Your Local Independent 196

Page 2 July 2025 AD SALES 01204 478812 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 2025. This newspaper is publishedmonthly by Investors in Publishing, Publishing House, 3 Bridgebank Industrial Estate,Taylor Street, Horwich, Bolton BL6 7PD. 01204 478812 EDITOR Ged Henderson ged@hendersonnewsandmedia.com ADVERTISING Jayne Meadowcroft 01204 478812 or 07703 045189 jayne@independentnewspapers.co.uk CLASSIFIEDS Teresa Bond 01204 478812 teresa@independentnewspapers.co.uk CONTACT US A CONVICTED drug dealer from Middleton must pay back more than £200,000 after a successful Proceeds of Crime (POCA) application by Greater Manchester Police. Lee Whiteley, 35, admitted conspiracy to supply class B drugs and the cultivation of cannabis in November 2023. Whiteley, of Alkrington Road North, received a sus- pended prison sentence but must now repay £218,443 believed to have derived from his crimes – significantlymore than the £3,800 presented at the original court case. The confiscation order was made at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court. During the Proceeds of Crime investigation, a number of items were seized including a vintage Ford Cosworth val- ued at £90,000, a transit van worth £50,000 and a £3,000 electric bike. GMP says the money will be used to benefit commu- nities through the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS). The force successfully proved three houses he had bought had been funded from his criminal proceeds. If Whiteley doesn’t pay back the money within three months, he faces three years in prison. GMP Economic Crime Unit Financial Investigator Kelly Belfield said: “This case high- lights that crime doesn’t pay and we will come after crimi- nals and take their ill-gotten gains. The case is unusual as Whiteley was only convicted of benefiting from £3,800 from his drugs business. “However, using Proceeds of Crime legislation and carrying out a confiscation investigation, I have man- aged to bring this figure up to £218,443, which is a huge increase and a great result. “If Whiteley fails to pay the money within three months, then he will serve an extra three years in jail - and still have to sell his assets and pay using the proceeds. “Reclaiming cash this way not only disrupts criminal activity but it also directly benefits communities across Greater Manchester. “These funds will be rein- vested into vital community programmes and services through our Asset Recov- ery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS) funding scheme. “This cash recovery also highlights the strength of the Proceed of Crime Legislation and that we will continue to use it.” WORK to restore Middle- ton’s historic Hopwood Hall has taken a further step forward with another phase of major works to the building’s roof now under way. A building conservation specialist has been awarded the contract to deliver the work, which will involve painstakingly repairing and restoring the decaying roof. The works will bring almost half a million pounds worth of investment into the build- ing, with Rochdale Council and Historic England jointly funding the £466,000 project. Oldham-based firm May- sand will be taking care to ensure the roof is returned to its original appearance, to ensure the valuable heritage of the Grade II-listed building is protected. In addition, the firm will be carrying out painstaking restoration to the leaded win- dows, alongside crucial works to downpipes and gutters to ensure the historic asset is fully watertight. Two new apprenticeships for local people will be cre- ated as part of the project and Maysand will also run stone- masonry and stone carving workshops over the summer. A heritage skills pro- gramme will also be taking place in the autumn as part of the roof works. Councillor Danny Meredith, Rochdale Council cabinet member for housing and regeneration, said:“Hopwood Hall is a really important his- toric asset for Middleton and the wider borough. “Over £1.7million of public money has been invested into this asset in recent years and we are keen to build on this momentum, as we continue to forge a positive future for this Grade II-listed building. “The roof works are a vital next step in helping to protect and enhance this building’s remarkable heritage, and I’m delighted that a Greater Manchester company has won this contract. As with all our major heritage schemes, there will be ample opportunities A ROCHDALE shop that sold illegal vapes, coun- terfeit tobacco, foods not labelled in English and toys that did not meet safety standards has been closed. Trading standards officers applied for an order to shut the Drake Street Food Store, also known as Polski Sklep, after finding large volumes of illegal and potentially dan- gerous goods at the business – including items concealed under a toilet. Cigarettes in fake pack- aging were sold well below standard prices at £4 and £5 with illicit tobacco products found also concealed inside the store, a commercial bin at the rear of the property and in nearby parked cars. Despite several warnings the shop, located at 138a Drake Street, continued to sell illegal goods. A closure order was granted at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court after Rochdale Coun- cil argued that the illegal activity was likely to con- tinue unless the business was closed. The business will be closed for a total of three months, the maximum period of time enforceable. Tricia Ayrton, council deputy leader and portfolio holder for climate change and environ- ment, said: “Despite repeated warnings fromour officers, the people running this business clearly believe they were above the law which is why we have been left with no alternative but to shut them down. “The health and safety of our residents is incredibly important and it’s thanks to our continued efforts in trad- ing standards and the sup- port of Greater Manchester Police that we are helping to keep these harmful items off our streets.” Inspector Meena Yasin of GMP said: “Over the past few months my neighbourhood team has been working with Rochdale Council and other partners looking at the dif- ferent ways in which we can use a combination of criminal, civil and regulatory enforce- ment powers to solve problems and associated criminality and anti-social behaviour. “This closure order repre- sents our work with trading standards to use enforce- ment legislation on busi- ness premises.” TWO poets in residence have been appointed in Rochdale as part of the town’s year as Greater Ma nche s t er Town of Culture. Sasha Mostafa, 18, and 25-year-old Alende Amisi will be supported by Sammy Weaver, Rochdale’s first poet laureate who was unveiled last month. The commissions form part of project led by the borough’s libraries and Rochdale Devel- opment Agency encouraging people to re-discover the joy of the written and spoken word, unlocking their own creativity through work- shops with schools and com- munity groups, poetry events and exhibitions. Creating poems that cap- ture the uniqueness of the borough, celebrating local people and places, they will draw on Rochdale’s rich co-op- erative history as a source of inspiration, creating new work that will also capture young people’s ambitions for the future. Sasha, who was born and lives in Rochdale is sitting her A-Levels at Manchester High School for Girls. She’s been writing poetry in her spare time and won The Tower Poetry Competition last year – a prestigious UK prize for young poets. She said: “I’ve been writing poetry for fun really since I was 14, not really considering it as a career, just something I enjoyed. Now I’m excited to catch a glimpse of what life as a working artist could look like. “Being a poet in residence will enable me to connect more with the local community, listen to people’s stories and learn from a professional poet. I can’t wait to get started.” Alende came to Rochdale as a refugee in 2006 from the Democratic Republic of Congo and is a former pupil at St Patrick’s RC Pri- mary School. He discovered a love of poetry at St Cuthbert’s RC High School and is currently studying for a PhD in psy- chology at the University of Cumbria where he’s been writing and performing some of his work based around life and mental health from a male perspective. He also runs his own record label ‘AAspire Records’ and said he wanted to give some- thing back to the place he now calls home: He said: “Without the com- munity in Rochdale and the warm welcome I received nearly 20 years ago I wouldn’t have developed as far as I have. I’m looking forward to meeting local young people, learning from Sammy and sharingmy passion for poetry.” Jen Cleary, director north at Arts Council England, added: “Huge congratula- tions to Sasha and Alende on their appointments as poets in residence for Rochdale’s year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture. “We know the many bene- fits that taking part in cre- ative pursuits can bring for individuals and communities. “We’re looking forward to seeing how this opportunity builds on Sasha and Alende’s existing, brilliant achieve- ments and helps others find their own creative voice and inspirations along the way.” Drug dealer’s £200,000 pay back bill Historic hall’s roof repairs underway Valuable heritage: Hopwood Hall (Photo credit: Rochdale Council) will help develop the much- needed expertise needed for Hopwood Hall and other his- toric buildings we all value so much.” A feasibility study is also continuing, with a team of national experts, including some who worked on the Rochdale Town Hall restora- tion, bringing their extensive experience together to deter- mine possible future uses for the building. Shop selling illegal goods is shut down Poets with a community mission New roles: Alende Amisi and Sasha Mostafa for members of the public to get involved and be part of Hopwood Hall’s journey and we will be letting people know about these opportunities in due course.” Peter Barlow, fromHistoric England, said: “We’re pleased to be supporting this next phase of roof repairs, which are essential for the survival of the hall. The heritage skills opportu- nities are also great news and