Kidsgrove Town Deal

Kidsgrove deserves a say in how its money is spent

Kidsgrove has too often been treated as the forgotten town by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council. When the Town Deal money came, people here were told it would change things. Yet more than half a decade on, many residents are still asking the same question on the doorstep and at my coffee mornings and surgeries: what has it actually delivered for us?

That’s a fair question, and I think residents deserve a straight answer.

Where things stand

I sit on the Kidsgrove Town Deal Board, and I go into every meeting with one job: making sure this money works for the people of Kidsgrove.

All of the Town Deal funding has to be spent by March 2028. That means the decisions the board takes over the next few months will shape what Kidsgrove gets out of this for a generation. Some of the projects have been hard going. I have never been convinced by every scheme that was put forward, and I have said so. But something happening for Kidsgrove is better than nothing happening, and I want to see the money that is left go into things local people will actually use.

Kidsgrove station

The station is the project people ask me about most, and on this one residents have been let down.

The borough council didn’t do its homework. The plan for the station was never properly costed or funded, and now the costs have gone up. It’s the people of Kidsgrove who are missing out as a result. They were promised a station they could be proud of, and they’re still waiting for it.

I’ve been clear that Kidsgrove’s other projects shouldn’t be made to pay for that mistake. The borough council drew up this plan, and it needs to take responsibility for putting it right.

What I’m pushing for

• A proper say for residents. Decisions this big shouldn’t be squeezed into hour-long meetings. I’ve asked the board to meet for longer and more often, and to score every proposal openly against clear criteria.
• Projects that deliver. Any scheme that gets funding should be properly costed, with a credible plan to deliver it and a clear benefit for local people.
• Facilities for local families. I’m backing Kidsgrove Lads & Dads’ proposals at Birchenwood for a 3G pitch and padel courts. It’s a grassroots club with a track record, and this is exactly the kind of thing Kidsgrove has been asking for.

Add your name

I want the board to hear directly from the people this money is meant to serve. If you think Kidsgrove residents should have a real say in how the rest of the Town Deal is spent, please sign the petition.

Sign the Kidsgrove Town Deal petition →

I’ll keep this page updated as decisions are made. If you’d like to raise anything about the Town Deal with me, you can get in touch through my contact page or book an appointment at one of my advice surgeries.