Leek news Archives - Times Echo and Life

December 2, 2021

“Cynthia has always put animals first”

A community stalwart has been praised for her amazing fundraising efforts in aid of animals– as she steps down from organising a weekly event in the Moorlands. Cynthia Lubacz, who lives in Leek, has been running car boot sales in Leek, in aid of animal charities, for the past 25 years.

More than 20 objections against factory plans

More than 20 objections from residents have been submitted against a company’s plan to build a new factory on 2.9 hectares of green belt land in Cheddleton. Advanced Proteins, which acquired John Pointon’s & Sons’ animal by-products and proteins business last year, hopes to construct and operate a food processing facility/edible bone processing factory on land adjacent to its existing facility located on Bones Lane, Cheddleton.

Businesses gift appeal set to help struggling families

A group of Leek businesses are once again clubbing together to raise money and gift donations for a local appeal for families struggling financially after another difficult year. Dave Swarbrook and Mark Brammar, from the Creative Hub at the Foxlowe Arts Centre, are coordinating the appeal along with the Fox & Crow Gallery, which is housed in the same building.

“Leek has a fantastic community”

A long-serving town clerk in the Moorlands is set to retire from her role after more than 15 years. Julie Taylor has been Leek Town Council’s Clerk for over 17 years, and has recently announced that she will be retiring from the role in February.

“It was always a council organised event”

Concerns have been raised about the cost of a council organising Remembrance commemorations – even though the council has been organising the events for years. Leek Town Council had a long debate about the costs of them organising the Remembrance Sunday event at their November meeting. This after the council has been organising such events for years with the support of the Leek branch of the Royal British Legion (RBL).

Traders quit after market relocation

A number of market traders have quit an outdoor market in the Moorlands after their stalls were relocated. Iona Robertson, and a number of other traders, have quit their outdoor pitches at Leek’s Wednesday Outdoor Market after their stalls were relocated from Derby Street onto the Market Place.

And action….. for community involved in movie

A big screen movie has been recently released which has a number of Moorlands connections. Caspian Films’ The Colour Room, which can be viewed on Sky Cinema, follows the journey of a determined, working-class woman, Clarice Cliff, as she breaks the glass ceiling and revolutionises the workplace in the 20th century.

A decade of the Foxlowe Arts Centre

A community-run venture in the Moorlands is celebrating its tenth anniversary. It was back in 2011 when a band of volunteers took on the lease for the Foxlowe building which is situated in Church Street at the top of Leek’s Market Place.

Century anniversary for second oldest branch

A Moorlands branch of the Royal British Legion is celebrating its 100th anniversary this week. Members of the Leek RBL invited people to join them at a special service which took place today (Thursday, November 25).

Four dwellings planned for currently derelict site

A developer is calling on the community of Leek to make comment on proposals he has for a site of currently derelict buildings in the town centre. Ryan Davies has recently moved to the Moorlands and has purchased the currently vacant former Silk Shade mill site which is situated in Silk Street – adjacent to Silk Street Car Park in Leek.

“They need to all be there, or none at all”

Concern has been raised about the re-relocation of market stalls in a Moorlands town. A number of years ago, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council (SMDC) decided to move all outdoor market stalls on its Wednesday Market Days from the traditional Market Place on to Derby Street, both at the Market Place end and also the Sparrow Park end of the town centre.

Plans steam in for railway

A full planning application has been submitted to Staffordshire Moorlands District Council (SMDC) for the reinstatement of the Leek to Leek Brook Railway line. In a description of the proposal, which has been submitted by Churnet Valley Railway, the plans are for the: “reinstatement of railway track, new platform and replacement footpath on former railway line between Cornhill, Leek and boundary of existing operational railway land at Leekbrook.”

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