A review of the recycling centres in the Staffordshire Moorlands has led to the decision to close the ‘bring’ recycling sites including those in Biddulph. ‘Bring’ sites are recycling points the council provide where residents can take their recyclable items such as bottles/paper/plastic/textiles and tin. They currently provide 27 recycling ‘bring’ sites but following a review have taken the decision to close them. The bring sites to be closed in Biddulph are at Biddulph Valley Leisure Centre and Mill Hayes Sports Ground. The review was taken as the contracts for the service, provision and maintenance of the sites comes to an end on the 31st October this year. Alternatives to closure that were considered were to procure new contracts or to reduce the number of sites from 27 to 10. The amount of waste collected from bring recycling centres has steadily fallen (down 68%) since 2007 as the council have moved more towards collecting from households at the kerbside. The report states: [Read more…]
Don’t bring anymore rubbish to Biddulph
Town Hall funding leads to new police enquiries
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has agreed to invest more than £300,000 on Biddulph Town Hall following complaints about conditions of the venue.
Biddulph Town Hall is owned and managed by Staffordshire Moorlands DC and is used as a Council Chamber; for public functions, community events and activities; and is a working town hall with office accomodation, which includes the police. In 2014 the police notified SMDC that their current office accomodation within Biddulph Town Hall was not fit for purpose which led to council officials examining the building to come up with better designs to maximize the potential of the Town Hall and to retain the police as tenants. [Read more…]
No tip off for Biddulph
Plans to close the Biddulph Waste and Recycling Centre in Bemersley Road have been dumped.
The Biddulph waste tip was originally proposed for closure due to the supposed proximity of alternative facilities, and to save Staffs County Council around £150,000 a year. But residents and local councillors complained that the nearest county council run recycling centres in Leek or Burslem were far from easy for Biddulph residents to access. [Read more…]
Biddulph bowling green set to open this summer
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has reassured bowlers in Biddulph that it shares their desire to see the new bowling green and pavilion opened as soon as possible.
As part of its commitment to improving facilities and opportunities for Moorlands residents to take part in a variety of sporting activity, the Council has invested £750,000 in the new amenities which are expected to open this summer as planned. Councillor Brian Johnson, cabinet member with responsibility for sport and leisure at the Council, said: “The Council and Biddulph Bowling and Recreation Club are working together on the terms of lease and we are both keen to conclude matters as soon as possible. [Read more…]
Have your say on Biddulph’s development
Residents across the Staffordshire Moorlands are being urged to take part in a consultation about potential sites for housing, employment and other development in the area over the next 15 years.
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has published a long list of possible development sites and is now urging the public to have their say before deciding which sites are the preferred options. The consultation started on Monday 6 July and will run for ten weeks until Monday 14 September to ensure that everyone who wants to get involved has ample opportunity to so. All households and businesses in the Moorlands will receive information about the site options and how to make their views known and the consultation will include drop-in sessions in Biddulph, Blythe Bridge, Cheadle, Kingsley, Leek and Werrington where you can speak to Council officers. [Read more…]
Making Space in Biddulph
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council is backing the re-launch of the popular Space scheme by Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis to provide fun activities for young people during the school summer holiday.
Space was originally an activities scheme led by police in Staffordshire during the 80’s and 90’s aimed at engaging with young people. The new version of Space, coordinated by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, has similar objectives and is aimed at 11 and 17 year-olds. The activities have been planned and delivered by a wider collaboration of public and voluntary organisations, including the Police. Mr Ellis has pledged up to £140,000 to fund activities with an aim to increase skills, improve health and general wellbeing by creating opportunities to engage with young people positively. Activities will include sporting events, arts and crafts and music production. The Space scheme will runs until Friday 4 September and will cover areas across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. Mr Ellis said: “I am bringing back a new version of Space to provide activities for youngsters during the school holidays. It aims to provide a positive experience for young people and opportunity to engage with public and voluntary sector organisations. The Chief Constable has agreed that neighbourhood policing teams will be at the heart of Space and is enthusiastically behind it.” Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has worked closely with the PCC’s office to organise and plan local Space activities. More information, including a calendar of events, is available at www.staffordshire-pcc.gov.uk/space
Biddulph Primary Care Centre shortlisted for two awards
Biddulph Primary Care Centre has been shortlisted for two accolades at this year’s Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) West Midlands Awards.
Opened in July 2013, Biddulph’s 3,500 sqm state-of-the-art primary care centre, which is the home to two GP practices, will go head-to-head with other new and regeneration projects from around the region. Its innovative ‘figure-of-eight’ design, which plays on the different heights of land across the site, and its thoughtful choice of materials inspired by the local area has earned the centre a place in the list of finalists for the ‘Design Through Innovation’ category, and the passion shown by the Biddulph community for the centre has also secured it a place on the ‘Community Benefit’ shortlist, with centre staff especially impressed with their workplace. [Read more…]
Putting sporting facilities first in Biddulph
Two schemes to improve sporting facilities in Biddulph have recently been completed.
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has invested £25,000 in new lighting for the sports hall at Biddulph Valley Leisure Centre and almost £208,000 on a project to create a new multi-use games area, tennis courts and car parking at Halls Road.
Improving sporting amenities is a priority for the Council – a commitment which has already seen work begin on a synthetic bowling green and a new pavilion at St Lawrence Recreation Ground and improved drainage at the Mill Hayes sports ground pitches. Further work to provide outdoor gym equipment and a new playground at Halls Road is planned.
Biddulph Bobbies do LEJOG for Charity
Three police officers from Biddulph have taken part in one of the toughest challenges of their lives to help send children with disablities or terminal illness on the holiday of a lifetime to Disneyland in Florida. PCSO Peter Johnson, PC Steve Marsh and PC Steve Meacock, all from Biddulph, were part of the ‘Bobbies on Bikes 4 Kids’ team that cycled from Lands End to John O’Groats (covering 900 miles in 9 days) to raise money to send three children to Disneyland in Florida through Cauldwell Children’s charity ‘Destination Dreams’. With your helpthey exceeded their challenge and raised £25,036. [Read more…]
Council step up to the mark
Long awaited work on the steps linking Wharf Road car park to Biddulph High Street has finally started. The £28,000 project aims to widen the stairs and improve the lighting and planting, and link the Primary Care Centre to the steps with a defined pedestrian walkway. Plans were drawn up for the project to redesign the steps in 2012 but a dispute over land ownership has led to a delay. Now the work has begun and is expected to take around 8 weeks to complete.