Kidsgrove Town Deal projects

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) allocated some extra funding to every town selected to work towards a Town Deal. The amount depended on their population size - Kidsgrove received £750,000.

The early investment was intended to kick-start activity in towns and high streets across the country. This ensured that local people could see and feel the benefit as soon as possible.

Funded projects had to be paid for by 31 March 2021. The Town Deal Board considered and approved the proposed projects on 30 July 2020. Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council submitted details of the proposals to MHCLG on 11 August 2020.

A team of officers and Cabinet members delivered the projects, with the Town Deal Board providing oversight of progress. Capital investment in health and well-being interventions was prioritised to address local issues. The grant funding was used to deliver projects in two distinct packages:

• Kidsgrove Sports Village

• Leisure facilities in Kidsgrove’s public parks

Package 1: Kidsgrove Sports Village

The Kidsgrove Sports Village concept aims to provide high quality leisure facilities and health and wellbeing services across Kidsgrove.

The Town Fund advance payment funded the strip out and early works at the leisure centre. This has helped to speed up the redevelopment of a derelict but important public asset.

Funding was also used to improve the King’s School sports pitches. The Astroturf pitch has been condemned, and the school’s grass pitches suffer from poor drainage.

The Town Fund advance payment addressed the funding gap. This guaranteed the delivery of leisure facilities for both the school and the community of Kidsgrove.

Package 2: Leisure facilities in Kidsgrove’s public parks

The health and well-being theme of the Kidsgrove Town Deal includes improvements to leisure and community facilities in public parks. Kidsgrove’s elected members, with support from the local community, identified two areas on which to concentrate.

The first of these was the creation of new recreational facilities in Newchapel Recreation Ground. The pump track was officially opened on 18 June 2021.

The second area was Clough Hall Park. Several projects, such as revamping the main pavilion and improving pathway drainage, have helped improve the look and feel of the park.