A memorial wheel to Biddulph's miners is to remain outside the town hall after plans to relocate it were officially scrapped last night.

A meeting of Biddulph Town Council was held last night (Tuesday 12th April), in which councillors approved a recommendation by the authority's mining memorial working group for the wheel to remain outside the town hall.

The wheel had previously been due to be moved to Station Road to form part of a new memorial, but this had been met with opposition from residents who felt that it was being moved to a less prominent part of the town, and that it could be left at risk of vandalism.

The recommendations, which were approved last night, said: "The mining wheel should be retained outside the Town Hall. This should form part of a wider memorial to mining within the town. The area should be re-designed to incorporate sponsored bricks, appropriate lighting, an interpretation panel and more seating, giving a space for reflection."

It added: "The area at Station Road should be a memorial to other industries within the town. Councillors are invited to submit their suggestions. In the meantime, the empty circle will be planted with suitable bedding/ shrubs."

Biddulph's mayor, Cllr Sylvia Rushton, welcomed the decision. She told Nub News: "I've always wanted the wheel to stay outside the town hall."

The wheel has been in place outside the town hall since the 1980s following work by former Biddulph mayor George Humphries to get it installed in its current location.

Cllr Rushton added: "I think a lot of people got the wrong idea and thought that it was a memorial to George, but he just happened to be the mayor at the time. It's actually a memorial to all the miners of Biddulph."

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