Blog Archives
Vote for The Reginald Mitchell Peace Garden Project at Tesco
Please use your blue token and vote for the Reginald Mitchell Peace Garden.
Tesco teamed up with Groundwork to launch the monthly funding scheme, which sees grants of £5,000, £2,000 and £1,000 – all raised from the 5p bag levy – being awarded to local outdoor community projects.
Three groups in every Tesco region have been shortlisted to receive the cash award and this month shoppers are being invited to head along to Tesco stores to vote for who they think should take away the top grant.
Councillor Kyle Robinson said: “I am delighted that the Reginald Mitchell Peace Garden is eligible for this cash boost. We are asking people to use their blue tokens in Tesco to vote for this worthwhile project. If we receive the most votes we will receive the maximum grant of £5k. This will help us pay for more materials, bedding plants, benches, memorial plaques and seasonal maintenance of the site on Cedar Avenue/Congleton Road, Butt Lane. We want people to remember that Reginald Mitchell was born in Butt Lane and his Spitfire helped our country win the Battle of Britain. I hope the public will get behind this fantastic project and use their vote for the Reginald Mitchell Peace Garden.”
Before and after photo to show the work completed so far.
Tesco’s Bags of Help project has already delivered over £25 million to more than 3,000 projects up and down the UK. Tesco customers get the chance to vote for three different groups each month. At the end of each month, when votes are collected, three groups in each of Tesco’s regions will be awarded funding.
Lindsey Crompton, Head of Community at Tesco, said:
“We are absolutely delighted to open the voting for February. There are some fantastic projects on the shortlists and we can’t wait to see them come to life in hundreds of communities.”
You can vote for this worthwhile project at the following stores:
2343 CONGLETON
2626 HARTSHILL EXPRESS
2772 KIDSGROVE
2850 LONGTON EXTRA
2899 MEIR HAY EXPRESS
2900 MEIR
3239 STOKE
3327 UTTOXETER
3328 NEW RD UTTOXETER EXP
4372 BLYTHE BRIDG UXTR EXP
5550 AUDLEY STOKE TRNT EXP
5782 FEGG HAYES EXP
5851 HANLEY EXTRA
6603 NEWCASTLE UNDER LYME REGIS
6848 CONGLETON WEST RD EXP
Local Councillors Secure £45K Footpath Upgrade
Butt Lane Councillors inspect footpath 216 before upgrade works begin.
Local Labour councillors hail success after securing £45,000 to upgrade public footpath 216 in Butt Lane. The footpath is accessed from West Avenue and runs behind the houses of Church Street, finally exiting onto Congleton Road adjacent to St. Saviours Primary School. The improvement works will be funded by a Public Right of Way contribution from Taylor Wimpey. Taylor Wimpey’s contribution was secured through a section 106 agreement with Newcastle Borough Council.
It is understood that the works will be completed by contractors appointed by Staffordshire County Council and not housing developer, Taylor Wimpey. The contractor will begin work on the surfacing of the footpath on Monday 16th January. The path will be temporarily closed for the duration of the works. Residents are politely asked to use other routes until the works are completed.
Councillor Kyle Robinson said: “I welcome the news that this footpath will finally be brought up to a decent standard. Back in 2013, Sylvia and I raised the alarm about the state the public footpath had been left in following the development of Bluebell Croft. The footpath in question has been used for many years by local residents as a safer route to school and for recreational purposes. I am pleased we have been listened to on this matter and finally this 106 agreement will deliver for local people. It’s about time our local area gets the investment it deserves and we will fight for more.”
Councillor Sylvia Dymond added: “Many residents have been calling for an improvement to the footpath, including those that have moved onto the new estate. Local people have endured two years of problems with fencing, building work and a muddy overgrown footpath so this news is well received. At last we have a safer route for everyone to reach the local school, shops and to just enjoy a walk.”
Footpath 216 begins on West Avenue and leads all the way up to Congleton Road.
Sneak Peek of future Kidsgrove Railway Station Improvements
The Department of Transport has confirmed that long-awaited plans for improvements to Kidsgrove Railway Station are set to go ahead on schedule. Local residents have been campaigning for years to secure improvements, including a new pedestrian bridge and lift, in order to improve transport networks in the town. Construction could now begin as early as April next year. This decision also means that third party funding for a new car park and transport interchange will likely remain secure.
Ruth Smeeth MP, who has been working with the campaign and who recently met with the Transport Minister to lobby him on the issue, has welcomed the news.
Ruth said : “It’s absolutely brilliant news that these works finally have the all clear. Kidsgrove station is a vital transport hub for the community and these improvements will be a big boost. I had a productive meeting with the Transport Minister where we discussed the potential benefits of these renovations. I’m delighted that he has recognised the value that this investment will bring. This is the culmination of many years of hard work from so many local residents, Councillors and community organisations who have been advocating for these works for a long, long time.”
Councillor Kyle Robinson said: “When we launched our ‘bridge to equality’ petition in September 2013, we had everything crossed and hoped that the Government would listen. After a lot of lobbying from our MP and members of the community, we are finally moving forward. Almost £4 Million will be invested into this scheme and Kidsgrove will have a modern transport hub fit for the 21st Century.”
Kyle added: “While this is all very positive news I was disappointed to learn that the Department of Transport announced Kidsgrove will lose its direct service to London. This will mean that passengers travelling to London from Kidsgrove will need to change over at Stoke or Stafford stations. However, Kidsgrove will gain a new direct service to Birmingham New Street which opens our area up to jobs in that region. It is important that all our local representatives continue to lobby the Department for Transport for the best possible deal for the people of Kidsgrove.”
Thank you to East Midlands Trains and Network Rail for allowing us to share this video with the public.
