Work on Town Hall frontage to start

Work on the development of Biddulph Town Hall frontage will start in February 2025 introducing a shared, same level space along the High Street to create a much more pedestrian friendly environment and calm traffic moving through the Town Centre.

Funding for the project has been secured from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund which is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK by investing in communities and place, supporting local business and providing opportunities to boost people and skills. 

The development of the frontage primarily involves plans to improve the area in front of the town hall by reconfiguring the current space by removing the existing railing to avoid clutter. The square will be designed as an extension of the existing green landscaped lawn with raised seating, with a particular focus on making the miners’ memorial wheel more prominent.

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New mental health hospital for women coming to Kidsgrove 

A new hospital supporting women to receive emergency mental health support and specialist rehabilitation for women with mental health issues will be opening by summer 2025 in Boathorse Road, Kidsgrove.

The new 31 bed service will have two wards; Crocus Ward, for acute admissions and Burleigh Ward, a highly specialised Personality Disorder service. Both wards will aim to treat women in a safe and comfortable environment and support them to safely progress along their recovery journey.

Victor Mudarikwa, Operations Director for the region said; “We are currently in the midst of a mental health crisis and Cygnet is determined to play its part in ensuring people get access to the right treatment, at the right time.

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Alsager Civic Awards 2025

Do you know someone who has made a significant or outstanding contribution to the community? With your help Alsager Town Council would like to say thank you.

They are looking for nominations of individuals and groups who have made significant or outstanding contributions to Alsager. Alsager Town Council will be holding Civic Awards on Sunday, 23 March 2025 at Alsager Civic at 17:00 to 18:00. Awards will be given in the following categories:

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50th Senior Citizens Afternoon Tea & Grand Variety Show

This years event is going to be a special one as it’s the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the event.

Alsager Round Table and the Rotary Club of Alsager finance and organise this annual event,with John Grint MBE acting as MC.

Up to 200 pensioners attend the show which is held at the Radway Social Club with those needing transport collected from their homes. They are treated to afternoon tea, and then entertained to a two hour variety show before being transported home if required – all completely free.

This year the event will be held on the 1st and 2nd of March, application forms are available from the Library, Post Office and many shops in Alsager, completed forms should be returned to the Library or Post Office.

Plans for new town square approved in Biddulph

Plans to create a more appealing public space in front of the town hall have been approved by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council.

The plans will see the removal of the railings and the space opened up lending the possibility for it to be used for socialising and small scale events. The towns heritage in the form of the old mining wheel will be kept.

Kidsgrove Station to lose ticket office

Kidsgrove Station is included in the government’s proposals to shut down almost all of the 1,007 remaining station offices in England, except at the busiest stations, within three years in an attempt to “modernise” the railway.

The Rail Delivery Group who are responsible for the decision says it wants to modernise customer service, and that the industry is also under pressure from ministers to save money amid huge losses due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

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A new Barclays Local service to open in Kidsgrove

Barclays are due to close their Kidsgrove branch on 11 August and have confirmed a new Barclays Local service for customers in Kidsgrove will be available from Monday 14th August 2023 at Kidsgrove Sports Centre.

The Barclays Local will provide face to face support for customers, with colleagues on hand offering financial support and education for customers, without the need to travel.  The opening times are as follows:-

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Public consultation on planning proposals

Public consultation on possible future locations for homes, businesses, community facilities and protected green spaces has begun.

The Local Plan determines what can and cannot be built in different places.

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council has unveiled the first draft of its Local Plan, which will eventually determine which areas are earmarked for different land uses and which are not.

The first round of public consultation is underway and runs until August 14th.

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Reduced opening times for library?

Cheshire East Council has consulted on revised proposals for library services across the borough after listening to feedback about how essential savings can be made over the next four years. 

The council is proposing to reduce the current opening hours of libraries across the borough so that all sites are closed for at least 1.5 days during the week. This will mean libraries such as Alsager that are not currently closed in the week will close for a day and a half.

The consultation, which has now finished, follows the approval of the council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) in February, which includes proposals for how the council will balance its budget for the next four years. 

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Moorlands Community Lottery set to launch

Good causes across the Staffordshire Moorlands are set to benefit from the Community Lottery – an exciting new fundraising initiative being launched by the District Council.

Leading lottery management company, Gatherwell, has been appointed by the Council to run the scheme having already launched similar lotteries in other parts of the country.

When the lottery launches in July, people will be able to buy tickets online and choose the good cause they want support through their purchase. Tickets will cost £1 per week. There will be a weekly prize draw with a jackpot of £25,000 and prizes of £2,000, £250 and £25.

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