Madeley Parish Council

27/09/2026

Following the EGM held in August 2026 due to public outcry regarding the painting of the sculptures at Madeley Pool, Madeley Parish Council were tasked with five actions;

1) Report the councillors who undertook the works to the monitoring officer at Borough Council for breach of the council's code of conduct.

2) Write to the councillors who undertook the works in relation to the public request for an apology and financial contribution.

3) Contact the original sculptor, Dalton Wood requesting he inspects the works and provides a quote for restorative works.

4) Add the item to the September parish council meeting agenda.

5) Write to the Borough Council requesting clarification of procedures/permissions required and advise residents have requested that the sculptures be restored.

The Parish Council has now received updates regards all of these actions. Details of this can be found here - https://www.madeleyparishcouncil.gov.uk/2026/09/update-staining-of-sculptures-at-madeley-pool/

On action 2, the councillors involved have responded to the Parish Council, however they have explicitly requested that their response is not made public. The Council has sought advice on this and will update residents in due course.

This page will continue to be updated as more information is received. Parishioners can contact the Parish Council or their Borough Councillors about this matter should they need to.

Painted village sculpture sparks row as residents clash over colourful makeover of tree artwork.

10/09/2026

This morning the Parish Council have helped in the release of two swans onto Madeley Pool working in conjunction with RSPCA Stapeley Grange.

This has followed on from a number of years of work and dedication by Parish Councillor Chris Hopkin who has worked closely with the RSPCA to make sure the habitat was acceptable to welcome its new residents.

As wild birds, there is no guarantee that they will settle but we are hopeful that they will agree that Madeley Pool is a perfect home for them for years to come.

We hope that, alongside volunteers and contractors working on the pools future this will be another step to ensuring the pool returns to the tranquil beautiful area it truly is.

Huge thanks to RSPCA Stapeley Grange and Chris Hopkin for all their hard work helping make this happen.

04/09/2026

Further to our post on Barr Hill yesterday, further updates to our website have been made with information received and sent in the last 24 hours - https://www.madeleyparishcouncil.gov.uk/2026/09/barr-hill-construction-works/

We will continue to update residents with information as we receive it.

Councillors and the parish council have been contacted by parish residents who have raised issues regarding the construction works recently commenced at Barr Hill.

03/09/2026

The Parish Council are deeply concerned by the reports from residents regarding the Owl Homes development on Barr Hill. We have written to both the developer and Newcastle Borough Council requesting immediate action.

A full update is provided here https://www.madeleyparishcouncil.gov.uk/2026/09/barr-hill-construction-works/

We will continue to update residents as we receive more information, but would suggest that any concerned parties contact our Borough Councillors and NULBC planning teams to express their concerns.

Councillors and the parish council have been contacted by parish residents who have raised issues regarding the construction works recently commenced at Barr Hill.

26/08/2026

🏰 The new Heighley Castle Play Area at The Madeley Centre opens THIS FRIDAY!

Join us from 1pm when the playground will be officially opened, followed by end-of-summer fun and entertainment provided by The Madeley Centre.

The Parish Council are extremely proud to have delivered this project despite the many challenges encountered along the way. We hope the children of Madeley enjoy this new space for many years to come! 🏰

The playground is very nearly finished!!

We can't wait for the grand opening, stay tuned for more details!
Madeley Parish Council

19/08/2026

The final countdown begins! 🎉 Only one more full week of Summer Holidays left, but don't be sad, we're throwing a PARTY! 🎉
On Friday, 28th August, we're going big with a bouncy castle, party games, tunes, and all the fun! 🎊

AND, drumroll please... the grand opening of Madeley Parish Council's brand new playground! 🎉

We've got extra kids tickets available, so grab 'em and let's get this party started! 🎉

https://www.ticketsource.com/madeley-rural-community-charity

17/08/2026

Thank you to everyone who engaged with us regarding the Extraordinary Parish Council meeting held on 7th August, regarding the sculptures at Madeley Pool. The draft minutes are now available to view:

🔗https://www.madeleyparishcouncil.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/119/2026/08/Draft-August-Extraordinary-Minutes.pdf

Please note these are draft minutes and will be formally confirmed at the next Monthly Parish Council meeting on 3rd September 2026. The minutes are not a word-for-word record but capture the general discussion, and most importantly, the proposals and actions agreed by the Parish Council.

The Parish Council will continue to update this page and our website as we receive replies and further information. In the meantime, residents wishing for further information or to raise questions can also contact their Borough Councillors, or Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council directly.

12/08/2026

The playground is very nearly finished!!

We can't wait for the grand opening, stay tuned for more details!
Madeley Parish Council

12/08/2026

We have had an issue of fly tipping reported to us in Heath Wood. Whilst we will make arrangements for this to be cleared, we would ask that everyone respects the public open spaces we have within the Parish.

Our public open spaces are really important to the area and are there for everyone to enjoy and this has been even more important than normal given the glorious Summer we have experienced. Please help us to keep them clean, safe and accessible for everyone.

05/08/2026

Madeley Parish Council: Statement regarding https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg9vdn8x6no

We are aware of the recent BBC News article regarding the painting of the carved bench and sculpture at Madeley Pool. Several points in the article are factually inaccurate, and we have written to the BBC requesting these be amended.

To reiterate, the painting was not done in any Parish Council capacity, nor with the knowledge, involvement, or permission of the Parish Council. Any such action was taken on the individuals' own initiatives. We are not able to comment on whether Borough Councillor involvement was done in an official capacity.

Our letter to the BBC, setting out the corrections, can be read here: https://www.madeleyparishcouncil.gov.uk/2026/08/2802/

An Extraordinary General Meeting will be held at 6pm on Friday 7th August 2026 at The Madeley Centre, where parishioners are welcome to attend and share their views on this matter.

Painted village sculpture sparks row as residents clash over colourful makeover of tree artwork.