Hazel Grove Reviews & Letters

Positive Review - Hazel Grove is a large suburban area of Stockport, South East Manchester with a considerable amount of industry. The town initially developed as a stop point on the A6 route from London to Carlisle for travellers to stay over in one of the many inns. Today, these inns have become the many pubs for which Hazel Grove is now most famous for.

The Grove as it is affectionately known has grown up around this main thoroughfare and most of the shops and businesses can be found along it. However, in recent times Hazel Grove has become congested with traffic contributing to a decline in small shops and that community feel about the place. There have long been plans to build a bypass to relieve the traffic problems however the plans have always failed to materialise due to a lack of agreement between the relevant parties.

Stepping Hill hospital is located on the edge of Hazel Grove serving the South East Manchester area and is one of the town’s major employers. Other important employers include Man B & W, Philips, Adidas and the industrial estate. Recently the Grove has seen an influx of nationally known chain stores and franchises opening in the town including Sainsbury’s, Tesco Express, McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Marks & Spencer creating many new jobs and smaller businesses.

Hazel Grove is a relatively wealthy area with low unemployment and a higher than average percentage of professional workers. Nevertheless like most towns of a similar character it suffers from its fair share of anti social behaviour and yobs, not helped by the large number of pubs. The Grove is also home to a large number of takeaways, a nightclub and a couple of recently opened trendy bars.

Hazel Grove is well served by public transport with a train station and buses into Stockport and Manchester every few minutes. In addition, the highly rated Stockport Grammar School is only a few minutes away. It is also the home of Torkington Park, a large expanse of fields with tennis courts, football pitches and a playground. The park plays host to the annual carnival in the summer after it has paraded through the Grove and also hosts the travelling fair which tends to run the preceding weekend.

The Grove has excellent sports facilities with its own swimming baths, recreation centre, gym, golf course and many playing fields located around the area. There are many sports clubs to join from karate at the civic hall to gymnastics at the recreation centre to the many local football teams. Hazel Grove is a great place to live and work with everything you need nearby.

Positive Review - I went for a jog early on Saturday morning and imagine my suprise as I was approaching middlewood station I encountered a gentleman wearing nothing but a hat, rucksack, boots and a smile. It was quite a suprise, not got anything against this sort of thing however I am very aware that there are families walking and riding bikes on this trail and I dont think it very appropriate.

Positive Review - Chester Road in Hazel Grove is a pleasant suburb which suffers from speeding motorists. The Council’s response is to turn the road into an unwelcome urban obstacle course strewn with frustrating speed tables, redundant pedestrian islands and fragmented cycle lanes.

The majority of Chester Road residents do not support these heavy handed proposals. The Council Public Consultation in September 2009 revealed that twice the number of Chester Road residents were against the scheme than in favour. A subsequent petition rejecting the proposals was signed by 98% of the residents in the affected part of the Road.

Despite this overwhelming response the Council still intends to go ahead with their ill conceived plan.

The Council has employed hackneyed traffic management dogma to justify all the paraphernalia they want to impose on our road and ignores the fact that the people who are most affected do not want it.

In these times of economic stress it is absurd that the Council will waste money on a scheme unwanted by those on which it is supposed to help.

The Council will perversely retort that residents from adjoining roads support the scheme. Possibly, but as these residents will not suffer the consequence it is unlikely they would have given the proposed impositions as much thought as those who have lived on Chester Road for a long time. The average residency is over 20 years. As local residents we understand the vehicle, pedestrian and cycle traffic implications better than anybody. Life in Chester Road will certainly not be enhanced by this ugly urbanisation and the Council is unlikely to find the money to remove the scheme once it is proved a failure.

The Council’s approach has been pompous, undemocratic and unsympathetic. It leaves one questioning the integrity of other schemes on which they may have wasted money.

Positive Review - As a regular visitor to Hazel Grove station I've taken many good shots of differebt types of trains,shich I hope to put on this wonderful site.

Negative Review - hi, your home page states. man/bw (mirlees)and adidas as major employers for hazel grove. i think i read a couple of months ago that adidas are moving from hazel grove to trafford park by the end of the year(2007). mirlees i fear is doomed, most of the engine production as been moved abroad and is now just a spares a service outlet. how long the site will last now is anyones guess.