Latest news with #Eccleshall
BBC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Tories beat Reform in Staffordshire County Council by-election
A by-election, which was called after a Reform UK councillor stepped down just two weeks after he was elected, has been won by the Pert won Thursday's contest for the vacant Gnosall and Eccleshall seat on Staffordshire County Council after securing 1,689 votes (44.4%).The Green Party came second with 1,037 votes (27.3%), followed by Reform on 938 votes (24.7%) and Labour on 140 votes (3.7%). Turnout was 34.8%.The seat was vacated by Reform's Wayne Titley in May after he faced criticism over a post on Facebook in March that called on the Navy to intercept small boats attempting to reach Britain and use a "volley of gun fire aimed at sinking them". Titley has not addressed the post, which has since been removed, but he said he was resigning for "personal reasons".The by-election result left Reform with 48 councillors on the authority, a clear majority, with the Conservatives on 11 and the Greens, Labour and Stafford Borough Independents with one apiece. Pert was an Eccleshall councillor for eight years until he was beaten to the seat by Titley in May's local elections by just 27 had served as a cabinet member on the Conservative administration and is also the current opposition group leader at Stafford Borough his victory, he paid tribute to the elections team and count staff, describing the process as a "well-oiled machine". He added: "None of us expected to see a by-election so early on and none of us wanted that. Thank you to everyone for coming out and voting."The work starts tomorrow. I have been elected by the residents of Eccleshall and Gnosall and I am here to support them." This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tories win Staffordshire by-election triggered by Reform UK scandal
Conservative councillor Jeremy Pert is back on Staffordshire County Council - after regaining his seat from Reform UK in a by-election. Mr Pert was narrowly defeated in May's all-out elections by Reform UK's Wayne Titley by just 27 votes. But Mr Titley resigned less than a fortnight later, with personal reasons cited for his departure. In the days between his election and resignation, controversy had swirled on social media as comments attributed to his Facebook account about illegal boat crossings came to light. Former Stafford Borough councillor Ray Barron, who stood as a Reform UK candidate at the May elections, had hoped to retain the Eccleshall & Gnosall seat for the party that swept to power two months ago. He lost out then in the Stafford South East seat, which was held by veteran Conservative councillor Ann Edgeller. READ MORE: Japanese knotweed heat map shows the hotspots in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire READ MORE: 'I visited Alton Towers this summer and was staggered by the queue times' Now in the early hours of Friday (July 18) he has had to settle for third place however, with 938 votes, after Councillor Pert won the Eccleshall & Gnosall by-election by a sizeable margin. He took the top spot with 1,689 votes. Green Party candidate and fellow borough councillor Scott Spencer was in second place with 1,037 votes. Labour's Leah Elston-Thompson was in fourth place with 140 votes. Overall turnout at Thursday's by-election was 34.8% - higher than some areas of Stafford Borough saw in the May poll. Before his May unseating, Councillor Pert had served as a cabinet member on the Conservative administration. He is also the current opposition group leader at Stafford Borough Council. Following his victory at Gnosall Memorial Village Hall, he said: "None of us expected to see a by-election so early on and none of us wanted that. Thank you to everyone for coming out and voting. The work starts now. I have been elected by the residents of Eccleshall and Gnosall and I am here to support them. There is a significant amount of casework that we need to sort out and there is a whole range of issues. Some residents are suffering from the speed of traffic, while other residents are suffering with the threat of rampant housing development. I have eight years' experience running a cabinet department. I am sure that experience can be very useful to the wider council." The by-election result means that the Conservatives now hold 11 county council seats. Reform UK have 48 out of 62, while Labour, Green and Stafford Borough Independents each have one seat. Staffordshire County Council Eccleshall & Gnosall Division by-election result Ray Barron (Reform UK) 938 Leah Elston-Thompson (Labour) 140 Jeremy Pert (Conservative) 1,689 ELECTED Scott Spencer (Green Party) 1,037 Number of rejected papers: 1 Turnout: 34.8% Get daily headlines and breaking news emailed to you - it's FREE
BBC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Gnosall and Eccleshall by-election to replace Reform councillor
Voters go to the polls in part of Staffordshire on Thursday to replace a Reform UK councillor who stepped down just two weeks after the local Titley, who was elected in Gnosall and Eccleshall, was part of a wave of councillors that swept the party to power on Staffordshire County Council in May, taking 49 of the 62 seats, and wiping out the previous Tory he faced criticism over a post on Facebook in March that called on the Navy to intercept small boats attempting to reach Britain and use a "volley of gun fire aimed at sinking them".Reform stood by Titley, but said he had stepped down because he had faced personal abuse. Party leader Nigel Farage was asked on a visit to Stafford last month about whether he considered the cost of this by-election, about £27,000 in taxpayers' money, "wasteful spending".He said: "It's unfortunate. This guy said some things on social media he shouldn't have said, as a result of that came under some pretty abusive online pressure, and would rather it hadn't happened."Boundary changes in the Gnosall and Eccleshall ward has meant campaigning in villages rich in Conservative, Reform, and Green voters. Candidates tell me it could be a three-way race. The result is expected to be announced on Friday. Boundary changes in the Gnosall and Eccleshall ward has meant campaigning in villages rich in Conservative, Reform, and Green voters. Candidates tell me it could be a three-way race. The result is expected to be announced on Friday. Who is standing? Reform candidate Ray Barron has previously served as a borough and county councillor. He was a member of the Conservative party until 2022, when he became an independent, then joined Reform last year. Unsuccessful in the county election on 1 May, Barron said he could not have worked harder to campaign for this seat, and that he thought it would be a "coin toss" over who won said if he won the seat he would use his experience as an ex-county councillor to help his politically inexperienced Reform colleagues. While Labour start from a low base on the county council, having just one councillor representing the party in Staffordshire, their candidate Leah Elston-Thompson is hopeful. Following the election of a Labour MP in July 2024 when the party saw a landslide victory, Elston-Thompson said if she was elected in Gnosall and Eccleshall, she would carry on the good work the government does on a local level. Conservative Jeremy Pert is hoping to use this opportunity to win his seat back. There were just 27 votes separating him and Titley in said this by-election was about two things: holding the new Reform administration to account; and providing a strong local advocate to make sure the area "doesn't get overrun" with more than 1,000 houses planned for development. Pert served on the county council for eight years in the Eccleshall ward. Green party councillor Scott Spencer is looking to build on the momentum the Greens have picked up since winning their first ever seat on the county council in May. He said "on a Reform-led council I would bring evidence based solutions, not empty promises." He added, in his view, "Greens can win here".
Daily Mail
13-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE 'They want to concrete us over': Furious locals in one of Britain's most desired villagers say they are under siege from 10 different newbuild estates which will box them in and 'dismantle their society'
Locals from one of the best places to live in Britain fear plans for developers to build thousands of new homes on green field land could 'dismantle the fabric of their society'. Residents from Eccleshall, Staffordshire, are furious at the proposals put forward by four major developers, which will turn over 200 acres of green space into ten new estates. They claim the new homes would double their population, lead to a strain on public services and destroy the community. 'The infrastructure can't cope with it as it is. The sewage is overflowing, the schools are full, the doctors surgeries are full, and we're thinking of importing about another 1,500 houses,' explained Susie Clowes, who has lived in Eccleshall for 45 years. 'It's a fantastic place to live, the press have labelled it as one of the best places in the country to live and since then the developers have pounced like locusts. 'We have no car park in the town. It's just very sad that this wonderful agricultural land that we've got, Grade II agricultural land is being torn up for houses and we'll never get it back.' The key developers are Blore Homes, Taylor Wimpey, Muller Property Group and Bellway Homes, and if plans go ahead it could see the town grow four times in size. Blore Homes have said they would build a surgery and a school to help with the increased population of the area but residents fear it's an empty promise. Martin Peet told MailOnline: 'At the Parish Council surgery last week they said there's no promise of building a school at all, and there's no promise of a new surgery. 'Apparently what's happened is they've said "We'll locate you a piece of land". 'So Staffordshire Borough Council have got to find the money to build a new school, they haven't got the money.' If the building goes ahead, it is also likely that 40 per cent of the new homes will be classified as affordable or social housing - a notion that residents fear will 'destroy' Eccleshall. 'The fabric of Eccleshall society, will be totally dismantled,' Mr Peet added. 'Because 40 plus is going to be social, the whole dynamic will change. We will no longer have that village feel, it will be gone.' This year, Eccleshall was named one of the best places to live in Britain because of its 'village feel'. David Whitaker, 61, who has lived in Eccleshall for 10 years told MailOnline: 'This place is so nice it's no wonder they're developing, but it will ruin it. Stephen Harding (pictured), whose property will look over one of the developments where 500 homes are expected to be built said the proposal has led to sleepless nights Residents claim the new homes would double their population, lead to a strain on public services and destroy the community 'It's appalling, it's a lovely place, it hasn't got the capacity to cope with all the developing that's going on. 'It's going to take away the honesty of the place and the feel good factor will go. 'It can just about cope now with everybody living here.' But not every resident is opposed to the plans, Mollie Feeney, 22, thinks it could provide an opportunity for younger people to step onto the property ladder. 'I think it's positive that they're doing it,' Ms Feeney told MailOnline. 'I was a first-time buyer a year and a half ago and I know that it is more accessible when you buy in a newbuild. 'It does seem to be the older generation that are disapproving of the plans but I really feel it's a generational divide.' The proposed developments would border the town and bring vast amounts of footfall to the area. Christine Easter, 76, who has lived in the area for 45 years, told MailOnline: 'It's the shock of actually seeing the planning coming in for it on fields. 'They're too big, there's too many. We've already had three housing projects that have gone. When we moved in there were field behind us, now there's houses there. 'It will affect parking and the doctors and the schools aren't going to cope.' Stephen Harding, whose property will look over one of the developments where 500 homes are expected to be built said the proposal has led to sleepless nights. Mr Harding said: 'There's four big developers. If they have their way they'll concrete us to Stafford. 'There's been no offer of intended development of infrastructure from the council. The town is busted, its got as far as it can go. 'Gradually over the years the town has filled, filled and filled. We had a battle to have two windows on the side of our house, there's no consistency with what was allowed in the 80s and what's happening now.' But despite constant campaigning locals feel overlooked and Mr Peet feels more action needs to be taken. 'I've downloaded the rules for a referendum and it looks like we're going to have to go to a referendum. It's non-binding but it will send a signal out,' he told MailOnline. 'We don't want this, we can't cope. I rang last week for a doctors appointment and it was four weeks. The grids lift every time we have a bit of rain. 'All these sites on the periphery it will just mean two to three thousand cars will be going to Eccleshall everyday. 'Six years ago we had 950 houses now we have 15,000. To make Eccleshall four times the size it is today is wrong.' A spokesperson for Taylor Wimpey said: 'Taylor Wimpey will deliver 150 new homes, 60 of which are affordable, as part of the proposed development for Eccleshall. 'Following a public consultation on our proposal, we have reviewed and incorporated, where possible, the feedback received to ensure it reflects the views of the wider community. 'The proposal includes a large area of public open space, which is currently private land, designed to include a park and village green for the benefit of both existing and new residents. 'All landscaping has been carefully considered to respect the Eccleshall Conservation Area and include new grassland and wildflower beds, native thicket, and tree planting to contribute to biodiversity gains on site.' A spokesperson for Stafford Borough Council said: 'We have not received any planning applications for hundreds of new homes in Eccleshall in the last few years.'
Daily Mail
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Village torn apart after woman writes '50 Shades of Grey' style erotic novel 'about her neighbours'... but 13 years later has peace broken out?
Most people don't like their neighbours for various petty reasons. But most people don't live in Eccleshall. In 2012, a raunchy novel about a fictional village packed with anecdotes of bed-hopping and romps in the garden was published. Rotten Row was written by a vegetarian housewife Lesley Cleary (pen name Angela Hargreaves) from Eccleshall - a quaint village in Staffordshire. And despite being advertised as a fictional tale about 'living in close proximity to some neighbours', residents of Eccleshall felt the book rang a little too true. At the time, her neighbours were furious at the portrayal of an in-fighting, sex-obsessed bunch of cranks and Mrs Cleary insisted the similarities were pure fiction. But MailOnline can reveal that Mrs Cleary, now 70, and her husband Martin - a retired mine surveyor - fled Eccleshall to live a a quiet life in the seaside town of Ilfracombe in Devon. Two years after the book was released, the couple settled down in a pretty detached Victorian home close to beaches and museums for £220,000. It appears the move spelled the end of her literary career with Mrs Cleary now preferring dog walks and gardening. The Amazon page for Angela Hargreaves still shows just the two published titles. Despite being advertised as a fictional tale about 'living in close proximity to some neighbours', residents of Eccleshall felt the book rang a little too true Rotten Row published in 2012 and Hard Times, published in 2013, the cover of which shows a naked couple doing the hoovering. Set in the fictional village of Upton Green, it promised, according to its Amazon entry, a tale of 'petty spitefulness and complexity of living in close proximity to some neighbours'. It was compared with E. L. James's saucy bestseller Fifty Shades Of Grey, and is packed with stories of bed-hopping, romps in the garden, and gossipy accounts of drunken debauchery. Unfortunately for residents of Eccleshall, everything about the book - from the names of its characters to their bickering over damsons - rang a little too true. That, at least, was the claim of Lesley's neighbours, who were furious at the portrayal of an in-fighting, sex-obsessed bunch of cranks - or, to use the book's description, the most 'bossy, gossipy, hissy, humourless, competitive bunch of Hyacinth Buckets one could ever wish not to encounter'. Lesley, however, insisted any similarities between her book and life in Eccleshall was pure coincidence.'It's fiction,' she says, matter-of-factly. 'All I know is what was in my head. Some people just want to be in the book, I don't know why. I'm the one who's upset - my characters are being hijacked. It's silly.' The saga started in 2012 when Lesley told her next-door neighbours Emma and Kevin Williams she had been writing a novel to be published online in September. Emma and Kevin shrugged off the book as a pipe dream. It wasn't until a few months later, once the book had been published online, that they heard the book's title, Rotten Row, and decided to look it up. 'I had no idea it would seem to be about life here - or that it would be so revealing,' said Emma, who had lived in Eccleshall for decades. 'It's a little village and we all get along well. Or we did.' The cover image, drawn by Lesley, shows a pretty row of cottages at the end of a village High Street. With their pastel-coloured walls, picture windows, and sloping slate roofs, they are remarkably similar to cottages at the end of Eccleshall High Street, one of which is Lesley's home. 'It's definitely our street - you only need look at it,' she concluded at the time. Lesley claimed the cover 'could be a row of terraces anywhere in the country. It may look like here, but it isn't meant to be here,' she says, crossly. 'If you look closely you'll see there is a road continuing round a corner, which doesn't happen here. And the windows are different.' She said she'd been writing the book since 2006. 'I've kept a file over the years with all sorts of snippets and bits from my life. My idea was just to write a little book that would sell a few copies - not to cause a fuss like this. I thought I'd get a few royalties for dog food.' But it wasn't long before her novel became the talk of the village. One Friday evening, a group of locals gathered in the cosy, red-walled sitting room of Brenda Chatterjee, a glamorous widow who lives in the white-washed Old Bakery next door to Emma and Kevin, to read the book on Brenda's Kindle. Soon they were compiling mental check-lists of everything that sounded familiar. The book's narrator, Louisa, enjoys interior design, and moves to Upton Green having lived in London and Hampshire - both of which apply to Lesley. Her cottage, like Lesley's, is at the end of the 'Georgian High Street' and has a pretty wrought-iron fence and side entrance. Meanwhile, the book is packed full of events that villagers say have really happened, and conversations that they've really had. They include such pulse-racers as an argument about damson-picking rights, a row over a leaking loo, and a dispute with the florist over past-their-best roses. 'It's as if she's been following us,' says Brenda. 'I feel like she's been looking at us through binoculars the whole time.' Many of the lead characters have similar names, physical characteristics or jobs to Lesley's neighbours. Brenda believes she is the inspiration for the character 'Babs', and her good friend, former company director Rob Johnson, the inspiration for Bab's lover, 'Barbour Bob'. Their neighbour Martin Ratcliffe an architect, is certain the fictional architect Declan is based on him. And Emma and Kevin, who keep chickens and grow vegetables, believe chicken-loving, veggie-growing Lucy and Jeremy are their mirror images. Gordon Dale is sure parish councillor Reg is him - they both even have matching gold teeth. Amusingly, when it came to the book's racier passages, the villagers deny any similarities at all. The book has architect Declan engaging in an illicit romp with Babs (Martin insists 'I've certainly never broken any antique beds!') and Louisa the narrator receives a sloppy, unsolicited snog from a stranger in the supermarket. Are the villagers sure they weren't imagining the similarities, and a tiny part of them rather liked being immortalised in print? 'Not at all!' says Brenda, horrified. 'I just want a quiet life. This is all so awful - it's upsetting.' Nobody answered the door at the immaculately renovated five-bed home when MailOnline visited this week. Neighbours described Leslie and Martin as a 'friendly and charming couple'. None knew of her literary past or had ever heard of the pen name Angela Hargreaves. One told MailOnline: 'I had no idea she was an author, they are nice and we've said hello a couple of times but keep themselves to themselves generally. 'I don't think there's much danger of my life being in one of those books, it'd send readers straight off to sleep.' The couple appear to have regularly visited Ilfracombe - famed for its stunning coastline, historic harbour and 66ft tall Damian Hurst statue - regularly for years before moving down. In 2008 - while she was writing Rotten Row - Leslie wrote a testimonial praising the town in the local newspaper the North Devon Journal. She wrote: 'Ilfracombe is a beautiful place with wonderful historic architecture, a museum that shouldn't be missed and the Landmark Theatre is fabulous.' Martin meanwhile has ventured into local politics, serving on the Harbour Board as well as being a site representative on the Ilfracombe Allotment and Leisure Gardens Association. In 2024 he stood unsuccessfully for the town council under the Ilfracombe First party. Meanwhile, back in Eccleshall her old neighbours have 'moved on' and brushed past the topic of their former resident author. But the original 'stars' of the novel still live on the same charming street, including Brenda Chatterjee who she believed was inspiration for the character 'Babs'. And while life in Eccleshall now seems uneventful... who knows what's going on behind closed doors.
