A regular reader of COGNEWS commented to me that the Iran war has cost her more to fill up her car this week. She tried to fill up with regular diesel, but there was none. So she had to fill up with premium, costing £1.89 per litre. Because she is on a budget, she was limited to just £20 for the top-up—a mere 10.5 litres, barely enough to get to work and back for a few days. What can be done about the high energy costs we are experiencing now? Our government has put a cap on

As we move into spring, many of us start planning home improvements—unfortunately, this is also the time rogue traders become more active. These criminals often target homeowners with doorstep scams, claiming urgent repairs are needed to roofs, driveways, or gardens. They pressure residents into quick, cash‑only decisions, carry out poor‑quality work, or disappear entirely after taking large upfront payments.   Be Alert: Common Warning Signs  “Urgent Repairs Needed” - They cl

A lucky Leek resident has won the jackpot in the Staffordshire Moorlands Community Lottery. The winner, who wishes to be identified only as Kevin, won the top prize of £25,000 in a recent draw. Describing it as a “shock at first,” he said he chose to play the Community Lottery because: “The principle of supporting causes that are more locally based to the area I live in is something I like the idea of. In this way, I know financial support is directed to my local community, w

The UK government has just published its white paper on biodiversity, ecosystem loss and national security. Quite a long title, but what does it mean? And how does it affect us living in Cheadle? This is the first time an issue related to climate change has been cited as affecting national security. The big issue directly affecting the UK is related to possible food shortages for supermarkets that rely on a nationwide road distribution service to deliver to our shops, wherea

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has set its budget for providing essential services to residents, businesses and visitors at £14.4 million for the coming year. A council tax increase of £5.17 (2.99%) has been agreed setting Band D payments at £178.21 for 2026/27. Councillors also agreed to revise the council tax reduction scheme to: Allow all applicants who receive Universal Credit but who do not have any earnings to receive the maximum amount of support Disregard

Staffordshire Police are reminding residents across Staffordshire Moorlands to take extra steps to protect their vehicles, particularly keyless models, as they continue to see organised criminals target cars using relay theft methods.   What is Relay Theft? Relay theft involves offenders using electronic devices to amplify the signal from your car key, even if it is inside your home. This allows them to unlock and start the vehicle without ever having the physical key.   How

The Office for National Statistics has today announced the decision to introduce supermarket scanner data into consumer inflation statistics. It represents a change in the measurement of consumer prices. Mike Hardie, director for price transformation, explains: "For a number of years, we have been developing and trialing the use of supermarket checkout and online sales data to replace physical price collection for our headline inflation statistics. As this process has involve

Staffordshire Police are warning people to be extra vigilant this month and not fall victim to social media or local selling scams, after a number of counterfeit notes were found in circulation in Staffordshire. After Christmas, many individuals are trying to sell unwanted gifts or are searching for bargains themselves and s ellers often use social media platforms to advertise items, and at the point of sale, could be handed counterfeit notes by fraudulent buyers as payment.

This article from Innovate Uk shares their extensive work into retrofitting homes. It's a rising tide for our economy, our workforce and our communities. Without a doubt reusing and repurposing what we already have is better for the environment that anything we can create from scratch and housing is no different from any other item in this regard. We believe this information is crucial for reimagining our homes we offer it to inspire and educate anyone involved in this area.

This may be a strange subject to talk about on a local news outlet, but it affects local residents where it hurts most: their pockets. We are lucky enough to have a building society in our town that keeps our savings safe for that summer holiday which we are thinking about in all this cold weather. But if you have money elsewhere, there may be a problem coming soon. The United States is at a record high level of debt, and one of the factors that keeps their currency stable is

An Extra Venue for Cheadle's Newest Charity: Claire's Corner Community Pantry

From 4 December 2025, the existing Action Fraud support will be replaced by a new Report Fraud service.   If you previously received alert messaging from Action Fraud this will change to advice on cyber crime and fraud from Report Fraud.   You should report cyber crime and fraud here from now on - reportfraud.police.uk . New Report Fraud Service Goes Live - created 8.12.25

It's been reported to COGNEWS that a local resident has won a life-changing sum of money on the National Lottery last week. The unnamed resident purchased their ticket in a Cheadle High Street store and was reported by the local store owner to be elated—dancing happily around the shop. Who wouldn't? We wish them every blessing with their newfound wealth, which no doubt will be a huge seasonal blessing for their family and friends too. A Cheadle Resident Wins Big - created 8.1

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves MP, presented her  Autumn Budget  to Parliament on 26 November 2025. There were no rises in income tax, national insurance or VAT, a new High Value Council Tax Surcharge on properties worth £2 million or more from April 2028 and Mayors to gain a new tourist levy power on overnight stays.  Minimum wage for 18 to 20-year-olds rises to £10.85, and National Living Wage increases to £12.71. 0.5% reduction in departmental budgets in 20

5th of December Until 7pm Cheadle High Street FAQ's Download your poster A group of Cheadle shop owners are banding together to offer local residents the opportunity to visit their stores for a late-night shopping event this Friday, 5th of December. This is the perfect opportunity not only to get great Christmas gifts and more, but to share some love with our town centre businesses who, despite ongoing difficult times, turn up day after day to provide us with the very best a

People in Staffordshire can grab a household bargain or Christmas gift and support a community group or charity at the same time at a series of pop-up sales events run by the county council. At all of Staffordshire’s household waste recycling centres, good quality reusable items are donated to county charities, care leavers who are setting up a new home or sold at one of the regular Rescue Me pop-up sales. People can pick up a wide variety of bargains of items including kitch

31,000 people completed the recent Staffordshire Smart Alert mobile phone theft survey, they'll be using this information to improve their mobile phone resources. If you need advice on what you can do to protect your data and phone, or what to do in the event that your phone is stolen do Check out their  mobile phone theft pages .  Who is most at risk?  Data shows that younger people, especially those aged 15 to 39, are more likely to be victims of phone theft and that women

Finding What You Need

Financial Health: Paying Yourself First

Dougie Mac Announces November Carers Support Day Event