Consultation on Cheadle regeneration gets underway

Published on 10 August 2021

Community consultation on the regeneration of Cheadle starts this week.

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council is committed to restoring vibrancy to the town's high street and providing new homes and community health, leisure and wellbeing facilities that meet the needs of current and future residents and visitors.

And, as promised by the Council, everyone will have the chance to help shape Cheadle's future development in a two-stage consultation process starting with the launch of a survey asking local people to comment on five emerging priorities for the town centre.

The survey is included in a newsletter which is being delivered to all households this week and is also available on the Council's website at www.staffsmoorlands.gov.uk/Cheadle-Town-Centre

Councillor Sybil Ralphs, Leader of the Council, said: "From the outset we've been clear that the views of the public will be key to shaping the future development of their town so I'm very pleased that we've now reached the stage where these discussions can get underway.

"We know there is a huge amount of interest in this once in a generation chance to change Cheadle. We want to harness that energy and commitment to help define an ambitious, realistic and deliverable vision that reflects local views and forms the agreed strong foundations for the rejuvenation and regeneration everyone wants to see happen."

The Council has listened carefully to recent consultations, considered the impact of Covid-19 and taken external advice on leisure and parking provision to draw up five emerging priorities which it believes should underpin regeneration.

The public is now being asked for their views and thoughts on these priorities which are:

·       We must welcome more people to live in Cheadle

·       We must make it easy to shop, spend time and money in Cheadle

·       Providing flexible parking options is a priority

·       Cheadle needs to retain a similar leisure offer with improved quality of facilities

·       Integrated services will benefit community health and wellbeing

Chairman of the Stakeholder Panel appointed to oversee the development and delivery of town centre projects, Councillor Ian Plant, said: "Before we look in detail at any options for investment and growth at the regeneration sites in the Autumn, we want to hear your thoughts on the five emerging priorities.

"Whatever options we choose, it's important that they are based on the wishes of the town and that we have an agreed vision of what we want to achieve through regeneration on which to base those choices.

"I would now urge everyone to read more about the priorities in the newsletter we're distributing to all households and then complete the survey which you can do online, by email or by dropping it off at the library in Cheadle or the Council offices in Leek."

The deadline for returning the survey is Friday 3 September and the results will be shared in the next community newsletter due to be published later this summer.

The second stage of the consultation will take place in the autumn when people will be invited to share their views on the options for regeneration of specific sites