality Panel, said: “This change unlocks a huge resource for our region. Grandparents can travel early to provide child- care, helping working parents. This boosts the local economy. “Crucially, we can now attend hospital and GP appointments when- ever needed. This gives us flexibility and eases pressure on the NHS. It also tackles loneliness and improves our men- tal health.” All bus and tram fares – including the £2 cap on a single ‘hopper’ bus fare for adults and £1 for chil- dren – is to be frozen for the whole of 2026. People across Greater Manchester have been encouraged to have their say on major plans that will shape the future of local transport through to 2050. The Greater Manches- ter Transport Strategy 2050 and the Delivery Plan (2027–2037) sets out long-term propos- als for improving buses, trams, trains, roads, walking, wheeling and cycling as part of the growing Bee Network. Vernon Ever itt , transport commissioner for Greater Manches- ter, said: “We have ambitious proposals to further improve trans- port in every part of Greater Manchester. “Better transport will enable sustainable eco- nomic growth, provide access to homes, jobs and education and cre- ate greater opportunity for all. We want to hear what people and busi- nesses across Greater Manchester think about these plans.” 120,000 passholders travelling before 9.30am during the pilot, most of whom got on board at least half an hour earlier. According to data col- lected during the trials, lifting time restrictions spread demand more evenly throughout the morning, reducing the risk of overcrowding on the first post-cur- few services. Passholders inter- viewed at bus stops, interchanges and while travelling throughout the trial periods said that they welcomed