Featured News Archives - Times Echo and Life

September 17, 2020

Village hall project complete thanks to water company

A project to make improvements at a village hall has been completed. The Foxt FoSTering Friendship 2020 Project has seen a range of improvements being made to Foxt Village Hall thanks to funding from Severn Trent Water Company.

Local plan for the Moorlands is finally adopted

After more than 17 years in the making – and debating – Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has adopted its Local Plan. The document will inform planning decisions until 2033 and is the first local plan with site allocations for the district since 1998.

Academy temporarily closed and students asked to self isolate

Around 100 students at an academy have been asked to self-isolate for 14 days after one student tested positive for Covid-19. The request to the 100 students was made by staff at the JCB Academy in Rocester.

Recommendation of approval for former pub site plans

A town council has recommended approval for the site of a former pub to be developed into eight dwellings. An application has been submitted to Staffordshire Moorlands District Council (SMDC) for “outline permission with all matters reserved for the redevelopment of former public house and associated car parking to eight residential houses” at the former Miners Rest, 158 Froghall Road in Cheadle.

Chained oak in the running for top award

A legendary tree in the Moorlands has been nominated for a national recognition. The Chained Oak, which is situated in Alton, has been put forward for the Woodland Trust’s Tree of the Year 2020 title.

Last dance for popular sessions

It is set to be the end of an era for popular dance sessions in the Moorlands – unless someone comes forward to take the helm of organising them. The popular fortnightly tea dances at Cheadle Cricket Club were devised and started by Brian Stoddard in May 2014.

Moorlands actress in remake of screen hit

A Moorlands award-winning actress is starring in a remake of the small screen hit All Creatures Great and Small. Actress/screenwriter Rachel Shenton takes the role of farmer's daughter Helen Anderson in the family drama - centred around a Yorkshire veterinary practice in the 1930s - which returns to television screens on Channel 5 next month.

“We’ve loved being in Cheadle and have met so many nice people”

A couple who swapped careers in education for running a Cheadle pub have thanked townsfolk for their generosity and support. Tony and Jan Dickens invested in The Swan at Town End, Cheadle, 16 years ago and are now bidding farewell to the town as they retire.

People urged to find out more about support packages

People and businesses affected by the Covid-19 crisis are again being urged to find out more about a package of support put in place by a county council, local enterprise partnership and partner organisations as the latest benefit claimant count figures have been released.

Father and son delve into grandfather’s wartime past

A Moorlands man has said he is “chuffed” that his late father has been the focus for a commemorative video regarding VJ Day. Levison Wood Snr, who lives in Forsbrook, joined his explorer and author son Levison Wood Jnr, for the filming of the ‘Levison Wood: My Grandfather's War’ which was aired online on the National Army Museum website at the weekend.