275 homes proposed for Newcastle Town Centre, Gully Cleaning in Staffordshire, Dignity Action Day, Armed Forces community Council Tax,
Written by Hitmix Local News on 6 February 2024
Around 275 homes are being proposed for three brownfield sites in Newcastle town centre. Three interlinked developments at the Ryecroft, York Place and the Midway will have also shops, offices and a hotel, as well as new public spaces and a possible music venue. Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council’s Cabinet, which is overseeing the town centre regeneration, is now seeking permission to press ahead with the £2.65 million to fund the next steps.
Work has already begun preparing the Ryecroft site for the first step, which will be the 450 space, multi-storey Castle Car Park. Once that is open the Midway car park will be closed and preparatory work will begin there. The Midway will also retain its existing concrete frame and floors as the starting point for the redevelopment into 106 one, two and three-bed apartments.
The Council successfully bid for Future High Street Fund and Town Deal Fund to drive the redevelopment and has chosen an approach which commits only to short-term expenditure rather than long-term borrowing to reduce risk for taxpayers.
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Staffordshire County Council cleaned and emptied a total of 67,745 gullies last year, as part of a catalogue of efforts to prevent flooding across the county.
Gully cleaning is one of the many proactive tasks undertaken by Staffordshire Highways to ensure healthy drainage across the county.
The county council has invested over £2.5 million into flood prevention measures from April 2023 to March 2024, additionally, last year the council announced it will be investing an extra £50m over three years for repairs and essential maintenance, over and above any government grant.
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People from Staffordshire are being invited to celebrate national Dignity Action Day by nominating a carer, work colleague, friend or family member for a special award.
Now in their tenth year, the Staffordshire Dignity in Care Awards, in partnership with Staffordshire University, will once again recognise the best of the county’s care sector. During the last ten years of the awards, over one thousand nominations have been made, with over 100 people being crowned as dignity champions.
Anyone working in adult care, paid or unpaid, along with care providers, can be nominated in one of the nine different award categories. Nominating someone for an award is quick and easy and can be done online … the deadline for nominations is 28 April 2024.
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A scheme which provides a discount on council tax for war widows and widowers living in Newcastle is set to continue. The Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council scheme provides a £10 discount per week on council tax and housing benefits for eligible residents. The discount is part of a wider support package for members of the armed forces community and is set to be agreed at Cabinet tomorrow.
Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council first signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2012, re-signing it in February 2023. The Covenant is a promise by the nation to ensure that those who serve in the Forces, and their families, are treated fairly.
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