Experience Kidsgrove

Victoria Hall

Kidsgrove Town Council and partners are based in Victoria Hall which hosts a variety of community meetings and events throughout the year, as well as providing an administrative base. The Town Council is delivering a number of locally prioritised projects.

Kidsgrove sports centre

The centre reopened in 2022 following a £7.5 million refurbishment and is run by Kidsgrove Sports Centre Community Group (CIO), with the aim of providing the local community with the opportunity to participate in activities linked to health and wellbeing. It boasts a 25 metre swimming pool, sports hall, gym and fitness suite and spinning/dance studio.

Kidsgrove railway station

The railway station is operated by East Midlands Rail and is set to receive significant investment from the Town Deal Fund. Manchester can be reached in under 45 minutes with a regular 7 day per week service and the station is enhanced by floral and sustainable planting displays provided by local volunteers. Easy access into the town centre and to the nearby Trent and Mersey Canal is available from the station.

Harecastle Tunnel and the Trent and Mersey Canal

The canal towpath network provides opportunities for walking, cycling and experiencing the rich industrial heritage of the area,including the Harecastle Tunnel, which at 1.6 miles in length, was once one of the longest in the country.

Parking

We have a number of car parks in Kidsgrove town centre which are free to use and play an important role for visitors and businesses. Our car parking strategy provides car parking which meets the current and future needs of the town centre for visitors, businesses and residents who will live in the town centre. This will help to minimise town centre congestion and improve air quality. Electric vehicle (EV) charging points are available for public use on one of our car parks.

Action: to continue to deliver the short, medium and long-term parking policy for Kidsgrove town centre.

• continue to deliver free parking which addresses the needs of businesses, shoppers and commuters

• maintain and improve the car park stock

• provide additional parking at Kidsgrove railway station

Strong links with the local businesses

In 2016 Kidsgrove town centre businesses formed GO Kidsgrove, a CIC that supports all businesses and organisations in Kidsgrove by promoting the town. As partners, we aim to help Go Kidsgrove to deliver its mission statement:

"To develop and sustain trade and prosperity within Kidsgrove, Butt Lane and surrounding areas through the promotion of services, activities and co-operation between disparate groups for the benefit of all."

The objects of the company are:

"To carry on activities which benefit the community and in particular (without limitation) to provide benefit to the Greater Kidsgrove Area including the residents, workers, visitors and all users of the area, as well as shops, offices, food and drink establishments, market traders, leisure outlets and all other businesses and service providers."

Current activities include:

• organise community events to increase footfall in the town centre

• engage with local businesses to determine actions to support the local economy

• promote the town centre and surrounding attractions

• keep website updated and publish bi-monthly section in Kidsgrove News freesheet

Adding to the town centre experience

Programmes of work are in progress to deliver on the aspiration to make the town more able to meet future needs and trends.

Healthy High Street - acting to generate footfall, build confidence in the surroundings and support local traders.

We will support businesses in developing online trading and improving social media capability, to put local businesses in a strong position to address changing trading environments.

Diversification - reflecting the need to bring forward residential and non-retail employment uses into currently under-utilised or redundant assets, bringing more people into the town centre to live and work.

The visitor experience has been further improved with floral and sustainable planting displays and scheduled town centre cleansing, including the innovative Kidsgrove Community Ranger working across ownership boundaries to tackle environmental blight.

Events add to the experience

Kidsgrove offers a varied programme of events and attractions which focuses on engaging residents and town centre businesses for support and to generate visitors.

Regular events include:

• Clough Hall Park Bonfire

• Clough Hall Park Junior Parkrun (every Sunday)

• Easter Little Lost Lamb Trail

• Lantern Parade - Shine on Kidsgrove

• Santa's Naughty Reindeer Trail

• Heritage Trail

• Crafternoons at Kidsgrove Library

• Tunnel Vision art exhibition

• Down the Rabbit Hole

• Beer Festival at Victoria Hall

• Trial Street Food market event

• Trial Live Music event

Improving the look, feel and safety of the town centre

Working with town centre businesses, and to ensure that the town centre feels and remains safe, Kidsgrove Town Council commissioned a comprehensive, live-monitored CCTV system covering most of the town centre and other key locations in the town.

Britain in Bloom

The Britain in Bloom campaign is a borough-wide partnership which includes residents, businesses, schools, community groups and a wide range of volunteers. Not just a floral competition, it makes a major contribution to promoting the local economy and increasing civic pride.

We have won a gold award in the small city category of the regional competition for the last 21 consecutive years and in 2023 won the overall top prize in the RHS Britain in Bloom national finals.

The campaign has the potential to drive improvements to the town centre with community involvement and business sponsorship, business frontage improvements with hanging baskets and sustainable planting displays to complement traditional florals in town centre public spaces.

Bathpool Park

Bathpool Park has received the prestigious Green Flag Award status. The international scheme, managed by leading Environmental Charity Keep Britain Tidy, celebrates spaces that boast the highest possible environmental standards, are beautifully maintained and have excellent visitor facilities.

Clough Hall Park Pavilion has recently been refurbished via Advance Town Deal Fund and the park is due to benefit from UKSPF funding to deliver elements of the agreed improvement masterplan.

The Pump Track at Newchapel Recreation Ground is an international standard facility which attracts riders from all over the UK as well as providing opportunities for beginners to try out the activity.

Kidsgrove Town Council

Kidsgrove Town Council works with key partners at the borough council, Staffordshire County Council, Aspire and Go Kidsgrove for the betterment of the town centre.

Go Kidsgrove

Go Kidsgrove are a community interest company comprised of stakeholders such as business owners and residents who engage at regular meetings to provide feedback, identify and co-ordinate resources and deliver a 'town centre for all'.