1 hour free parking at Wharf Road

The 1 hour free parking on Wharf Road promised as part of the District Council’s plans to modernise parking facilities across the Moorlands have now come into force.

Charges for parking at

Wharf Road have changes

From the 1st July motorist are able to park on the Wharf Road car park for up to one hour free of charge but other charges for parking have been increased.

Charges will now apply from 8.00am to 6.00pm and the new tariffs see parking for 1-2 hours going up to £1.20; 2-3 hours £1.80 and up to 10 hours between 8am and 6pm £2.50.

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Cameras to reduce tip queues

CCTV cameras are to be installed at Biddulph Recycling Centre to allow users to check how busy it is before they go.

Live streaming from the new camera system, due to be installed this year, is expected to result in residents staggering their trips reducing queueing at peak times.

The improvement is one of a number of changes being made following the Councils move to bring the service back in house.

Platinum Jubilee fund set up for Moorlands celebrations

As the nation prepares to begin a year of celebrations to mark the Queen’s historic 70-year reign, the District Council has launched a grant fund for those planning local events.

The Queen is the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee and plans already announced include: The creation of an extended Bank Holiday weekend from Thursday 2 June to Sunday 5 June for public events to take place; the Big Jubilee Lunch and street parties; £22m of National Lottery Funding to support activities.

At a local level, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has announced it has created a £20,000 fund for communities to organise their own events and celebrations. Councillor Sybil Ralphs, Leader of the Council, said: “It is a truly historic milestone of selfless public service and I know people will want to take part in both national and local events as we come together across the UK to honour this achievement. I’m sure this extra financial help will be welcome by those planning community events.”

The fund will be open to applications from Town and Parish Councils with £1,000 being available to Town Council’s and the remaining budget split equally between the Parish Councils. Parishes may wish to consider submitting joint bids or making funds available to community events supported by the Town and Parish councils. There’s more information, including an application form, at www.staffsmoorlands.gov.uk/PlatinumJubilee

NEW ALDI STORE OPENS IN BIDDULPH

Aldi opened a brand new store in Biddulph on Thursday 25th November.

Aldi’s new store opened in November

The new store on Tunstall Road replaces the store on Mountbatten Way in Congleton and will be run by Store Manager Rob Ferrari Wade, along with a team of 30 colleagues from the local community.

As part of Aldi’s investment in local communities across the UK, the Biddulph store will offer more customers access to Aldi’s high quality, low-price products.

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Road works to disrupt as Aldi nears completion

Residents and motorists will have to endure nine weeks of roadworks on Tunstall Road as part of the preparations for the upcoming opening of  the new Aldi supermarket.

The roadworks began on 20th September and will involve the construction of a new fourth exit for the roundabout which also connects to St John’s Road.  The new exit will provide access onto the Aldi supermarket site.

The works in full are as follows:

– Construction of a new development site access including the realignment of 

  the footway along with provision of a new pedestrian refuge to provide a 

  crossing point within the fourth arm

– Alterations to existing footways including removal of a redundant 

   vehicular access point

– Resurfacing of the roundabout carriageway at the junction of A527 

   Tunstall Road / D1284 St John’s Road

– Modification to Tunstall road / Newpool road / Park Lane signalised junction

Footway and lane closures will take place while the work is being undertaken, and traffic management measures such as temporary traffic lights will be in place. Towards the end of the works overnight closures may also take place while the new exit is being resurfaced.

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Dougie Mac banks on Biddulph for its 20th charity shop

Local hospice Dougie Mac has opened a brand new charity shop in Biddulph town centre. 

The former NatWest Bank on the High Street opened its doors to shoppers for the first time on Thursday 16th September offering good quality clothing, shoes, accessories and bric-a-brac, at very affordable prices.

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District council gives green light to alcohol ban in Biddulph town centre

by Jack Lenton

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has agreed to move forward with an order which would see drinking alcohol banned in Biddulph town centre.

The council’s Community Overview & Scrutiny Committee met to discuss the ban on 1st February. It was agreed to move forward with the plans with the proposals to be put to consultation and brought back to the authority’s Cabinet for final approval, due to be made at a meeting on Tuesday  9 February.

The Public Spaces Protection Order will apply to Biddulph town centre, and prohibit consuming alcohol or carrying an unsealed container of alcohol in the town centre. It has been recommended for approval in an effort to combat anti-social behaviour in the town.

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Covid testing centre open at Biddulph Leisure Centre

Moorlanders without Covid symptoms can now book testing slots at Biddulph Leisure Centre.

With the third national lockdown now underway leisure centres must remain closed so Staffs Moorlands DC and Staffs CC have worked together to make use of this important community facility for Covid testing in the meantime.

The lateral flow tests being offered are for people who are not displaying symptoms. Residents are advised to book a test as a precaution if they have symptoms such as headaches; aches and pains; feeling very tired for no good reason; sore throat; runny nose; sneezing; and sometimes tummy ache in children.

[Read more…]

Covid ambassadors helping to keep the Moorlands safe

Every action counts as we all work together to protect each other from the spread of coronavirus – and in the Moorlands our Covid Ambassadors are playing a key role in supporting local businesses to ensure they are operating safely.

Since the end of November the Ambassadors, employed by the District Council and its Alliance partner High Peak Borough Council to cover both areas, have carried out over 450 inspection visits with 90% of businesses visited showing high levels of compliance.

Council Leader, Councillor Sybil Ralphs, said: “It’s really great that we’ve seen such high levels of compliance with the guidelines and requirements that are in place to keep us all safe and I’d like to thank residents and businesses for their ongoing commitment to following the rules.

“These results show the fantastic response from local businesses who have been at the forefront of managing the impacts of the health pandemic and I commend them for all the work they have done and continue to do keep everyone safe.

“They are being supported by our Ambassadors who are a key part of our collective efforts and are doing a great job in assisting local businesses to ensure they are operating in a Covid secure manner.

“Their role is particularly important at this time because, even though we are in lockdown, the virus is still very much circulating in our communities so it’s critical that we all do what we can to try and slow and stop it spreading.”

As well as working closely with businesses, the Ambassadors can advise members of the public with any concerns they may have about breaches. Members of the public can report any concerns via the Council’s website:

www.staffsmoorlands.gov.uk/ContactEnvironmentalHealth

The number of people testing positive remains at very high levels across the country so it’s more important than ever that we all stick to the rules to keep ourselves and those we love safe.

Councillor Ralphs added: “Now more than ever it’s critical that we stay at home as much as possible and, when we do go out for essential reasons, we must all keep our distance from others, wear a face covering where required and wash our hands frequently.

“Our businesses and Ambassadors are working together to give us confidence that we can shop safely but we all have to do our bit to slow and stop the spread of the virus.

“If you do need to leave home for work for essential shopping, and you are not displaying Covid symptoms, that also means getting tested regularly. The testing centre is now up and running at Biddulph Leisure Centre to enable you to do this – just book a slot online.

“The vaccine roll out offers us hope of brighter days to come but, for now, let’s remember that our actions count and do what we can to take care of ourselves and those we care about. Stay safe.”

To book a testing appointment at Biddulph Leisure Centre please go to: https://staffordshire.zipporah.co.uk/TrackAndTrace

Knypersley First School to benefit from share of £1.3m refurbishment funding

  by Jack Lenton Biddulph Nub News

Knypersley First will be one of three schools in the Moorlands to benefit from over £1.3m million of Government funding to improve their facilities.

Schools in the Moorlands have been allocated a share of £560 million Government investment, aimed to expand classrooms, upgrade facilities and improve education standards.

Churnet View Middle School and Westwood First School join Knypersley First as the three Moorlands schools to receive a total of £1,352,805.93.