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Newcastle-under-Lyme: what’s happening where you live

What the council itself has published on the five things it most shapes for a household: homes, getting about, the bill, the local environment and schools. Each line is quoted from the council’s own document, with the link. This page says what was decided or proposed; it never says whether it was right.

Read on 25 September 2026. Councils publish at different rates and in different places, so “nothing found” means nothing found, not nothing happening.

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council: Non-metropolitan district (lower tier), England, West Midlands; within the county of STS. GOV.UK lists it as a district council, within Staffordshire County Council. ONS code E07000195.

Council plan · Budget · Meeting papers · Councillors · Register of interests · Consultations

Do it online

The council’s own service pages as listed by GOV.UK’s Local Links Manager (Open Government Licence), refreshed weekly; the same list of everyday services, in the same order, for every council, in GOV.UK’s wording.

Housing

Newcastle-under-Lyme's Local Plan, adopted 8 July 2026, plans for at least 8,000 homes over 2020-2040 (400 a year).

“A minimum of 8,000 dwellings will be delivered in the Borough over the Plan period 2020 – 2040 which equates to 400 dwellings per annum.”

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, 8 July 2026. Read 25 September 2026. Policy PSD1: Overall Development Strategy. Adoption date from https://www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/planning-policy/newcastle-lyme-local-plan-2020-2040 ('adopted at Full Council on 8 July 2026').

Local plans on the national planning register Updated automatically

MHCLG planning data platform (planning.data.gov.uk), as supplied by the council; Open Government Licence. Stages are as recorded there, and some entries are old: each shows when the council last updated it.

Transport

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council is freezing town centre car park charges for 12 months in 2026/27.

“Town centre car park charges are to be frozen for 12 months.”

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, 4 February 2026. Read 25 September 2026. Article says the council 'is proposing' the freeze; budget adopted 11 Feb 2026 and minutes record 'Car park charges on surface level car parks would be frozen'. Also current: Air Quality Action Plan consultation (2026-2030) for Newcastle town centre, published 2 Sep 2026, covering congestion and traffic flow (https://www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/news/article/575/cleaner-air-consultation-under-way). Highways are run by Staffordshire County Council.

Council tax

Band D set by Newcastle-under-Lyme for 2026–27: £227.48 of a £2,334.25 total bill in the area. MHCLG, Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027 (Open Government Licence).

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council set its 2026-27 Band D council tax at £227.48, a 1.99% increase.

“That the Band D Council Tax for 2026/27 be set at £227.48 (a 1.99% increase).”

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, 11 February 2026. Read 25 September 2026. Recommendation (c) in Appendix 1 of the report to Council, 11 February 2026. Minutes (https://moderngov.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=28848): 'Resolved: That recommendations (a) to (o) as set out in Appendix 1 to this report, be approved.' Council Tax page also says 'The increase of 1.99 per cent is less than the rate of inflation.' (https://www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-summary/2).

Environment

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council has ended its former commitment to be carbon neutral by 2030 and has no current council net-zero target.

“And Council Leader Jonathan Gullis has also announced that the Sustainable Environment Strategy, which commits the authority to be carbon neutral by 2030, has been ended with immediate effect.”

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, 26 May 2026. Read 25 September 2026. Full Council 8 July 2026 carried a motion rescinding the 2019 Climate Emergency Declaration; minutes: 'A vote was then taken on the original Motion and was carried.' (https://moderngov.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=29190). Later council news (5 Aug 2026) reports the net zero target cancelled: https://www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/news/article/561/taxpayer-savings-grow-after-council-cancels-carbon-net-zero-target. The quoted press releases contain political statements by the Leader; only the factual sentence is quoted.

Education

Education (schools) is not a district council function; in this area schools are run by Staffordshire County Council. Where we looked

Changes to schools in this area recorded by the Department for Education Updated automatically

No school here is currently recorded as proposed to open or close.

In the last twelve months: 0 opened, 1 closed (1 closure)

Get Information about Schools, DfE’s register of every school in England, refreshed daily (Open Government Licence). The register’s own reason is shown: most closures and openings are a school becoming an academy, which changes who runs it, not whether it is there.

What Newcastle-under-Lyme is deciding

Every item on the agendas of Full Council and the Cabinet, as the council titled it, from about six months back to three months ahead. Left out: section headings, procedural items (apologies, minutes, declarations of interest, announcements, questions, appointments), anything about councillors’ attendance or allowances (which this site does not show), and private items the council itself withholds. Motions are shown with whoever the council’s agenda says proposed them; a councillor’s party is from Open Council Data.

Coming up

Recently

8 earlier meetings

  • Mon, 14 September 2026 · Full Council · Urgent Decision

    • URGENT DECISIONResult not yet read from the minutes.

  • Wed, 2 September 2026 · Full Council · Special Council

    • LOCAL GOVERNMENT REORGANISATIONResult: carried, 2 September 2026. “A vote was then taken on the Motion, as amended, and was carried.” Minutes

  • Tue, 4 August 2026 · Cabinet

    • WALLEYS QUARRY ODOUR UPDATEResult: agreed, 4 August 2026. “Resolved: That the update report be received and noted.” Minutes
    • HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY 2026-30Result: agreed, 4 August 2026. “Resolved: That the Housing and Homelessness Strategy 2026-2030 be received and noted Watch the debate here” Minutes
    • TRAFFIC REGULATION ORDER AMENDMENT CONSULTATIONMinutes published; result not yet read. Minutes
    • LYME VALLEY PUMP TRACKResult: agreed, 4 August 2026. “Resolved: (i) That the initial draft proposals received from specialist design and build contractors for consultation be approved;” Minutes
    • LOCAL GOVERNMENT REORGANISATION UPDATEResult: agreed, 4 August 2026. “Resolved: That the update report be received and noted.” Minutes
    • LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION WITHDRAWALResult: agreed, 4 August 2026. “Resolved: (i) That the Council’s intention to seek immediate withdrawal from the Local Government Association, including all committees, events, activities and information-sharing arrangements, be noted.” Minutes

  • Wed, 8 July 2026 · Full Council

    • BOROUGH LOCAL PLANResult: agreed, 8 July 2026. “Y In Favour (Y) – 32 Against (N) – 6 Abstain – 0 Resolved: ( i ) That t he outcomes of the Inspectors report into the Examination of the Borough Local Plan 2020-2040 (appendices 1 and 2 to this report), be noted.” Minutes
    • STATEMENT OF THE LEADER OF THE COUNCILResult: agreed, 8 July 2026. “Resolved: That the Statement of the Leader of the Council be received and noted.” Minutes
    • REPORTS OF THE CHAIRS OF THE SCRUTINY COMMITTEESResult: agreed, 8 July 2026. “Resolved : That the reports be received.” Minutes
    • REPORTS OF THE CHAIRS OF THE REGULATORY COMMITTEESResult: agreed, 8 July 2026. “Resolved : That the reports be received.” Minutes
    • MOTIONS OF MEMBERSResult: carried, 8 July 2026. “A vote was taken on the Motion which was carried.” Minutes
    • QUESTIONS TO THE MAYOR, CABINET MEMBERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRSMinutes published; result not yet read. Minutes
    • AMENDMENTS TO THE COUNCIL'S CONSTITUTIONResult: agreed, 8 July 2026. “Resolved: (i) That the proposed changes to the Constitution be agreed.” Minutes

  • Wed, 8 July 2026 · Full Council · Appointment of Honorary Aldermen

    • APPOINTMENT OF HONORARY ALDERMEN FOR THE BOROUGH OF NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYMEResult: agreed, 8 July 2026. “Resolved: That the following be appointed as Honorary Aldermen for the Borough of Newcastle under Lyme.” Minutes

  • Tue, 23 June 2026 · Cabinet

    • WALLEYS QUARRY UPDATEResult: agreed, 23 June 2026. “Resolved: That the contents of the update report be noted Watch the debate here” Minutes
    • ADOPTION OF BOROUGH LOCAL PLAN (2020-2040)Result: agreed, 23 June 2026. “Resolved: ( i ) That the outcomes of the Inspectors report into the examination of the Borough Local Plan 2020-2040 (appendices 1 and 2 to this report), be noted.” Minutes
    • NEW LOCAL PLAN: COMMENCEMENT AND GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTSResult: agreed, 23 June 2026. “Resolved: That work on the new Local Plan not be taken forward until the outcomes and implications of Local Government Reorganisation is known.” Minutes
    • NEWCASTLE COMMUNITY SAFETY PARTNERSHIP - PARTNERSHIP PRIORITIES UPDATEResult: agreed, 23 June 2026. “Resolved: ( i ) That the report be received and the outcomes for 2025- 2026 and the work of the Community Safety Partnership in continuing to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, as well as the work in progress to continue to tackle identified priority issues, be noted.” Minutes
    • NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME COMMUNITY FUNDResult: agreed, 23 June 2026. “Resolved: That the establishment of the Newcastle-under-Lyme Community Fund which allocates Councillor’s a maximum of £2,500 per annum to address local priorities within their wards, as identified by their local communities, be approved.” Minutes
    • BRAMPTON MUSEUM APPLICATION TO THE NATIONAL LOTTERY FOR MUSEUM IMPROVEMENTSResult: agreed, 23 June 2026. “Resolved: (i) That an application to the National Lottery of up to £150,000 to deliver a project between April 2027-March 2029, be approved.” Minutes
    • PET CREMATION PROGRESS REPORTResult: agreed, 23 June 2026. “Resolved: ( i ) That continued support be given to the development of a pet cremation service to provide residents with a local caring service when needed.” Minutes
    • RENEWAL OF THE POOL WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS & MOVEABLE FLOOR/LIFT SERVICING & MAINTENANCE CONTRACT AT JUBILEE 2Result: agreed, 23 June 2026. “Resolved: That, subject to the successful procurement process of a new contract, it be approved that the Service Director Commercial Delivery in consultation with the Leader & Cabinet Member for Planning & Town Centres, to enter into a contract with the successful provider for a period of two years with an option to extend the term by a further year.” Minutes
    • FINANCIAL AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW REPORT - FOURTH QUARTER 2025/26Result: agreed, 23 June 2026. “Resolved: That the contents of the attached report and appendices be noted and the Council’s service and financial performance for this period be continually monitored and challenged.” Minutes

  • Fri, 5 June 2026 · Full Council · Urgent Decision

    • URGENT DECISIONResult not yet read from the minutes.

  • Wed, 20 May 2026 · Full Council · Annual Council Meeting

    • APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY MAYOR 2026/27Result: agreed, 20 May 2026. “Resolved : That Councillor Mark Harrison be appointed as Deputy Mayor for the 2026-27 Municipal Year.” Minutes
    • MAYORAL APPOINTMENTSMinutes published; result not yet read. Minutes
    • MAYORAL ADDRESSMinutes published; result not yet read. Minutes
    • RESPONSE OF THE RETIRING MAYOR AND SUMMARY OF THE MAYORAL YEARMinutes published; result not yet read. Minutes
    • APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY LEADER AND CABINETMinutes published; result not yet read. Minutes
    • APPOINTMENTS TO COMMITTEES, CHAIRS AND VICE CHAIRS FOR 2026/27Result: agreed, 20 May 2026. “Resolved : That the committees’ membership as set out in the Appendix to the report be agreed, and that the Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs be appointed as follows: COMMITTEE” Minutes
    • APPOINTMENTS TO EXTERNAL ORGANISATIONS FOR 2026/30Result: agreed, 20 May 2026. “Resolved : That representatives to the outside bodies be appointed as follows: Name of Organisation / Role Representative” Minutes
    • CONFIRMATION OF THE CONSTITUTIONResult: agreed, 20 May 2026. “Resolved : 1. That the updates to the constitution produced by the Monitoring Officer (see Appendices to the report) be noted.” Minutes
    • ELECTION RESULTSResult: agreed, 20 May 2026. “Resolved: That the information be received.” Minutes
    • APPOINTMENT OF LEADER OF THE COUNCILResult: agreed, 20 May 2026. “Resolved: That Councillor Jonathan Gullis be appointed as Leader of the Council.” Minutes

From the council’s own meeting papers (Modern.gov), read 2 November 2026. Refreshed weekly. Once a meeting’s minutes are published, each item shows the result in the minutes’ own words (carried, lost, withdrawn, deferred, noted or agreed), the recorded vote where the minutes give one, and a link to the minutes; where those words are not found, the page says so rather than guessing.

What the council plans to spend, 2026–27

The budget for each service, as Newcastle-under-Lyme reported it to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The same headings, in the same order, for every council in England.

Newcastle-under-Lyme: budget by service, 2026 to 2027
ServiceBudget
Education servicesnone budgeted
Highways and transport services−£258,000
Children's social carenone budgeted
Adult social carenone budgeted
Public healthnone budgeted
Housing services (general fund only)£2.9 million
Cultural and related services£2.2 million
Environmental and regulatory services£8.7 million
Planning and development services£2.0 million
Police servicesnone budgeted
Fire and rescue servicesnone budgeted
Central services£2.8 million
Other servicesnone budgeted
Total service expenditure£18.2 million

Net current expenditure: net of sales, fees and charges; spending funded by the NHS, such as through the Better Care Fund, is excluded.A minus figure means the service’s income is budgeted to be more than its spending. “None budgeted” usually means another body runs that service here. Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Revenue Account Budget 2026 to 2027, individual local authority data (part 1), updated 11 June 2026 (Open Government Licence).

Life in Newcastle-under-Lyme: the official facts

Facts about the people who live here: their pay, homes, health and more, from official statistics. They describe the place, not you, and every council gets the same list. Each shows when it was measured.

Show the figures for:

Showing: Newcastle-under-Lyme.

People living here
128,093 people 30 June 2025 · Office for National StatisticsAn official estimate of everyone who lives in the area, in the middle of the year.
Typical age
42 years 30 June 2025 · Office for National StatisticsHalf the people who live here are younger than this and half are older.
Money to live on, per person, per year
£22,129 2024 · Office for National StatisticsAverage household income per person after taxes, with benefits added: what people have to spend or save.
Typical weekly pay, before tax
£613 30 April 2025 · Office for National StatisticsFor employees who live here: half earn more than this each week, half earn less.
Children growing up in poverty
24.8% April 2024 to March 2025 · Department for Work and PensionsThe share of children under 16 in families on low incomes once housing costs are paid.
People claiming unemployment-related benefits
3.0% 2025 · Office for National StatisticsThe share of people aged 16 to 64 claiming Jobseeker's Allowance or Universal Credit while looking for work.
Average price of a home
£208,269 August 2026 · HM Land RegistryThe average price of a home here in the month shown.
How many years of pay a home costs
5.5 times yearly pay 1 April 2025 · Office for National StatisticsA typical home's price divided by the typical yearly pay of people who live here.
Greenhouse gases, per person
6.0 tonnes per person 2024 · Department for Energy Security and Net ZeroEmissions from the area in a year, shared out per resident, in tonnes of carbon dioxide or its equivalent.
Homes and businesses that can get the fastest broadband
83.9% 1 January 2026 · OfcomThe share of addresses that can get gigabit broadband (1,000 Mbps).
Public chargers for electric cars
161.3 per 100,000 people 1 July 2026 · Department for Transport, sourced from ZapmapPublic charging points at all speeds, for every 100,000 people.
Businesses trading here
3,705 businesses 2024 · Office for National StatisticsBusinesses with sales or staff in the year.

More figures for Newcastle-under-Lyme from the ONS

Gathered by the Office for National Statistics in Explore Local Statistics (Open Government Licence), refreshed daily. Some figures aren’t published for every nation, so the list can be shorter outside England.

Who runs the council

44 seats in 2026. Run by: Reform UK, with a majority. Open Council Data (public domain).

Councillors by party: Reform UK 27, Conservative and Unionist 15, Labour Party 2.

Next scheduled council election: 2 May 2030.

All 44 councillors, by ward
  • Janice SainReiners (Reform UK) — Audley
  • Patricia Harrison (Reform UK) — Audley
  • Rhys Machin (Reform UK) — Audley
  • Ben Simpson (Reform UK) — Bradwell
  • Glenn Tift (Reform UK) — Bradwell
  • Pamela Jellyman (Reform UK) — Bradwell
  • Paul Wood (Reform UK) — Clayton
  • Peter Walton (Reform UK) — Crackley & Red Street
  • Vanessa Renshaw (Reform UK) — Crackley & Red Street
  • Christopher Saxton (Reform UK) — Cross Heath
  • Mark Harrison (Reform UK) — Cross Heath
  • Jon Chamberlain (Reform UK) — Holditch & Chesterton
  • Wayne Barber (Reform UK) — Holditch & Chesterton
  • Dave Jones (Labour Party) — Keele
  • Charlie Clarke (Reform UK) — Kidsgrove & Ravenscliffe
  • Jonathan Gullis (Reform UK) — Kidsgrove & Ravenscliffe
  • Olivia Westcott (Reform UK) — Kidsgrove & Ravenscliffe
  • Graham Shaw (Reform UK) — Knutton
  • Andrew Turnock (Conservative and Unionist) — Loggerheads
  • Graham Sedgley (Conservative and Unionist) — Loggerheads
  • Jill Whitmore (Conservative and Unionist) — Madeley & Betley
  • Robert Bettley-Smith (Conservative and Unionist) — Madeley & Betley
  • Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative and Unionist) — Maer & Whitmore
  • David Hutchison (Conservative and Unionist) — May Bank
  • Finn Swain (Conservative and Unionist) — May Bank
  • John Tagg (Conservative and Unionist) — May Bank
  • Jonathan Downs (Reform UK) — Newchapel & Mow Cop
  • Scott Stevenson (Reform UK) — Newchapel & Mow Cop
  • Ian Sparks (Reform UK) — Silverdale
  • Martyn Ashworth (Reform UK) — Silverdale
  • Gary Evans (Reform UK) — Talke & Butt Lane
  • Martin Rogerson (Reform UK) — Talke & Butt Lane
  • Simon Kasperowicz (Reform UK) — Talke & Butt Lane
  • Joan Whieldon (Conservative and Unionist) — Thistleberry
  • Susan Beeston (Conservative and Unionist) — Thistleberry
  • Christine Duffy (Reform UK) — Town
  • Sheelagh Casey-Hulme (Labour Party) — Town
  • Andrew Fear (Conservative and Unionist) — Westbury Park & Northwood
  • Andrew Parker (Conservative and Unionist) — Westbury Park & Northwood
  • Gill Heesom (Conservative and Unionist) — Westlands
  • Mark Holland (Conservative and Unionist) — Westlands
  • Simon Tagg (Conservative and Unionist) — Westlands
  • Andrew Fisher (Reform UK) — Wolstanton
  • Christopher Bailey (Reform UK) — Wolstanton

Each councillor’s register of interests is on the council’s own site, linked rather than summarised, because summarising means choosing. Councillors from Open Council Data as recorded after the May 2026 elections; a by-election since then may have changed one seat. Attendance and allowances are not shown.

Write to your councillors → WriteToThem (mySociety) finds them from your postcode; nothing is sent through this site.

Cite this page

Harvard style. Every figure on the page also names its original source, which is usually the better thing to cite.

Every council page has the same five headings in the same order. Sources are the council’s own publications and official statistics. Council list: mySociety, UK Local Authorities (CC BY 4.0) and WhatDoTheyKnow authorities (CC BY-SA 4.0); council websites, tiers and service links: GOV.UK (Open Government Licence); codes: ONS Code History Database (Open Government Licence). Corrections: hello@whatsittome.org.