News

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Staffordshire Leaders' Board has submitted an interim plan on local government reorganisation and devolution to government today (21 March).

The countdown is on for this year's Walking Festival which returns to the Staffordshire Moorlands this spring.

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.

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.

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 are being sought on options for improving Cheadle's Market Hall and the outdoor marketplace.

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.

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.

Strictly winner and Emmerdale star turned real-life farmer, Kelvin Fletcher, has officially opened Leek's transformed indoor markets.

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.

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.

The first phase of work to improve energy efficiency and drive down carbon emissions at MyActive Biddulph is now complete.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Civic leaders and representatives in Staffordshire Moorlands will be marking National Holocaust Memorial Day with a special service in Leek.

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'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.

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.

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!

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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 across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent have written to the Government to begin a conversation about devolution and how it could benefit the area.

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.

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.

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 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 of up to £4,000 are now available to generate growth in arts, culture and heritage activity in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

Leek's rejuvenated indoor markets are set to re-open this October with work on the £3.7m refurbishment now well underway.

From October this year, a new Council-owned health and wellbeing company will take over the management of Staffordshire Moorland's leisure centres.

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council is a high-performing, performance focused organisation that delivers low cost, value for money services, an independent review has found.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This year the UK will commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day with a series of major events in this country and in France.

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.

The multi-million pound transformation of Leek's retail, cultural and leisure amenities to regenerate the town centre is progressing at pace.

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 - 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.

At Staffordshire Moorlands District Council we make sure our customers are at the heart of everything we do.

Work to install new technology to reduce carbon emissions at Biddulph Valley Leisure Centre is now well underway.

Ensuring the safety of everyone visiting or working in cemeteries across the Staffordshire Moorlands is a priority for the District 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ambitious plans to refurbish and modernise Leek's historic indoor markets will start this Spring after planning permission was granted by the District Council.

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has set out its aims and priorities for the next four years in its Corporate Plan.

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!

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has extended its reception opening hours at Moorlands House in Leek.

Work on a £2.4m scheme which will save more than 290 tonnes of carbon emissions every year in Biddulph has started.

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.

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has signed up to the Citizens Advice Council Tax Protocol.

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.

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.

New modern ticket machines, which take both cash and card payments, have been installed at all District Council car parks across the Moorlands.

With studies revealing that the UK is one of most nature-depleted countries in the world, halting the decline of the natural world has never been more important - and here in the Staffordshire Moorlands a plan for helping do just that has been launched.

Plans for the £3.2m investment in Leek's historic indoor markets have been submitted as part of the Levelling Up programme to regenerate the town centre.

News that train services could, in time, return to the Moorlands with the re-opening of the line from Leek to Stoke have been cautiously welcomed by the District Council - pending further details about the funding package to deliver the scheme.

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council is committed to improving public services and the quality of life for everyone who lives here.

It's often said that charity begins at home - and for one Moorlands resident his support for a good cause certainly did when he won an iPad in the new Staffordshire Moorlands Community Lottery.

The benefits of moving more for our physical and mental health are well known - and the District Council and its partners are inviting individuals, communities and organisations across the Moorlands to boost their health and wellbeing by building movement into their daily lives and joining the Movement for Movement.

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has launched six new grants for local businesses and communities and is now inviting applications.

Over 1,650 Moorlands residents will receive extra help with their council tax after the District Council announced it will be further discounting bills for the most vulnerable households.

It's Love Parks Week this week - the ideal time to officially open the new multi-use games area at Hot Lane in Biddulph Moor which provides residents in one of the District's more rural communities with informal leisure and sporting facilities on their doorstep.

If, as it's said, a picture paints a thousand words, then the winners for the Moorlands Open Art exhibition certainly have plenty to say.

Tickets are now on sale for the new Staffordshire Moorlands Community Lottery - the exciting fundraising initiative launched by the District Council which is set to benefit community groups and organisations across Moorlands.

Work has started on a new exercise path around the boundary of Birchall Playing Fields in Leek.

The multi-million regeneration programme in Leek town centre is moving forward as the Council starts to share more details of what people can look forward to when the work is complete.

With summer now well and truly upon us, the District Council is reminding people that lighting fires, barbecues, fireworks and Chinese lanterns has been banned to help prevent wildfires at high-risk locations in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

Grants to help schemes and ideas to address climate change get off the ground in the Moorlands are now available.

Next week is 'Great Big Green Week' where people are encouraged to share what inspires them to tackle climate change and protect nature - but that's not the only green activity taking place in June.

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.

The Chairman and Vice-Chairman, Leader and Cabinet of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council have been named following the elections earlier this month.

Moorlanders are being asked for their views on a key planning document which sets out guidance for calculating the contributions developers pay to offset the impact of development.

Carbon emissions generated by Biddulph Valley Leisure Centre are set to fall thanks to a £2.1million project to improve energy efficiency and reduce the building's impact on the environment.

Schools, colleges and youth groups across the Moorlands are being invited to take part in a new education project to equip young people with the skills and knowledge needed to tackle climate change and deliver their own environmental projects.

Plans to improve and enhance leisure amenities in Cheadle will include refurbishing the existing leisure centre, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has announced.

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has set out its vision for the role tourism can play in unlocking the area's potential - boosting both the District's reputation and the local economy.

New more user-friendly and energy-efficient pay and display machines will be installed at 20 car parks across the Moorlands.

Work has started on projects to improve recreational and sports facilities in Forsbrook and Draycott.

Funding for a new multi-use games area at Hot Lane in Biddulph Moor has been secured - meaning residents in one of the District's more rural communities will have improved access to informal sport and recreation facilities on their doorstep.

With the coronation of the King and Queen Consort fast approaching, the District Council has launched a grant fund for those planning local celebratory events to mark the historic occasion.