Alsager Town Council is looking for nominations of individuals or groups who have made significant or outstanding contributions to Alsager to be presented by the Mayor at his Civic Awards ceremony on 18, April 2026, 7:30pm in Alsager Civic

Awards will be given in the following categories:

Volunteer Award

Community Award

Great Neighbour Award

Carer Award

Green Award

Animal Welfare Award

Youth Civic Award

Lifetime Achievement Award

If you know an individual or group who you think deserves a Civic Award for any of these categories go to https://www.alsagertowncouncil.gov.uk/…/02/Categories.pdf then nominate them using the nomination form https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx… which can be emailed to admin@alsagertowncouncil.gov.uk or posted to the Council Offices at 3 Lawton Road, Alsager, Cheshire, ST7 2AE.

Nomination forms can also be collected from the Council Offices between 10am and 12pm Mondays and Wednesdays. Closing date for nominations is Sunday, 29 March 2026.

For any questions or queries regarding the Civic Awards, please contact the Mayor of the Town Council at michael.unett@alsagertowncouncil.gov.uk

The new toddler play area in Clough Hall Park, which has been closed for over 8 months since works on the refurbishment project ended, will be reopened soon.

The toddler play area has been fenced off with temporary fencing since May due to vandalism which left the area unsafe. The play area became an eyesore and a hazard due to a collapse of the fencing. Concerned park users have voiced their frustrations that nothing had been done to get the play area made safe and reinstated. 

Now Newcastle Borough Council have confirmed that they are working to restore to facility. They have made the site secure and are awaiting the completition of snagging work to be done by the contractors. When all works are complete the site will need to be signed off by RoSPA(the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) and the fencing removed followed by strimming and reseeding where necessary. 

Cllr. Craig Skelding, Cabinet member for Leisure, Culture and Heritage, said: “The play area – which was damaged by vandals shortly after opening – is temporarily unavailable while RoSPA completes final checks following snagging works by the playground installer. This is to ensure the new equipment meets the highest safety standards before it’s used by the public. Security fencing will be removed imminently following strimming, soiling and seeding. We appreciate residents’ patience and look forward to welcoming families back to the area shortly.”

A 15-week scheme to improve pedestrian and road user safety on Gloucester Road by St John the Evangelist Catholic Academy started in early January.

The scheme, being entirely funded by the Department for Education, involves construction of new zebra crossings, installation of new speed cushions, parking area improvements and resurfacing, as part of a wider package of improvements for the school.

To ensure the works can be carried out safely, temporary traffic signals will be in operation for the duration of the works. In addition, a full road closure will be needed for a fortnight to complete the surfacing and road marking activities. The closure has been scheduled during the school Easter holiday to minimise disruption to the local community and road users. Patrick Allen, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Support Member for Highways, said:

[Read more…]

AEDdonate are looking for local volunteers to become Defibrillator Guardians in Biddulph to help keep lifesaving defibrillators ready for use.

AEDdonate provide a complete defibrillator service to help communities across the UK, supporting fundraising efforts and securing funding to install, register and maintain public access defibrillators, helping to ensure no one is ever too far from the help they need in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest. 

They provide essential first aid services through the placement of Defibrillators through community fundraising events and will also provide training in the use of CPR and Defibrillators

What the role of Defibrillator Guardian involves:

Checking the AED after it has been deployed to a 999 call.

Carrying out regular checks to ensure the device is ready for use.

Volunteering for one site or multiple sites – the choice is yours.

What it doesn’t involve:

No medical training required

No responsibility for funding consumables or equipment – this is fully funded through AEDdonate.

This is a simple but vital volunteer role that helps protects the community of Biddulph. Find out more at: https://www.aeddonate.org.uk/volunteers/

Cheshire East Council have granted planning permission for the conversion of the Bank Corner on Lawton Road to be converted into:

Ground floor: Retail units, including a pharmacy and a café (reusing the former bar space).

First floor: Four self-contained apartments (two one-bedroom and two two-bedroom flats).

The pub, previously known as The Bank Corner, has been closed for more than two years (around early 2023). After a period of vacancy and failed proposals (a children’s nursery), planning permission was granted by Cheshire East Council in December 2025 for the change of use for the building.

This change of use was approved under delegated authority by planning officers, despite some policy conflict regarding the loss of the bar as a community facility. The decision highlighted benefits like bringing an unoccupied building back into use, diversifying town centre offerings, and supporting local vitality with new retail and residential elements.

For full details, including the exact application reference, conditions, or to view documents, you can search the Cheshire East Council planning portal (using the address “Bank Corner, Lawton Road, Alsager” or similar). 

Small, under-used town centre car parks will be sold off for housing, if plans are approved.

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council want to use brownfield sites for housing where possible and the proposals include the disposal of little-used car parks including ‘surplus’ car parks in Kidsgrove.

Stephen Sweeney, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Town Centres and Growth, said: “We are taking a strategic approach to managing our land and assets to ensure they deliver the best value for residents and businesses. Many of these car parks are significantly underused, and in some cases, they are next to land that could be better used for development or community benefit.”

In Kidsgrove, there are currently 74 spaces in four small car parks on King Street and Heathcote Street. It’s intended that 57 spaces will remain on the ‘bottom’ two car parks on King Street, while the other two are sold off. 

The Council also plans to demolish the former Browns Service Garage in Kidsgrove and use the site as a temporary car park, while other improvement work is carried out in the town centre, before eventually selling the site.

The proposals follow consultation and monitoring of user numbers at these sites.

A revised plan to modernise Kidsgrove Station is fast approaching the next stage of its journey to completion. 

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, the accountable body for £16.9 million of Kidsgrove Town Deal funding, is being asked to formally approve the progression of a new scheme to upgrade Kidsgrove Train Station.

The £2.7m project, backed by Kidsgrove Town Deal Board, is being developed by East Midlands Railway and National Rail as a viable alternative to original proposals which were stopped in their tracks recently due to historical mining issues that would have cost up to £13 million to resolve.

The Board has now voted to move forward with a reduced project covering refurbishment of the railway station across three key areas – renovation of the main building, Island Building (platform two) and wider site enhancements – which removes the need for extensive and costly ground investigations, and any subsequent mitigation, required for a larger blueprint incorporating a transport interchange and larger car park.

There will also be a new cycle store with access control, access improvements for pedestrians and cyclists, a revised car park layout with disabled bays, EV charging and drop-off points and upgrades to fencing and other visual improvements.

A detailed station design could be finalised in spring 2026, with completion by 2027.

Saturday 29^th November 2025 from 4:30pm 

Get ready for a magical evening as Biddulph kicks off the festive season! 

What’s On:

Lights Switch-On at 6pm!, Free Santa’s Grotto, Funfair Rides, Festive Market stalls

Live performances, Lots of FREE family activities!

Wrap up warm, bring your loved ones, and join us for an evening of festive fun, laughter, and community cheer as we light up Biddulph for Christmas! 

Consultation until 7^th December 2025

A consultation has launched on Cheshire East’s draft Local Transport Plan (LTP) and Investment Framework. 

The current LTP was adopted in 2019 and needs updating to reflect the considerable change in transport movements and trends. It is a statutory requirement to maintain a LTP to provide a policy framework that is robust and relevant to the needs of Cheshire East. Updating the LTP now enables them to proactively feed in their strategic transport priorities to the future Combined Authority for Cheshire and Warrington.

The consultation seeks views on the proposed policies, investment framework, and key investment packages, which will guide how they plan, prioritise, and deliver transport improvements in the future.  Following the consultation, the LTP will be updated and adopted in 2026.

The consultation brochure and further information can be found on their website – www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/LocalTransportPlan

It’s that time again — our local toy appeal is back courtesy of Alsager Community Support.

Last year, this community pulled off something beautiful. Over 100 families had gifts under the tree because of you, the residents of Alsager. More than 220 presents were donated and wrapped to ensure those less fortunate had something to celebrate at Christmas.

If you’re able, the Coommunity Support centre are collecting new toys and gifts for children of all ages. Every single one goes straight to a local family who needs a bit of extra help this Christmas.

Here is the link to the amazon wish list bit.ly/4gno8bP or scan the QR code.