Town Council Update: Cheadle in Doom, & Child Safety
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
No Reply on Cheadle in Doom Assets Letter
Councillor Bentley asked if a reply had been received to the important letter sent to SMDC last month. He had proposed at last month's meeting that the clerk write to SMDC to ask for the four main assets of the town as well as the costings of running them. The council had authorized this request.
The Town Clerk's response was that she has not had a reply. You can see below a copy of the actual letter that was sent and note the differences between what was agreed at the meeting and what was asked. This would go a long way to explaining the frustrations and confusion by councillors and residents if this is typical of the general standard of communication between the parties.
Last month's Audio: 1:06.04 Cllr Bentley's proposal
The actual letter which was sent:
START>>
Good morning Andrew,
I have been asked to write to you regarding the outcome of the meeting held with representatives of Cheadle Town Council on Tuesday 10th March 2026.
Since the meeting, Council have received an update on the matters discussed and have instructed me to formally request written confirmation on feedback for the following Assets:-
The South Moorlands Leisure Centre
The Cheadle Market Place
The Tape Street/Well Street Car Parks
Churchill Road Recreation Ground
I understand that Council are looking to confirm discussions on the feasibility and costings for these Assets, in order that they can further deliberate these matters and work towards an informed resolution.
I look forward to hearing from you in due course.
Kind regards,
Mr Dave Mullington
DEPUTY TOWN CLERK
>> LETTER ENDS
Editor's Note: COGNEWS asked District Cllr Charlotte Atkins, Community Asset Transfer (CAT) Policy Development Team Lead, if she had received the letter from Cheadle Town Council. She told COGNEWS, "I have not seen the letter from Cheadle Town Council, but I am sure we can supply you with the asset list."
No Action on Safeguarding our Young People
Cllr Wells spoke again about the safety of young people in shops in Cheadle and suggested that a letter be sent to all shops reminding owners of the dangers of covering up shop fronts, which is a common practice across the country in concealing not only illegal trading but also child abuse.
The Mayor, Kate Mills, and others were against this, and the proposal was rejected. Two shops in Cheadle have been shut down by trading standards and the police in the last twelve months, something that has never happened in Cheadle before.
Last week, the government revealed a £30 million investment in a High Street organised crime unit to tackle this issue nationwide, following the BBC's year-long investigative reporting into illegal mini-marts, vape shops, and barbers.
BBC News uncovered drug gangs, reports of child sexual exploitation, money laundering, immigration crime, and ghost directors associated with shop fronts selling illegal cigarettes and vapes.
The new unit will be operated across the UK by the National Crime Agency, along with additional funding for Trading Standards, which has struggled with the significant increase in workload.
Other News
Cllr Thomas spoke about councillor numbers and proposed that the number of councillor members be reduced from 21 to 15. Further work needs to be spent on this issue.
Cllr Thomas also spoke about the new emblem for Cheadle Town Council and their notepaper, which is still under discussion.
If you wish to receive a copy of the audio file for this meeting you can request it here. We've made the decision to leave it out this month because the tape is one hour and thirty minutes, making it a lengthy and laborious listen.
Town Council Update: Cheadle in Doom, & Child Safety - created 22 May 2026
