"Pride in Place" is the UK Government's decade-long strategy aimed at revitalising towns and cities throughout Britain. It is intended to empower local residents, instead of central and local authorities, to take charge of enhancing their own communities. This investment is crucial for the town of Cheadle, particularly after Deputy Mayor Ian Plant announced at the last town council meeting that the funds for upgrading the Cheadle Leisure Centre have been cut, although no spec

A full‑sized JCB digger dressed up like a collector’s scale model stole a few hearts on Valentine’s Day – and stopped Londoners in their tracks outside an iconic railway station. The ‘JCB Backhoe in a Box’ drew huge crowds when it was first unveiled at the digger maker’s World HQ in Rocester, Staffordshire. Now the capital is digging the love for this innovative display as it arrives in London - proving romance really does come in all shapes and sizes, even giant, beautifully

This week we're thinking about love, love for your family and friends but also for your community! Below is the cover and contents so do look out for your printed copy in your favourite retail store this week or contact us to collect. If you'd rather read online you can do that here: and here's the pull-out too! Whatever you do today - we hope it's lovely for you! This Week's Pocket COG - Love Is in the Air! - created 14th February 2026

COGNEWS would like to wish everyone in Staffordshire Moorlands a very Happy Valentines Day! St. Valentine's Day originated as a Christian feast day honouring a martyr named Valentine, and through later folk traditions it has also become a significant cultural, religious and commercial celebration of romance, commitment, and love in many regions of the world until it became the celebration we have today. Whilst it's a great day to celebrate your partner it's also great day to

POV: Bernie's Story As a reporter for COGNEWS, I come across many people who, through no fault of their own, spend the Christmas and New Year season on their own. This may be due to the loss of a partner or having gone through the breakup of a relationship. The feeling of isolation can be quite painful, especially after a time spent with friends and relatives. In this modern world, we don’t have the social connections we once had, and certainly in Cheadle isolation can be qui

Just over a year since their re-development, Leek’s Butter and Trestle Markets have achieved national recognition by being voted the Best Small Indoor Market in the Great British Market Awards 2026 organised by NABMA, the National Association of British Market Authorities.   The annual awards, where peers in the industry are invited to vote for their favourite market across 11 categories, celebrate excellence, innovation and commitment across the UK markets sector.   The judg

The Cheadle and District Lions Club is a local charity dedicated to serving our community by either raising funds or providing services. L to R: Local Lion Keith Godwin, District Governor Lion Ian Francis, and Cheadle Lion President Lesley Godwin. What makes them special is that they do their work within a social framework, such that one day they may be selling tickets for a plastic duck race at Tean; the next, they will be having a social meet in a pub. One example is if you

JCB APPRENTICES have created a unique 80 th anniversary project at the company’s World Headquarters that invites the public to tune into its past, present, and future.   The team of 15 young engineering, manufacturing, and business apprentices designed the innovative ‘listening bench’ for the grounds of the company’s Rocester factory – giving employees, visitors, and the local community the chance to sit, relax, and hear JCB’s story.   The bench, designed in the style of Jos

The World Health Organization (WHO) Europe has confirmed that the UK has lost its ‘measles elimination’ status based on data submitted for 2024. The announcement follows a decade of declining vaccination rates in the UK with coverage for 2 measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) doses in 5-year-olds now at just 83 .7%. The child’s cheek shows the characteristic rash associated with measles. In 2024, 2,911 laboratory confirmed cases of measles cases were reported in England, the high

Cheadle Police Station recently played host to the 2nd Cheadle Scouts group. The youngsters were full of brilliant questions about policing and showed that they had a good understanding of how to report an emergency. After a tour of the station and a look at the Police Vehicles, two young people made their Cub's Pledge: “I promise to do my best to do my duty to God and to the King, to help other people, and to keep the Cub Scout Law”. PCSO LOWNDES and PCSO WATERS, were so imp

Construction has started on the Newcastle-under-Lyme transformation of the old disused multi-storey car park. Tim Heatley of Capital & Centric, Manchester-based developers of the site, shared the news in his latest update. He told Instagram followers that work has started demolishing the old ramps, which is a mammoth task necessary to open the space up to create the new homes. This has never been done before in the UK, and if it works, it could become a blueprint for empty ca

This week, we were informed that Moorlands Home Link will permanently close on Friday, February 6th. This decision by the board of trustees is not related to a specific service closure or a temporary issue for the Charity, but is final. You may have seen their year-long fundraising campaign aimed at bridging the gap in finances caused by a withdrawal of some grant funding. Home Link provides a much-needed lifeline to many elderly and disabled people living in South Moorlands

During a Cheadle Town Council meeting this week, District Councillors Ian Plant and Vicky Wheeldon said that following a Growth and Economy meeting to be held in May 2026, steps will be taken to modernise Cheadle's Market Square. Currently, the building is locked, and the electricity is off. Bollards have been installed to prevent parking on the District Council-owned land adjacent to the building. Cheadle Market prior to SMDC purchase The building has now stood empty since S

POV: I recently purchased some wholemeal bread rolls for my weekly hike in the moorlands, only to discover they were a highly processed product. I decided to look for something simple and healthy to make as an alternative and came across a recipe for sourdough bread. It contains only flour, water, and salt, and the flavor is just wonderful. So here's my simple process, which some records show dates back to Egyptian times. The Starter For the starter, add 100 grams of flour wi

You might have driven or walked by the new cabin on Winpenny Lane and assumed that Phase II of the Persimmon housing estate is imminent. However, it is still in the planning phase because the surface water drainage provision might not meet the requirements, as required by the Staffordshire District Council Planning Department. At the Town Council level, the drainage plans have been reviewed by Mark, a local civil engineer, and his opinion is that the drainage should work as l

During our interview with the manager of Savers Hardware on the High Street, we discovered that the individual in question received a suspended sentence, was mandated to complete 100 hours of community service, and was fined £100 for damages at the Savers store. The manager attended the court hearing and was pleased to share this information with COGNEWS. We hope the community service encourages the man to pursue a positive path and that crime in Cheadle will not be tolerated

On Saturday, Cheadle High Street was shut down for several hours to enable Staffordshire Fire and Rescue to manage and resolve an incident on Cross Street. A local man fell into an abandoned well located behind the dry cleaners on Cross Street. The High Street was closed to accommodate the four emergency units required for his rescue. We have learned that the resident was clearing the area behind the shop to install a bike shed when the accident occurred. The well was approxi

Wanted at Cheadle Food Bank. Here is the list of food bank shortages for this week and we thank you for your continuing support.

Outside Arts have announced that applications are now open for Creative Community Commissions of up to £1,000. If you are an artist, community group or organisation based in and delivering creative activities with communities in the Staffordshire Moorlands this could provide a welcome funding boost.    They are hoping to support a range of projects through small scale commissions, up to £1,000 that help increase the range of arts and culture available for communities across t

Last week, a resident of Froghall Road was bitten by a German Shepherd dog while collecting his morning newspaper from A&C Stores. It was still quite dark when the incident happened. A typical German Shepard dog. The resident was very shocked by the incident particularly because the dog was on a lead. He didn’t expect it to jump up and bite him. The owner of the dog was very apologetic. The gentleman’s arm was so badly bitten by the dog that the hospital was not sure if stit