Kidsgrove Train Station
Kidsgrove Train Station

When I was elected as your Member of Parliament just over six months ago, one of my top priorities was to ensure Kidsgrove gets the investment and transformation it has long deserved. I promised to be an open and honest MP, and it’s in that spirit that I write this today. Because, quite frankly, you deserve to know what’s happening on your doorstep and how your money is being spent. 

The Kidsgrove Town Deal represents an opportunity to rejuvenate our town with improvements like the Train Station upgrade, the Shared Services Hub, and the development of Chatterley Valley West. We were promised 1700 jobs, new infrastructure, and new economic opportunities for Kidsgrove. Instead, what we’ve seen is missed deadlines, delays, and confusion. 

I won’t bore you with the whys and hows of Town Deals. And I can’t really do the situation justice in this article alone. Fundamentally, though, it boils down to one thing: the promises made to the people of Kidsgrove are still largely unfulfilled. And the residents’ questions are simple and reasonable: Why has progress stalled? Why have these delays happened despite all the planning, investment, and support? The reality is that delays like this can have real consequences: money being sent back to Westminster and opportunities for local people being lost. I am determined to do all I can to stop that from happening. 

Of course, as I wasn’t the MP when these plans were laid, I didn’t have the opportunity to shape and review them back then. However, in my short time as your MP, I’ve worked with ministers, the Town Deal board, and the council to get to the bottom of these issues. I have been pushing for clarity, accountability, and action. But what’s clear is that the situation should have been managed much better. The failure to anticipate challenges, like the ground investigations holding back progress at Kidsgrove Station, as well as the lack of transparency throughout this process, have left the people of Kidsgrove in the dark.  

 Now that we have secured an extension, we have an opportunity to right these wrongs. But that opportunity is not a free pass. The plans must be real and deliverable. I have been clear with the council—Kidsgrove cannot afford any more delays or plans that go nowhere. We need a detailed, realistic timeline with concrete milestones and regular updates so that local people are not left guessing about what’s happening. 

At the heart of this issue is transparency. The public deserves to know how these projects are being managed and what steps are being taken to get them back on track. We need regular updates on timelines, budgets, and most importantly, delivery. If costs have risen, I expect full transparency on why that has happened and what’s being done to keep those costs under control. If completion is pushed back, I expect answers as to why and what is being put in place to get the projects moving again. 

 The Town Deal should represent hope for Kidsgrove’s future. It should be about better transport, more jobs, and a stronger, more resilient economy for our town. It’s about connecting people and creating something that future generations will benefit from. 

 The road has been rocky, but I promise you this: I will continue to fight for the transformation that Kidsgrove, and all our proud towns, deserve. Together, we’ll ensure this investment delivers for local people.  

If you aren’t already, please follow me on Facebook (www.fb.com/david4labour) to keep up to date with my work on this and everything else I do across the constituency. As always, if you have any local issues that my team and I can help you with, please email david.williams.mp@parliament.uk or call 01782 950484. We’re here to help! 

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