Midcheshire Independent Issue 181

11 JULY 2025 Visit our website: www.independentnewspapers.co.uk 0161 566 2684 Restaurant & Takeaway For traditional cuisine from Bangladesh & India fusion of Asian dishes Free Delivery Within 3 miles radius. Minimum order £20.00 (15% discount on collection) Unlicensed Restaurant Bring your own alcohol Only wine and bottle beer (no cans please) Free Car Park Register online & collect loyalty points savaanarestaurant.co.uk The Wycliffe Hotel (OFF St Lesmo Rd) 74 Edgeley Road, Stockport SK3 9NQ Opens 17th June from 4.30pm BUS users have placed Cheshire East in the top ten of local authorities for how satisfied they are with their bus services. The survey by the independ- ent national public transport watchdog ‘Transport Focus,’ found that user satisfaction in the borough’s services was 88 per cent – a five per cent increase on last year’s results. People across the borough will also see these services further improve after a £5mil- lion Department for Trans- port’s Local Bus Grant was approved at a meeting of the council’s highways and trans- port committee. The funding will directly support implementation of the council’s Bus Service Improve- ment Plan (BSIP). Mark Goldsmith, who chairs the council’s highways and transport committee, said: “I am delighted to see the results of this survey, which indicate that we are definitely on the right track with our buses. But there is much more we can do, espe- cially in encouraging car own- ers to switch to using buses. “We can do that by provid- ing attractive, reliable and convenient connections. We are therefore also investing in upgrading bus stops on key BUXTON Opera House and Pavilion Arts Cen- tre has launched a script- writing competition for local writers. The aim is to uncover and develop original plays that shine a light on the community – past, present, or imagined. An Opera House spokes- person said: “Whether it’s set in your favourite local café, inspired by neighbourhood legends, or tackles environ- mental themes close to home, the script should celebrate what makes our area unique.” Three writers will be shortlisted to take part in a professional script develop- ment workshop with an expe- rienced scriptwriter. From there, one script will be selected for further devel- opment and mentoring, ready for a full production staged by Buxton Opera House in early 2026 in the Pavilion Arts Centre. The deadline for script applications is Thurs- day July 31. Paul Kerryson, Buxton Opera House chief executive, said: “Following the recent successful premiere produc- tions of ‘The Keeper of the Books’ in 2024 and ‘One Night in Buxton’ in February this year, Buxton Opera House is thrilled to be offering this brilliant opportunity for local emerging writers. “As ever, we are grateful to Arts Council England for sup- porting Buxton Opera House in providing artistic platforms for local creativity.” Buxton Opera House is looking for a brand new, unpublished, and unper- formed play with a clear con- nection to Buxton - through story, setting, or character. It should also have a meaningful connection to the environment, thematic, geographical, or woven into the narrative and the contents must be suitable for all ages. The work should be struc- tured as two acts, each approximately 45 min- utes long, with a maximum of 10 principal characters. Writers must be 18 or over to apply and available on Septem- ber 13 for a script development workshop and between Janu- ary 28 and February 1 for the final production. Submissions will be judged anonymously by a panel appointed by Buxton Opera House. More details are available at buxtonoper- ahouse.org.uk NEWS IN BRIEF POYTON Town Council has launched an active travel survey. The aim is to understand how people currently travel, where they would like to travel to and if there is anything preventing them from using active travel for their journeys. A GROUP of 14 Cheshire Fire Cadets and eight leaders are currently fundraising to build classrooms for Nepalese schoolchildren, and to go on a life-changing 14-day trip to Nepal in autumn 2026. Every cadet and leader need to raise £3,600 each to support a rural village school through hands- on work and cultural exchange. CHESHIRE’S Chief Constable Mark Roberts made a trip to Crewe to see how the Constabulary has supported a new £2.5million boxing facility for the community. Bus services given a fair response Right route: Most Cheshire East bus users are satis!ed with services (Photo credit: Cheshire East Council) routes, as well as introducing new digital displays at key locations that show the real time of the next bus. “These will help people real- ise that the bus can be a great alternative to using their car. It will lead to fewer car trips and reduce traffic congestion air pollution and our carbon emis- sions. All this is contained in our newBus Service Improve- ment Plan, which is the blue- print for our bus services. “Buses though are the unsung hero of public trans- port. Every year, UK buses carry twice as many passen- gers as trains. “However, buses only get a fraction of the funding govern- ment invests in the railways. So, if we are to encourage more people out of their cars, then spending more money on buses will be the quickest, cheapest and easiest way to do it. This survey shows that when we get government money, we spend it wisely.” Calling all scriptwriters!