Staffordshire Moorlands

Staffordshire Moorlands is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. Its council, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, is based in Leek and is located between the city of Stoke-on-Trent and the Peak District National Park. The 2001 census recorded the population as 94,489. [cite web |url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=3&b=277109&c=staffordshire+moorlands&d=13&e=15&g=486682&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&enc=1 |title=Key Figures for 2001 Census: Key Statistics |publisher=National Statistics |accessdate=2007-05-20]

Principal industries are agriculture, fashion and tourism. The area's three towns are Leek, Cheadle, and Biddulph. Visitor attractions include the National Trust property Biddulph Grange, the theme-park Alton Towers, and the annual [http://www.leekartsfestival.org/ Leek Arts Festival] . There are also a variety of outdoor pursuits such as rock climbing (The Roaches), sailing (Rudyard Lake) and cycling (Waterhouses).

The district was formed on April 1, 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, as a merger of the urban districts of Biddulph and Leek, along with Cheadle Rural District and Leek Rural District.

Education

The Staffordshire Moorlands ranks highly at GCSE level compared to many other districts in Staffordshire.

GCSE results by council district (%)

* Lichfield 51.2
* Staffordshire Moorlands 49.7
* East Staffordshire 48.5
* Stafford 46.1
* South Staffordshire 44.6
* Newcastle-under-Lyme 43.7
* Cannock Chase 33.4
* (City of Stoke on Trent) 33.3
* Tamworth 32.7

Energy policy

In May 2006, a report commissioned by British Gas [cite web |url=http://www.britishgasnews.co.uk/managed_content/files/pdf/greenCity.pdf |title=Domestic Carbon Dioxide Emissions for Selected Cities |format=PDF |author=Best Foot Forward Ltd |coauthors=Craig Simmons and Ignacio Gonzalez |author=Centrica |accessdate=2007-05-20 |date=2006-02-20] showed that housing in Staffordshire Moorlands produced the 11th highest average carbon emissions in the country at 7,192 kg of carbon dioxide per dwelling.

:"See also: Energy efficiency in British housing".

Geography

The terrain is, as is suggested by the regional name, mostly moorland with forests and lakes stretching out across rolling hills and crags. Some of the higher moorland has been largely abandoned for farming. In The Roaches (a series of gritstone outcrops within the Peak Park) several Wallabies roamed free for many years. [http://www.beastwatch.co.uk/Staffordshire.htm#WALLABIES] One of the highest points in the Staffordshire Moorlands is The Roaches which rises to 505m (1656 ft).

A large proportion of the 'white peak' area of the Peak District is contained within the Staffordshire Moorlands. This includes such places as one half of Dove Dale, the Manifold Valley including Thor's cave, Wetton Mill, Longnor and Butterton.

The Staffordshire Moorlands is also home to the highest village in Britain, Flash. The village stands at 463m (1518ft) above sea level. This record was confirmed in 2007 by the Ordnance Survey after Wanlockhead in Scotland also claimed the record. The BBC's 'The One Show' investigated the case in a bid to settle the argument and Flash turned out to be the highest.

Performance

In July 2007 it was announced that Staffordshire Moorlands District Council was the best performing council in Staffordshire and the wider West Midlands region, after achieving 'excellent' status in an independent report by the Audit commission. This means the council is one of only 33 'excellent' district councils out of 238 nation-wide.

Twinnings

Staffordshire Moorlands has "sister city" agreements with the following cities:
* Olkusz, Poland

External links

* [http://www.staffsmoorlands.gov.uk/site/index.php Staffordshire Moorlands District Council]
* [http://www.flickr.com/groups/staffordshiremoorlands/ Collection of Staffordshire Moorlands Scenes]

References