Leek Post & Times
Work is underway on £3.8m plan to redevelop cultural landmark in town
LONG-AWAITED work to redevelop the Nicholson Institute in Leek will start this month. The £3.8 million improvement programme, led by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, will deliver major improvements to the Grade Ii-listed building...
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Care home in town is taken out of special measures by inspectors
A CARE home has been taken out of special measures after inspectors found ‘significant improvements’ had been made. Wall Hill Care Home in Leek is now rated as ‘requires improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission after previously being dubbed...
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Delays mean that leisure centre will now not reopen until the summer
WORK on a major leisure centre revamp has been hit with delays and is now expected to be completed next summer. Brough Park Leisure Centre, in Leek, is being transformed with a new sixlane 25-metre swimming pool, an additional training pool, and a...
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Monkey-dust man who bit three police officers is now a binman
A MONKEY dust-crazed man has narrowly avoided prison after sinking his teeth into three police officers. Michael Moss launched the vicious attack on April 16, 2024, after causing £900 in damage to private property. North Staffordshire Justice Centre...
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‘I just wanted to see what someone who could run off and leave us for dead looked like’
HARD-WORKING farmers Stuart and Valerie Heath had enjoyed a day out in Wales on their motorbike and were just yards from their farm near Leek when their lives were changed forever. Stuart, aged 68, was riding the motorcycle responsibly on the correct...
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‘Barry Birch was a true friend to Leek who will be sorely missed’
TRIBUTES are being paid after the death of a pub landlord and former mayor. Barry Birch ran a number of North Staffordshire pubs - including The Swan and The Priory, in Leek, as well as The Lazy Trout, in Meerbrook, and The Winking Man. It was at The...
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Plans unveiled to transform former hospital morgue into a holiday home
DOC/2025/0090: Discharge of Condition 17 in relation to application SMD/2022/0313 (demolition of existing yard sheds and erection of one single storey dwelling) at Newfold Farm, Sytch Road, Brown Edge, ST6 8QX NMA/2025/0030: Non material amendment in...
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Masked gang tracked car from Leek before terrifying £20k raid
A MAN was injured as a masked gang stole thousands of pounds of valuable jewellery after smashing their way into a car. The assailants pounced in Tean Road, Cheadle, as a woman returned home from work. As she arrived at her property, the gang smashed...
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Lorry blown over and trees brought down by Storm Claudia
COUNCIL crews were sent to 131 ‘emergency’ incidents as Storm Claudia smashed its way through the county. And Staffordshire County Council has revealed how it received 220 reports between Friday and earlier today over issues caused by...
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Two town tributes
Remembrance Day services at the Monument and Ball Haye Green
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Criminal dubbed a ‘blight on business’ stole goods worth £700 from three shops in 3 months
A PROLIFIC shoplifter stole items worth £700 from three shops in the same town. Jake William Campbell has been described a ‘blight on businesses’ after he repeatedly targeted stores in Leek. North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard the 35-year-old...
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Town’s one man crimewave now jailed for fourth time this year after shoplifting
A One-man crimewave has been jailed for the fourth time this year after going on a shoplifting spree in his home town. Daniel Standell - who has more than 70 thefts on his record - went back to his thieving ways after being released from...
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JCB investing £100m to mark 80th anniversary & help safeguard Moorlands jobs
DIGGER giant JCB is to invest £100 million in its Staffordshire global headquarters to help safeguard more than 8,000 jobs in the UK. The company says the announcement - on the eve of the company’s 80th birthday - demonstrates its ‘long-term...
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Shake-up will see households have to pay a fee to get brown bins emptied
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. Staffordshire Moorlands District Council currently...
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Starbucks eyes up a drive-thru cafe on site that has been empty for years
A NEW drive-through coffee shop could be on the cards for Leek town centre. Thistlewood Properties has put forward the proposals for a former garage site on Broad Street. The name of the proposed retailer has not been disclosed in the planning...
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New strategy to tackle empty homes and shops across the Moorlands
AROUND one in 10 commercial properties in the Staffordshire Moorlands are standing empty, new figures show. There are 325 business premises across the district which are currently vacant, with 290 of these empty for six months or more. Staffordshire...
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RAF veteran, 90 died when he ‘accidentally stepped’ into path of A53 van
A ‘FIERCELY independent’ 90-yearold RAF veteran died after accidentally stepping in front of a van on a busy road. Raymond Austin was tragically knocked down in Leek Road, Endon. An inquest heard the pensioner was meant to collect a prescription with...
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Woman feared for her life as van driver kept ramming her car in town
A VAN driver who repeatedly rammed a car being driven by a woman has been jailed. Matthew Bailey, aged 34, had been drinking after taking medication when he drove ‘very close’ to the back of the car on the A53 towards Leek. When the driver reached...
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COUNCIL COULD - AS A LAST RESORT - BUY SIX MILLS IN TOWN TO BRING THEM BACK INTO USE
A COUNCIL could buy vacant mill buildings to bring them back into use, a new study has suggested. The use of compulsory purchase orders is among potential actions listed in the report on the disused mills in Leek – but as a ‘last...
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ANNIVERSARY PARADE TO MARK 100 YEARS OF THE MONUMENT IN LEEK TOWN CENTRE
ONE of Leek’s most prominent buildings will mark its centenary on 6 September 2025. The Nicholson War Memorial was commissioned by Leek silk manufacturer Sir Arthur Nicholson and his wife Lady Marianne in memory of their son Lieutenant Basil Lee...
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Ex-royal Stoke consultant jailed three years over ‘child sexual offences’
A FORMER consultant at Stokeon-trent’s main hospital has been jailed after he committed a string of sexual offences. Dr Matthew Isles worked as an ear, nose and throat specialist at the Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital, in Stafford,...
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Arrest in Leek as part of operation across UK that saw 67,000 fake soccer kits seized
SEVEN people were arrested after a haul of more than 67,000 fake football kits - worth an estimated £5.1 million was seized by police. A series of targeted operations across the country resulted in 67,573 dupes being seized since January. The...
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Cops shutdown home ‘blighted’ by drug dealing and ‘anti-social behaviour’
A TROUBLED-PLAGUED flat has been shut down after a closure order was granted. Court action has been taken to kick the tenants out of the problem-hit home inside Leek’s Eagle Mill. It means anyone who tries to get inside the Shoobridge Street property...
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Top chef wants a slice of the market on pizza stall
HIGH profile 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. The only Michelin Guide & 3 AA rosette chef in the north of the county is also a...
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Care home put into special measures
A STAFFORDSHIRE care home has been placed into special measures after inspectors found that residents were threatening others and people were not protected from harm. CQC inspectors had to ask staff to intervene to keep people safe on two occasions...
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PLEASE SAVE WATER!
THESE dramatic pictures taken by Post and Times reader Cliff Salt show how low the water levels are at Tittesworth Reservoir. The lack of water has prompted Severn Trent to issue another call for customers in the Moorlands to help save water after...
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‘Merger with Stoke-on-trent will be good for Moorlands’
COUNCIL leaders in the Staffordshire Moorlands are set to back new plans for an ‘enlarged’ North Staffordshire unitary authority. The government has called on councils to come up with proposals for replacing the current two-tier system of counties and...
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Save water plea amid drought fears ahead of more ‘scorching’ weather
RESIDENTS are being urged to play their part in conserving water following the driest spring in more than a century - as water bosses deal with a ‘developing drought’ situation in Staffordshire. The Environment Agency declared a drought in the north...
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Plans for 60 lodges and a ‘water sports centre’ look set to get go-ahead
PLANS to build 60 more lodges as part of a holiday park on a former quarry are set to be approved - despite dozens of objections. The development at Moneystone Quarry at Oakamoor is expected to create 250 jobs, but the proposals are proving...
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Calls to charge visitors to the Roaches and Manifold Valley
PEOPLE could be charged to visit beauty spots like the Roaches and Manifold Valley under plans to safeguard the Peak District National Park. Chief executive Phil Mulligan said it was ‘about time’ the government considers alternative ways of funding...
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Last day today for Halifax
HALIFAX is set to shut its branch in Leek town centre today. It is one of nine outlets being closed acroos the country by the financial institution by the end of the week. The closures are part of the bank’s ongoing drive to rebuild its services and...
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£300k cash boost as leisure centre revamp is beginning to take shape
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. Staffordshire Moorlands District...
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Call for courses to remain in Leek after latest college transfer
COUNCILLORS say it is vital that courses are retained once a town’s college moves to a different provider. Leek College is set to be transferred from the University of Derby to Newcastle and Stafford College Group (NSCG) over the summer, in order to...
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Plan unveiled for 30 homes at Blakemore & Chell site
PLANS have come forward for up to 30 new homes in Leek town centre. Three affordable ground floor apartments are proposed as part of the redevelopment of the former Blakemore and Chell site at New Street. A mix of new build houses and apartments,...
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Farage vows to Reform county council after a landslide win
REFORM UK will ‘resist’ asylum seekers being housed in the counties now under the party’s control, Nigel Farage said as he celebrated significant gains across England. Mr Farage’s party gained more than 600 seats and took control of 10 local...
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Plans unveiled to build nine homes on car park of ex-pub
NINE new homes could be built on a former hotel car park if plans are given the green light by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. An application has come forward to redevelop the former Station Hotel car park at Rudyard. The building, which...
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Plans unveiled for ‘wind farm’ in Moorlands to produce electricity
AN onshore wind farm could be developed in the Staffordshire Moorlands to generate commercial electricity. Previously there was a de facto national ban on new onshore windfarms in England, put in place in 2015, but it was lifted last year after the...
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County women who made their mark are celebrated!
STAFFORDSHIRE women who made their mark in politics, science and education are being honoured in the corridors of County Buildings - and a call has been made for a female potrait subject to feature in the council chamber too. Early 20th century...
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POLICE PROBE AFTER SWASTIKA IS SCRATCHED ON WAR MEMORIAL
POLICE have been called in after a swastika was scratched on a war memorial in a despicable act of vandalism. The offensive graffiti was discovered on the Nicholson Memorial on Fountain Street, Leek. Officers have confirmed the swastika has since been...
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A ‘strong year’ again for Leek Building Society
LEEK Building Society has reported another strong year in its 2024 Annual Report and Accounts across financial and non-financial measures. Assets reached £1.4bn with mortgage balance growth of 11% almost fully funded by savings balance growth of 9%....
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TOP OFSTED MARKS FOR A GOOD SCHOOL
STAFF and pupils are celebrating after their ‘lovely’ school was praised for maintaining its ‘good’ standards. St Mary’s Catholic Academy in Leek ensures any decisions it takes ‘are always in the best interests of pupils and their families,’ education...
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Police probe blaze at historic town mill
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after an early afternoon blaze at a historic North Staffordshire mill. Officers and firefighters were sent to Leek’s Big Mill following reports of a fire at the Grade-ii listed building on the afternoon of March...
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‘Disgusting abuse of city’s residents shames people of the Moorlands’
A MOORLANDS councillor has condemned the ‘disgusting and immoral’ online abuse of Stoke-ontrent residents in the debate over council reorganisation. Politicians and members of the public have been debating the future of local government in...
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Plans to turn old silk mill into 17 ‘high-quality’ flats
PLANS to turn an historic former silk mill into 17 flats have been submitted. Amer Wahid wants to bring the Grade II listed Well Street Mill in Leek back into use as accommodation. Mr Wahid’s application covers both the original four-storey mill...
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Post Office in ‘use us of lose us’ plea to customers
A One-man crimewave high on magic mushrooms went on a rampage around his home town. Gareth Williamson has been jailed after his trashing spree in Biddulph which included damaging a car, a house, shop and pub. The 38-year-old also threatened a man...
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Plans to start ‘charging’ on free car parks are delayed
CONTROVERSIAL plans to start charging on currently free car parks across the Moorlands have been paused for three months for consultations. Staffordshire Moorlands District Council have agreed to a myriad of changes including trialing automatic number...
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Public meeting over bank closure plans
A WOMAN has kick-started a grassroots campaign to save two Leek bank branches from closure. The Facebook group, ‘Campaign to Save Natwest Leek,’ has already amassed 111 members since launching on February 1, 2025. Founder Sue Evans launched the action...
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Victim badly injured after sword attack by his friend
DRUNKEN Philip Beff attacked his neighbour with a sword after the pair spent the day drinking together. The 53-year-old answered the door aggressively when his neighbour knocked on at 1.30am to ask if he wanted a cigarette. Stoke-on-trent Crown Court...
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‘One-man crimewave’ jailed
A ONE-MAN crimewave who stole £160-worth of wine in six days has been banned from going to a Co-op store for three years. Daniel Standell has also been locked up for a year after stealing alcohol from businesses in Leek town centre. Magistrates heard...
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FREE FAMILY PASS
Looking for the perfect day out this January? Whether you love peaceful woodland walks, birdwatching, or discovering new places surrounded by nature, the National Trust has something for everyone. Thanks to this incredible offer, you can enjoy a FREE...
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Is axing beds here partly to blame for crisis in A&E?
A SENIOR NHS figure in North Staffordshire has asked whether a ‘half-baked’ plan to close community hospital beds has contributed to A&E chaos this winter. In the week before Christmas emergency patients at Royal Stoke were left waiting in ambulances...
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Snow joke for third day running in town!
SCHOOLS and key roads were closed, buses were cancelled and bins remained unemptied as heavy snow caused havoc in North Staffordshire. The region was hit by flurries of snow in the early hours of Sunday, Monday and yesterday. But the main problems...
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Recovering Ed on mission to make the town neat and tidy
A RECOVERING addict has found a way to pay back society - by litterpicking around his home town. Edward Rose has found solace in helping to keep Leek looking neat and tidy. And he believes volunteering has helped him not only to transform the...
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£200k boost set to help charity support over 140 families in the Moorlands
LOCAL community group, Homestart Staffordshire Moorlands, is celebrating after being awarded £199,858 in National Lottery funding to support its work for the next three years. The group, based in Leek, will use the money to help meet demand for their...
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Back in business!
NEW businesses have signed up to be part of a town’s revamped indoor markets which are finally back open after a £3.4 million overhaul. The reopening of Leek’s Trestle and Butter Markets had been delayed by around six weeks with council chiefs putting...
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£52 million plans to rebuild four hospitals are ‘left in limbo’
A £52 million scheme to rebuild four community hospitals in North Staffordshire has hit a ‘stalemate’ – due to new NHS funding rules. Initial plans for the integrated care hubs (ICHS) at the Leek Moorlands, Bradwell and Haywood Hospital sites, along...
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Plan to revamp town’s bus station as part of £5m boost for all services across county
MORE than £5 million will be spent on schemes to improve bus travel in Staffordshire next year. The government has awarded Staffordshire County Council £5.26 million of capital funding for implementing its bus service improvement plan (BSIP) in...
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Village left flooded by rain water as Storm Bert batters Moorlands
DRAMATIC footage has captured the moment a North Staffordshire village was left under water. And the scenes early on Sunday morning even show waves lapping up against businesses in Forsbrook. The flooding on Cheadle Road was captured at around 8.15am...
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LET THERE BE LIGHTS!
HUNDREDS of families packed out the town centre last Friday for the traditional Christmas lights switchon. The event in Leek proves extremely popular every year and Friday’s instalment was no different. Along with enjoying the sight of the lights...
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Police called in over damage to school’s fences
POLICE are investigating after a school’s new controversial fences were damaged. Westwood College in Leek has come in for criticism after the installation of the metal fences in its grounds. Leaders had said the ‘temporary fencing’ had been...
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Survey to be carried out after residents raise landslide fears on vital village road
FEARS have been raised that the main entrance road to a Staffordshire Moorlands village is in danger of sliding down a bank side. Such are the major concerns regarding the road, residents of Foxt have held a public meeting which was led by Ipstones...
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Council wards in Moorlands to be reviewed for first time in two decades
STAFFORDSHIRE has made good progress in waste management, having successfully recycled nearly 60,000 tonnes of waste at its Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCS) last year. Now the county council is thanking residents for their efforts in the...
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Concerns for traders after delays hit market relaunch
TRADERS may struggle to make it to Christmas due to delays hitting their markets reopening, a councillor fears. Leek’s Trestle and Butter Markets were due to reopen this month following a £3.7 million refurbishment, but the project’s completion has...
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Illegal vapes, fags, food and drink seized in raid on shop in the town
TRADING Standards officers have seized a large quantity of illegal foods and drinks, vapes and illicit tobacco worth more than £8,000. The Staffordshire County Council officers confiscated the goods from a shop in Leek on Friday, October 4. More than...
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TEENAGER DIED AFTER LATE NIGHT CANOE TRIP ON RUDYARD LAKE WITH PALS:
A WILD camping trip to Rudyard Lake ended in tragedy after a group of teenage friends took a canoe out on the water late at night. Sonny Clark, aged 17, drowned in near freezing conditions after the boat he was in sank. An inquest into his death...
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Parking fears as families fail to win fight on house plan
RESIDENTS have lost their fight to stop a new house in multiple occupation being granted permission down a congested Leek street. Despite seven letters of objection and a petition signed by 35 individuals from nearby streets, councillors at...
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