Eight-year-old school pupil wins competition to name new Heywood road

An eight-year-old school pupil has won a competition to name a road at our new £6.4 million housing development in Heywood.

Ava McEvoy suggested the name Murphy Close for our 27-home development on Bury Old Road. Her idea was chosen by a panel of judges and will be the official name of the road at the entrance to the new housing scheme.

The name was selected in honour of Father Morris Murphy, a local Catholic priest who founded a parish for the Darnhill Estate in the 1960s. He was a well-known and respected figure in the community until his death in 2013.

Ava, a Year 4 pupil at Our Lady and St Paul's RC Primary School, received a Samsung tablet as the prize for her winning entry.

"I'm really happy that my street name was chosen," she said. "I picked Murphy Close because Father Murphy did so much for the local community, and I wanted people to remember him."

Headteacher Hollie Aspinall praised Ava and the other children who took part in the competition.

"We are incredibly proud of Ava and all the pupils who took part in the competition.

“It has been a fantastic opportunity for our children to learn about local history and feel connected to a development that will become part of their community. Congratulations to Ava on her well-deserved win."

FCHO Project and Partnerships Officer Ghazalla Iqbal said the competition helped young people connect with the area's history.

"This competition has given local children the opportunity to leave a lasting mark on the neighbourhood while learning about the people and stories that have helped shape Heywood.

“We'd like to thank the school for working with us and congratulate Ava on her fantastic entry."

The Bury Old Road development is being built by Built Developments. The scheme includes 27 homes, made up of 12 two-bedroom properties and 15 three-bedroom properties.

Nineteen of the homes will be available for social rent, while eight will be offered through a rent-to-buy scheme.

The development is due to be completed in May next year.

The judging panel included Chief Executive Mark Gifford, Construction Manager Jamie Smith, Ghazalla Iqbal, Headteacher Hollie Aspinall, and local councillors Stuart Crawford and Peter Joinson.