News
Work on new leisure centre going swimmingly
                        Work on the major redevelopment of the leisure centre in Leek's Brough Park is progressing with the new super structure now in place and the new pool and learner pool areas nearing completion.
                    
        
		 
		Work on Leek's electricity infrastructure set to start
                        National Grid will be starting a programme of work to improve Leek's electricity infrastructure at the end of this month.
                    
        
		 
		Raise a glass to return of popular Moorlands beer festival
                        What do the Sumerian Goddess of Beer, German oompah bands and candied sugar skulls have in common? 
                    
        
		 
		Spring start for garden waste opt-in scheme
                        From April next year, residents will be asked to separate their food waste from garden waste due to changes in legislation requiring all councils to provide a weekly food waste collection service.
                    
        
		 
		Improvement work set to start at Tape Street car park
                        A five-week programme of work to improve Tape Street car park in Cheadle will start this week.
                    
        
		 
		Blue plaque honours Endon poet and soldier
                        An Endon poet who founded the Imagists movement has been honoured with a blue plaque at the house where he lived.
                    
        
		 
		Supporting veterans in the Moorlands
                        Staffordshire Moorlands is proud to be home to over 3,000 armed forces veterans and, to support their wellbeing, the District Council is hosting a special event in Biddulph next month.
                    
        
		Chance to have your say about Council services and the Council's future
                        Staffordshire Moorlands District Council is running a new satisfaction survey to seek the views of residents and understand how they feel the Council is performing.
                    
        
		 
		Council's preferred option for Cheadle Market would be a `catalyst for regeneration`
                        Cheadle's Market is set for a brighter future after Staffordshire Moorlands District Council unveiled its preferred option to develop both the indoor and outdoor markets
                    
        
		 
		Get your items valued by TV antiques expert this autumn
                        Do you own an item that you think might be valuable or perhaps a family heirloom that you've always wondered about?
                    
        
		Library relocates as work set to start at Nicholson
                        Leek's library will be moving to Moorlands House on a temporary basis whilst the building works to improve facilities at the Nicholson Institute take place.
                    
        
		 
		Council membership with the Institute of Customer Services
                        At Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, we make sure our customers are at the heart of everything we do.
                    
        
		 
		Council grant helps Cheadle Cricket Club net new facilities
                        Cheadle Cricket Club has new training nets thanks, in part, to a £25,000 contribution from the District Council.
                    
        
		 
		Leisure centre redevelopment benefits Haregate Community Centre
                        The redevelopment of the leisure centre in Brough Park, Leek is set to benefit the local community in a number of ways - as staff and users at Haregate Community Centre have discovered having received a financial donation from contractors working on the project.
                    
        
		 
		Abbies pizza takeaway has licence revoked
                        Abbies pizza takeaway in Leek has had its premises licence revoked for breaching the conditions of the licence.
                    
        
		 
		Mural restoration sets scene for Nicholson improvements
                        Restoration work to restore murals by respected Leek artist Robert Timmins displayed in the Nicholson Institute is set to start this week.
                    
        
		 
		Play for VJ Day remembers last Leek soldier to die during World War II
                        A powerful new stage production, A True British Soldier, will premiere at St Paul's Community Church, Novi Lane on 9 August at 7.30pm
                    
        
		 
		Plans to improve leisure and landscaping in Brough Park unveiled
                        Plans for a project to deliver active environments and improve the connections between MyActive Leek and the surrounding Brough Park, by blending formal and informal physical activity, have been unveiled.
                    
        
		 
		Thom Bateman's Nanny J's completes Leek market line-up
                        High Profile Local Chef Thom Bateman is bringing his pizza concept to Leek where he will join Scrumbles Cake Shop and The Slamwich Club in the rejuvenated Trestle Market.
                    
        
		 
		Help shape cultural future in the Moorlands
                        Staffordshire Moorlands has a strong connection with the arts, culture and heritage - and the District Council is setting out a vision for how culture will continue to shape the lives of residents, organisations and businesses in the coming years.
                    
        
		 
		Cabinet recommended to `Say Yes to North Staffordshire` as local government reorganisation progresses
                        Cabinet Members at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council will be recommended to make an enlarged North Staffordshire Council its preferred option for local government reorganisation, when they meet on 8 July.
                    
        
		 
		New grants for businesses and communities
                        Local businesses and communities can now apply for new grants launched by the District Council.
                    
        
		 
		Council adopts Order to help prevent wildfires
                        Lighting fires, barbecues, fireworks and sky lanterns will be banned at high-risk locations across the Moorlands after the District Council approved the introduction of a Public Spaces Protection Order.
                    
        
		 
		Schools win awards for giving waste items new life
                        Primary school students across the Moorlands have been recognised for their creativity, innovation and commitment to the environment in the first ever Upcycling Challenge - a competition which challenged them to turn everyday waste into imaginative, useful or decorative new items.
                    
        
		 
		June is Pride Month.
                        We're proud to support Pride Month! 
                    
        
		 
		Council top in Staffordshire for collection of council tax and business rates
                        Staffordshire Moorlands District Council's Revenues and Benefits service is the best performing among Staffordshire's councils when it comes to the collection of council tax and business rates
                    
        
		 
		Funding to improve links between leisure centres and parks awarded to Leek
                        Leek's Brough Park is receiving over £300,000 from Sport England to deliver active environments and improve connectivity between parks, open spaces and leisure centres by blending formal and informal physical activity.
                    
        
		 
		Two new grants for communities now open
                        Two new grants for local communities have been launched this week and the District Council is now inviting applications.
                    
        
		 
		Staffordshire Moorlands councillors appoint new Chairman and Vice Chair
                        Councillors at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council have elected a new Chairman and a Vice Chair to serve for the 2025/26 civic year that runs from May to May.
                    
        
		 
		Council aims to reduce wildfire risk in the Moorlands
                        Wildfires play havoc with the environment - especially wildlife during the breeding season. The recent, exceptional dry weather has seen upland parts of the country impacted by destructive blazes that prove challenging for fire and rescue services.
                    
        
		 
		Diseased trees in Brough Park to be removed
                        Surveys will be taking place this month on three diseased trees in Brough Park, Leek to ensure there are no bats or nesting birds present before the trees are taken down.
                    
        
		 
		New mowing schedule to support biodiversity
                        This spring the Council is introducing a new reduced mowing system in some of our parks and open spaces as part of our commitment to enhancing biodiversity and encouraging nature recovery.
                    
        
		 
		Staffordshire Leaders' Board Submits Interim Plan for Council Reorganisation
                        The Staffordshire Leaders' Board has submitted an interim plan on local government reorganisation and devolution to government today (21 March).
                    
        
		 
		Popular walking festival returns to Moorlands
                        The countdown is on for this year's Walking Festival which returns to the Staffordshire Moorlands this spring.
                    
        
		 
		Friday markets kick off events programme in Leek
                        The Friday themed markets in Leek's newly-rejuvenated Trestle Market have now begun - kickstarting the refreshed events programme following the investment in the building.
                    
        
		 
		VE and VJ Day events - grants now available
                        This year is the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the UK will be coming together as a nation to mark this historic occasion.
                    
        
		 
		Council and Peak Wildlife Park mark English Tourism Week
                        Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has marked English Tourism Week (14 -23 March) by paying a visit to popular visitor attraction, Peak Wildlife Park at Winkhill near Leek.
                    
        
		 
		Views sought on Cheadle market
                        Views are being sought on options for improving Cheadle's Market Hall and the outdoor marketplace.
                    
        
		 
		Council Assembly to discuss local government reorganisation and devolution
                        Councillors at Staffordshire Moorlands will take part in a Council Assembly on Wednesday 5 March to discuss Government plans for devolution and the reorganisation of local government across England.
                    
        
		 
		Council sets budget for delivering essential services
                        Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has set its budget for providing essential services to residents, businesses and visitors at £13.6 million for the coming year.
                    
        
		 
		Local celebrity Kelvin Fletcher officially opens Leek markets
                        Strictly winner and Emmerdale star turned real-life farmer, Kelvin Fletcher, has officially opened Leek's transformed indoor markets.
                    
        
		 
		Glebeville play area officially opened
                        Glebeville residents, who played a key role in the design of their new play area, have taken part in the official opening of the local amenity.
                    
        
		 
		Moorlands children take on upcycling challenge
                        Primary-aged children across the Staffordshire Moorlands have been invited to take part in an exciting new competition to turn everyday waste items into innovative new items.
                    
        
		Going green at MyActive Biddulph
                        The first phase of work to improve energy efficiency and drive down carbon emissions at MyActive Biddulph is now complete.
                    
        
		 
		Anti-bleed kit awareness training for local businesses
                        Businesses across the Moorlands have taken part in anti-bleed kit awareness training to help build confidence amongst first-aiders who may have respond to casualties suffering blood loss.
                    
        
		 
		Laying foundations for state-of-the-art leisure centre in Leek
                        Work on the redevelopment of MyActive Leek continues at pace as the demolition phase is completed and the foundations are laid for the new structure.
                    
        
		 
		Help shape future of Leek's museum and art gallery
                        Work to improve Leek's Nicholson Institute is set to start this year, and you can help shape what that means for the museum and art gallery.
                    
        
		 
		Shining a light on Biddulph's mining heritage
                        Light is shining once again on Biddulph East's mining legacy - thanks to a restoration project to replace the local community's miner's lamps.
                    
        
		 
		Holocaust to be remembered at local service
                        Civic leaders and representatives in Staffordshire Moorlands will be marking National Holocaust Memorial Day with a special service in Leek.
                    
        
		 
		Tourism in Staffordshire Moorlands gets a boost with new microsite
                        Following a 35 per cent increase in visitor numbers since the pandemic, Staffordshire Moorlands is developing its tourism offer with the launch of a new microsite for visitors.
                    
        
		 
		Leek markets to host culture and heritage event
                        Leek's transformed indoor market halls are hosting the first We Are Staffordshire Ambassador event of the new year celebrating the county's heritage and culture.
                    
        
		 
		Register and protect your bike at free safety event
                        Cyclists are invited to a free event this weekend where they can register their bikes as part of a national scheme to help reunite lost or stolen bikes with their owners.
                    
        
		 
		Check your Christmas bin collections online
                        The festive season is always a busy period but there's one calendar you can count on to offer a helping hand - the Council's online bin checker!
                    
        
		 
		New businesses announced as Leek markets re-open
                        As Leek's revamped indoor markets start to re-open following the £3.4 million transformation, two of the local food and drink businesses taking the new units in the Trestle Market have been announced.
                    
        
		 
		Grant signals go-ahead for Churnet Valley rail project
                        Grant funding from the Moorlands Partnership Board has helped give the green light to a project to return an historic signal box to its original location at Cheddleton station.
                    
        
		 
		Sod-cutting marks formal start of MyActive Leek redevelopment
                        With work on the multi-million pound project to expand and fully modernise MyActive Leek (formerly Brough Park Leisure Centre) now underway, an official sod-cutting ceremony has taken place to mark this major milestone.
                    
        
		 
		Festive free parking boost for shoppers and businesses
                        Parking will be free again this year on Saturdays in December in all District Council car parks to support shoppers and businesses in the busy build-up to Christmas and the New Year.
                    
        
		 
		Themed Fridays launch new era for Leek's indoor markets
                        Leek's rejuvenated indoor markets are set to re-open soon and new themed Friday markets will be part of the exciting new-look retail and events programme.
                    
        
		 
		Waste and recycling collection fleet wears poppies with pride
                        November is the month when many of us wear our poppies with pride to show our ongoing support for our armed forces and ensure their dedicated service will never be forgotten.
                    
        
		 
		Protecting and enhancing Moorlands green spaces
                        Even the name of our District, the Staffordshire Moorlands, evokes open green spaces and time spent outdoors - and now the Council has launched a ten-year plan to protect and enhance the spaces it owns that help make this such a special place.
                    
        
		 
		Grant helps keep a roof over Kenelm Youth Trust heads
                        Grant funding from the Moorlands Partnership Board has helped towards much-needed roof repairs at the Guildhall and St John the Baptist Church at the Alton Castle site - a nationally recognised collection of Pugin-designed listed buildings.
                    
        
		 
		Ancient Goddess brings female focus to popular beer festival
                        A Goddess celebrated in ancient history by the Babylonians will be the focus of attention at Leek Beer Festival, taking place next month on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 November.
                    
        
		Join us at our open water safety day this half-term
                        There will be plenty of treats - and no tricks - at Rudyard Lake this Halloween when the District Council and its partners host an open water safety day.
                    
        
		 
		New images of Brough Park released as work gets underway
                        Work to transform Brough Park Leisure Centre to deliver modern new facilities and services for the community is now underway after the final design was agreed following public consultation.
                    
        
		 
		Council Leaders seek conversation with government to unlock growth and opportunity
                        Council Leaders across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent have written to the Government to begin a conversation about devolution and how it could benefit the area.
                    
        
		 
		Council leisure centres to operate under 'MyActive' brand
                        From Tuesday 1 October, the three Moorlands leisure centres will be managed and operated by the District Council's new health and wellbeing company Alliance Leisure Limited.
                    
        
		Brough Park Leisure Centre - alternative venues shared
                        With work on the £17 million redevelopment of Brough Park Leisure Centre set to start next month, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has shared further details of the alternative venues people can use whilst the centre is closed.
                    
        
		 
		Council buys Cheadle Market
                        Cheadle Market, which has long been a consideration for Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, in view of its strategic position on the High Street and the opportunity this might give to regenerating the town centre, has been bought by the Council today.
                    
        
		 
		New Birchall fitness area brings indoor gym experience outdoors
                        New fitness equipment has been installed at Birchall Recreation Ground in Leek offering the indoor gym experience in the great outdoors - and it's already proving to be very popular.
                    
        
		 
		Grants to help arts, culture and heritage thrive
                        Grants of up to £4,000 are now available to generate growth in arts, culture and heritage activity in the Staffordshire Moorlands.
                    
        
		 
		Leek markets on track for autumn re-launch
                        Leek's rejuvenated indoor markets are set to re-open this October with work on the £3.7m refurbishment now well underway.
                    
        
		 
		Council to set up new company to manage leisure centres
                        From October this year, a new Council-owned health and wellbeing company will take over the management of Staffordshire Moorland's leisure centres.
                    
        
		 
		'Well managed' Council delivers 'high performing, low cost' services
                        Staffordshire Moorlands District Council is a high-performing, performance focused organisation that delivers low cost, value for money services, an independent review has found.
                    
        
		 
		Checkley planning document adopted by Council
                        The Neighbourhood Plan for Checkley has now been 'made' - formally adopted - by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council and forms part of the development plan used to determine planning applications in the parish.
                    
        
		 
		Council funds maintenance of life-saving defibrillators
                        With fewer than one-in-ten people surviving an out of hospital cardiac arrest, access to well maintained, ready to use defibrillators can make all the difference.
                    
        
		 
		Council highlights cost of living help in Moorlands
                        Managing your money can be a challenge at any time but more so when prices for daily essential keep on rising - so the District Council is helping to ensure people can find, and access, support with the increasing cost of living.
                    
        
		Council commits to Moorlands nature recovery
                        Nature is in long-term decline and the need for action to reverse this is urgent - and in the Moorlands, the District Council has committed to making nature's recovery a priority.
                    
        
		 
		D-Day grants to mark 80th anniversary
                        This year the UK will commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day with a series of major events in this country and in France.
                    
        
		 
		Up to everyone to help keep public toilets open
                        Public toilets are valued facilities in our towns and communities but the thoughtless actions of a small number of people can result in temporary closures following deliberate damage and mis-use.
                    
        
		Leek regeneration projects gather pace
                        The multi-million pound transformation of Leek's retail, cultural and leisure amenities to regenerate the town centre is progressing at pace.
                    
        
		Plans for Brough Park Leisure Centre to go on show
                        Plans for new and improved facilities at Brough Park Leisure are set to be revealed next week - and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council wants to hear your views.
                    
        
		 
		Congratulations to Leek Town FC
                        Congratulations to Leek Town FC - players, coaches, staff, directors, volunteers and fans - for this fantastic achievement in being crowned Champions of the Northern Premier League West 2023-24 with games to spare. 
                    
        
		 
		Staffordshire Moorlands District Council membership with the Institute of Customer Services
                        At Staffordshire Moorlands District Council we make sure our customers are at the heart of everything we do.
                    
        
		 
		Reducing carbon emissions at Biddulph leisure centre
                        Work to install new technology to reduce carbon emissions at Biddulph Valley Leisure Centre is now well underway.
                    
        
		 
		Memorial safety testing in Moorlands cemeteries
                        Ensuring the safety of everyone visiting or working in cemeteries across the Staffordshire Moorlands is a priority for the District Council.
                    
        
		 
		Biddulph planning documents adopted by Council
                        The Neighbourhood Plan and Neighbourhood Development Order for Biddulph have now been 'made' - formally adopted - by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council and form part of the development plans used to determine planning applications in the town.
                    
        
		 
		Council sets budget for essential services
                        Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has set its budget for providing essential services at £12.7m for the coming year - and agreed to continue support with council tax for households on the lowest incomes.
                    
        
		 
		Serving up improvements at Leek Tennis Club
                        Work has started to improve the condition of the courts at Leek Tennis Club to increase their usability and encourage more people to take up physical activity.
                    
        
		 
		Work set to start at Leek's indoor markets this spring
                        The £3.4m transformation of Leek's indoor market halls is set to start in the spring after the District Council granted planning permission for the project.
                    
        
		New leisure facilities in Leek are shaping up
                        Brough Park Leisure Centre users can look forward to new state-of-the-art swimming and exercise facilities with work at the facility set to start later this year.
                    
        
		 
		Moorlands Community Fund to help voluntary sector
                        Demand for the services provided by the voluntary sector in the Staffordshire Moorlands remains high as people grapple with increases in the costs of living - and the District Council is offering support to those organisations to help them meet this demand.
                    
        
		£3.4m investment in Leek's markets gets green light
                        Ambitious plans to refurbish and modernise Leek's historic indoor markets will start this Spring after planning permission was granted by the District Council.
                    
        
		Council sets out vision for Moorlands for next four years
                        Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has set out its aims and priorities for the next four years in its Corporate Plan.
                    
        
		 
		'Tis the season to check your bin collections
                        Christmas is a busy enough time without having to remember any changes to your bin collections as well - and the Council's online bin checker means you don't have to!
                    
        
		 
		Council here to help as reception now open for longer
                        Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has extended its reception opening hours at Moorlands House in Leek.
                    
        
		Work starts on Biddulph carbon reduction scheme
                        Work on a £2.4m scheme which will save more than 290 tonnes of carbon emissions every year in Biddulph has started.
                    
        
		 
		Christmas shopping - and parking - all wrapped up
                        With Christmas now just a few short weeks away, free parking is being offered on District Council car parks to give shoppers and businesses a boost over the festive season.
                    
        
		 
		Council joins CAB Council Tax Protocol
                        Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has signed up to the Citizens Advice Council Tax Protocol.
                    
        
		 
		Help shape future development in Biddulph
                        Residents in Biddulph will be able to have their say on the future development of the town when a referendum on two planning questions takes place in December.
                    
        
		 
		Council proud to support annual poppy appeal
                        The Royal British Legion has launched this year's poppy appeal to ensure the contribution of service men and women is never forgotten - and the District Council is once again supporting their fundraising efforts.
                    
        
		
 
		 
		 
		