Please see below advice from Staffordshire Police regarding swimming outdoors. Please also note there are ‘No Swimming‘ signs at the entrance and on the island at Leddys Field pond for good reason, and also you should not swim at Bateswood or Cloggers Pool due to unseen dangers.
Please click this link to access the webpage for the advice https://www.neighbourhoodalert.co.uk/Alerts/A/446750

Message Sent By Hannah Chaplin
(Staffordshire Police PCSO, Newcastle under Lyme)

Dangerous waters

As temperatures rise, swimming outdoors can seem like the perfect way to cool down. But swimming in open water — like rivers, lakes, reservoirs are extremely dangerous.

The Child Death Review Team has reported that teenagers are proportionately more likely to lose their lives to drowning
when temperatures exceed 25C, so it’s vital that everyone knows the risks associated with open water swimming.

If you work with children and families, or if you care for any children, make sure you’re sharing guidance on how to stay safe with them.

Know the Risk Factors:

– Cold Water Shock
Even on a hot day, open water can be cold enough to cause a sudden, involuntary gasp for air, muscle cramps, and panic. This reaction, known as cold water shock, can quickly overwhelm even confident swimmers.

– Strong Currents
Fast-moving water, tides, or undercurrents can easily sweep swimmers away — often faster than they can react or escape. These forces are unpredictable and can be fatal.

– Hidden Hazards
Open water often hides submerged rocks, rubbish, sudden drops, tangled weeds, and other unseen dangers. These can cause injury, entrapment, or panic.

Advice for Parents and Young People:
Avoid swimming in open water unless it’s a designated, lifeguarded area.

Talk openly to young people about the dangers and encourage them to think before entering the water.

Encourage safe alternatives like swimming pools or organized water activities with supervision.

Staying safe doesn’t mean missing out on fun — it means making informed, smart choices when it comes to water.

Please click here to view the post at https://www.neighbourhoodalert.co.uk/Alerts/A/445980

You can find the nominations for the Audley Borough Council ward here Audley BC Nominations (PDF)

• Anyone who is not registered to vote can register online (deadline now passed for these elections which was 20th April)
• Photo ID is needed at the polling station. Find out more here.

Links to detail of all candidates standing in the borough council election can be found here.

Please see below Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Stations – Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council Election

You can find the nominations for the Audley Borough Council ward here Audley BC Nominations (PDF)

You can find the nominations for the Audley Ward of Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council here Audley BC Nominations (PDF)

Links to detail of all candidates standing in the Newcastle Borough Council election can be found here.

Voting in the 7th May 2026 Elections

• The deadline to register to vote is 11.59pm Monday, April 20
• The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm Tuesday, April 21
• If you wish to nominate someone else to vote for you at the polling station, then that proxy vote must be applied for by 5pm Tuesday, April 28
• Anyone who is not registered to vote can register online.
• Photo ID is needed at the polling station. Find out more here.

Please click here to find out how to register to vote in the next Local Elections (Parish and Borough) Thurs 7th May 2026

This year, all Borough and Town/Parish elections are taking place, meaning that every current
councillor will retire and must reapply if they wish to stand again. There are 44 Borough seats and 122 Parish seats to be filled across the Borough. In 2022, there were 103 nominations for the Borough seats and 120 for the Parish seats. Of the 22 parish wards, only 5 were contested in 2022.

Audley Parish Council – Parish Wards (see below link to map of wards)
– Audley (Audley): 4 seats
– Audley (Bignall End): 6 seats
– Audley (Halmerend): 5 seats

Following the nominations deadline of 9th April 2026, the outcome was that the 3 Parish wards were uncontested – which means there were only enough candidates to fill the above seats and as a result did not require a contested vote on 7th May 2026.   All candidates have been elected accordingly following due process. The results are below:

Audley Parish Council -_Halmer End ward_- uncontested election results (PDF)
Audley Parish Council – Bignall_End ward – uncontested election (PDF)
Audley Parish Council –  Audley ward – uncontested election (PDF)

There is one vacancy for Halmer End which will be co-opted in May.  Applications will be invited in due course.

Details of all the town and parish council elections can be found here.

Please click here to view a map of the Parish Wards – Audley, Halmer End and Bignall End

Please see the agenda for the next meeting here 

Please click here to view the poster as PDF

**CAR PARK NOW OPEN (CHURCH STREET NEXT TO HERON FOODS AND TESCO) TUES 27TH JAN **

Following the earlier message, we have been able to complete the investigation works and drainage survey, and have now reopened the car park.

We have also carried out an interim tidy up. Please note that where the trial pits have been dug there is soft ground that will take a while to settle – so a contractor will return at a later date to top up the ground and level again. The main trial pit at the centre of the site (near the lower end) has barriers around it due to a mound left as there was still some water present when it was backfilled. Please avoid this area and please do not move the barriers.

Thank you to Rob Elliot Ltd, S Hough and S Till.

Apologies for the inconvenience caused while the work was underway and thank you again for your understanding.

Actions for A500/Alsager Road junction

The Parish Council is in regular direct contact with officers at National Highways, who are responsible for the A500 and the slip road, to campaign for action following the previous and ongoing accidents.

We are aware that there have been two further accidents reported since the temporary signs were installed, plus regular near misses due to drivers seeking to avoid congestion. This information is passed onto National Highways, please continue to report any near misses.

We have received the following update from National Highways, and want to keep you informed given the ongoing concerns:

Upgraded signing on slip road
The works are committed, and National Highways are aiming to complete the upgrade by 31 March 2026.

Collision Data
National Highways will continue to analyse the collision data to establish the primary causation factors as and when Staffordshire Police release their reports to Staffordshire County Council.

M6 J16
The anecdotal evidence of increased usage of the slip roads at the A500/Alsager Road junction (westbound) is to queue jump congestion on the A500. Traffic signal engineers have reviewed the timings of the signals at M6 J16 and have concluded the signals are working as intended (no faults identified). The problem is down to traffic growth and an ageing asset. The M6 J16 junction layout simply cannot accommodate 2026 and beyond vehicle capacity as it exceeds the current design geometry. Unfortunately, the junction is not a priority for future road investment in the short term.

Alsager Road
The local road is managed by Staffordshire County Council (SCC) who have agreed to review road safety. SCC will forward their conclusions including any actions they are able to deliver in due course.

In vehicle SAT NAV Technology
Examples of google desktop sat nav tool prioritising the slip road rather than staying on the A500 have been raised at partnership meetings with the leading suppliers of sat nav technology. The response is they will investigate but have made it clear motorists have a duty to drive within the law and follow guidance contained within the Highway Code. In car technology is provided to improve the driver experience but the driver is ultimately responsible for ensuring they continue to drive with due care and attention.

The Police have also advised they will carry out sat nav tests using their vehicles. Report will be provided in due course.

Continued monitoring
National Highways Inspectors will continue to check the junction as part of their weekly route safety checks. Any safety critical issues identified such as fading road markings or vegetation compromising visibility will be defected and fixed in line with the contractual timelines.

Camera survey
A survey has been completed. Results are awaited of any findings of interest.

Temporary signing
Temporary signing to remain in place until the works to upgrade the permanent signing has been completed.

Contact details for National Highways:

https:/www.nationalhighways.co.uk
Customer Service No.: 0300 123 5000 or email info@nationalhighways.co.uk

Please click here to view Notices and agendas

Audley Rural Parish Council’s Views on the Strategic Employment site (AB2) in the Local Plan
(NBC Local Plan Main Modifications Consultation Ends 17 December)

What is AB2?

AB2 is a proposed Strategic Employment site in the Newcastle-under-Lyme Local Plan. It covers almost 80 hectares of agricultural land and open countryside currently within the Parish and Borough’s Green Belt, located near Junction 16 of the M6 and bordering the A500, Park Lane, Moat Lane, and Barthomley Road.  For context, the total site area is comparable in size to the combined villages of Audley and Bignall End.

In addition to the Local Plan, a planning application has been submitted by the developer for the AB2 site which includes:

• Six “Big Box” logistics warehouses
• A 200-space HGV lorry park
• A new left-turn access for A500 westbound traffic
• A traffic-light controlled right turn for vehicles approaching from the Junction 16 of the M6
• Creation of 2,500 to 3,570 jobs
• Green Infrastructure

As a Strategic Employment site, AB2 will provide jobs for Newcastle-under-Lyme, but also the wider areas including Cheshire East and Stoke-on-Trent. Cheshire East Council has formally objected to the allocation in the Local Plan stating: “Site AB2 is adjacent to the borough boundary and is slightly closer to the centre of Crewe than it is to the centre of Newcastle-under-Lyme (and much closer to the centre of Alsager). There are concerns over the impacts that the plan may have on Cheshire East, for example in terms of housing demand, infrastructure requirements and travel patterns”.

Parish Council considerations

Since 2021, the Parish Council has objected to the AB2 site allocation.  At the Local Plan Examination hearings in May and June 2025, the Parish Council presented detailed representations using legal expertise.  Key considerations included:

• Green Belt designation: National planning policy requires “exceptional circumstances” to alter Green Belt boundaries, and the Parish Council sought clarity on how these tests have been met.
• Environmental role of the land: The site provides a buffer between nearby settlements and major roads.
• Local impacts: Potential issues include noise, light pollution, air quality, increased traffic through local roads, and additional pressure on infrastructure and services.

Traffic and A500 slip-road safety

The concerns raised by the local residents regarding transport and road-safety conditions around the A500 slip road, which serves the area, have been raised within the representations.  Increases in traffic collisions at the Audley/Alsager Road slip-road exits, linked to congestion on the A500, reinforce the validity of these concerns.  The Parish Council has requested that these existing conditions be carefully considered by the Planning Inspector when assessing the site’s suitability.  The Parish Council has also asked for clarification on how additional vehicle movements—including HGV traffic associated with the proposed development—would be managed, and what measures may be required to ensure safe access to and from the site.

Next steps

Further representations will be made in response to this last consultation which ends 17^th December 2025.

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council’s Local Plan – Main Modifications Consultation Ends 17 December 2025

Residents and interested parties are encouraged to review the Local Plan Main Modifications documents, available at the link below:

https://www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/localplan

Click here to view the Local Plan Modifications on the Borough Council website

Representations on the modifications must be submitted before the consultation closes on 17 December 2025. All comments will be considered by the Planning Inspector as part of the next stage of the Local Plan examination. This consultation is the final opportunity to comment on the proposed changes before the Inspector issues a final report.

Key proposed changes affecting Audley Rural Parish include:

• Removal of site AB33 (Land off Nantwich Road/Park Lane – 55 homes).
• Removal of site AB12 (Land east of Diglake Street – 125 homes).
• Retention of site AB15 (Land north of Vernon Avenue – 33 homes), with minor amendments to policy wording.
• Policy changes for Strategic Employment Site AB2, covering approximately 80 hectares near M6 Junction 16 by Park Lane, Moat Lane and Barthomley Road.

Full details are available online or at Audley Library. Following the Inspector’s final report, the Local Plan will return to Full Council in 2026 for consideration and potential adoption.

Message from Audley Library regarding car park closure (from 4pm Tues 11th Nov to midday approx Weds 12th Nov 2025)

WJ Road markings will be marking out the bays on the car park on Wednesday, 12th November. The work will take place early morning, subject to weather, and should be reopened to the public by the latest mid day.

To prepare for this they will be closing the Library car park at 4.00pm on Tuesday 11th November.

Please contact Audley Library for any queries.