A Stockport café owner says overgrown weeds and 'treacherous' moss are leaving her part of the town centre feeling 'forgotten' – when £7m is being spent nearby.

Bekka Johnson, owner of the Covent Garden café on Lower Hillgate has slammed Stockport council over the state of a small public space next to her business. The area is dotted with a few planters, trees, and a frog which have seen better days and weeds can be seen growing out of the pavement in several places

She told the LDRS she used to spend her own money doing up the area but with the rising cost of running a business, she could no longer afford to do that. Bekka said she has recently repeatedly tried to contact the council to raise the issue with no luck.

She added: "I just haven't got the money any more. Do I either pay my ladies or do the flowers for the council?

"That is where we are at with the choices with money. Everything has been squeezed so much that there isn't spare money to do that. I keep it clean but it's quite a lost area at the moment.

"I had it really lovely at one point in time and now it's just a forgotten space that I only just manage to keep clean.

"It's not got the respect anymore. They have done nothing with those planters for three years. I have tried to keep them nice but it seems to be a forgotten area.

"This place is Stockport Old Town so it's one of the oldest parts of town and it seems to be neglected and it's just such a shame.

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"This area is steeped in so much history that I just wasn't aware of until I was here myself."

Bekka Johnson, owner of the Covent Garden cafe on Lower Hillgate (Image - LDRS)

She added: "I've picked people up off the floor. There's this green moss and if it gets damp, it becomes treacherous. If they weedkilled it properly, it wouldn't happen."

The Underbanks has seen £7m of investment from Stockport Council and the National Lottery fund but where the café sits on Lower Hillgate is just outside of this area.

While she said Stockport was 'a good town to have a business in because it's getting busier', Bekka told the LDRS: "It's lovely and it's what Stockport needs but do I think it should be spread a little bit further? I am trying to get this area weedkilled, never mind nice benches and chairs."

Cllr Grace Baynham, Stockport council cabinet member for parks, highways and transport services, said: "We want all parts of Stockport to feel clean, welcoming and well cared for, and we recognise the positive contribution local businesses like Covent Garden café make to their communities.

"Stockport town centre has seen significant investment and transformation in recent years, and we want to see that positive change reflected across all areas of the borough.

"This area currently receives routine street cleaning and weed treatment, and following concerns raised locally, we have asked Community Payback to carry out a one-off clean-up when possible, alongside other priority work across the borough.

"The planters were originally installed at the request of the business to help brighten up the space for customers, visitors and the wider community, and we appreciate the efforts made locally to help maintain them."