Stoke City Council's Spending Power to Increase by More than £77 Million

Plus lend your heartbeat to light up Stoke Park, book a table at H I D D E N, Stoke Town Hall gets upgraded Grade II* listed status, and Chris Martin sings for Staffs' newlyweds

The Knot and Helen Dalley

Dec 22, 2025

Good News 🎉

💷 More Cash for the Council. Stoke-on-Trent City Council will see its core spending power increase by £77.7 million over the period of the current Parliament (2024/25-2028/29), with £32.9 million of the £77.7 million increase coming from council tax rises. The news has been welcomed by many local MPs, including David Williams, MP for Stoke-on-Trent North and Kidsgrove, who said it will support vital services for children and older people, and help maintain roads and neighbourhoods. However, the council is facing rising costs due to demand for services such as social care, as well as pay increases. The council will publish its 2026/27 budget proposals, including any council tax rises, early in January.

The £77 million will be received over the next three years. Pic: pchvector/Freepik

THE KNOT’S PEOPLE OF THE WEEK – Staci Hocknell and Erin Hurcombe

Two University of Staffordshire designers have been recognised among the most promising creatives in the North. BA (Hons) Graphic Design student Erin Hurcombe and graduate Staci Hocknell both took part in this year’s School of Thought course and competition. Based in Manchester and Leeds, the intensive 12-week creative programme challenges participants to tackle a new brief every week and pitch their ideas to some of the region’s top agencies. Erin won two of the four main categories for Best Idea and Best Copywriting, while Staci picked up the top prize School of Thought Champion 2025. Staci graduated in 2021 and now works as a senior concept designer at Ashfield MedComms.

Uni of Staffs graduate Staci Hocknell (left) and undergraduate Erin Hurcombe with their awards≠

📚 Lend your Heartbeat to Light up Stoke Park. As part of Appetite’s Light Up Winter series, residents are being invited to lend their heartbeats to a special light installation, The Matter of the Heart, at Middleport Park on 21/01 and 22/01 from 4pm to 8pm. Created by award-winning studio idontloveyouranymore, the artwork is made up of 30 glowing boxes, each connected to a person’s live heartbeat. Those selected to take part will be invited to a 15-minute session on either 17/01 or 19/01 between 10am and 4pm, at Middleport Matters’ Harper Street base. During the event, each light box will pulse in time with the participants’ live heartbeats. Watch out for Light Up Hanley (03 & 04/02, 5pm to 8pm) and Newcastle-under-Lights (04/03, 6pm-9pm).

The Matter of the Heart show in Lancaster 2024. Pic credit: calamarcreative

👨‍🍳 H I D D E N Open for March & April Bookings. Since opening late this year at Spode Works, Cris Cohen’s restaurant, H I D D E N, has had an ‘unbelievable response’ and is now taking bookings for March and April 2026. Cris told The Knot, “We are selling out and experiencing high demand, which shows that in tough times you can push forward if the offer is excellent. I feel incredibly lucky to be doing this and the response we get from local foodies is incredible.” He added that curious gourmands have been coming to dine at H I D D E N from across the UK. “People want a rich cultural experience from their potteries visit and what’s better than dining with locals?” If you’re keen to try, book here.

Cris Cohen’s new restaurant, H I D D E N, is taking bookings for March and April

🍸 Coldplay’s Chris Martin Serenades Staffs Newly-Weds. When a groom-to-be’s mother wrote to Chris Martin to ask if he could record a video message for the couple for their wedding day, the singer ended up flying in by helicopter and singing All My Love for the couple’s first dance at Blithfield Lakeside Barns in Rugeley instead. The bride and groom only realised it was the Coldplay star, who was sporting a white beanie behind the piano, halfway through their dance.

🏫 Stoke Town Hall Gets Upgraded Status. It’s hosted everyone from The Beatles to Black Sabbath and was also the place where Stoke’s city status was announced in 1925 – and now Stoke Town Hall is joining an exclusive group of buildings, including Battersea Power Station and parts of the Shambles in York, as part of the rarer Grade II* listed status by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic England. It joins local Grade II* listed buildings including the Regent Theatre and Middleport Pottery.

🥨 A word from Helen, editor/writer at The Knot

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has experienced a challenging period financially in the past 15 years or so, with a real-time funding drop from central government of £95 million to £27 million per year between 2010 and early 2024, meaning the council's overall spending power was reduced by about 25 per cent in real terms. The council received £59 million in emergency bailout loans over the last three years, mainly due to the spiralling cost of children’s services. Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council has repeatedly voiced its concerns over becoming a unitary authority with Stoke-on-Trent due to funding pressures.

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council is also determined that scheduled council elections on 7 May, 2026, will go ahead for all 44 seats, despite being asked by Alison McGovern, Minister of State for Local Government, to postpone them due to restructuring and a possible move to a unitary authority. Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s next elections are scheduled for 2027, while Staffordshire County Council held its elections this year and won’t be voting councillors in again until 2029.

What do you think of the government’s extra cash for Stoke - is it enough or should we get more? And how about Newcastle Under Lyme Borough Council’s upcoming elections? Should they go ahead or is it okay to postpone? Tell us in the comments below!

Really Good News 🎉 Your favourite news from the last week

New Posting Schedule: We’ll be posting regular feature articles on Wednesdays…
Girls Who Walk Stoke: this new listing for a free walking and social group in Stoke
that’s LGBTQ+, non binary, and trans inclusive generated a lot of interest…
Books on Stoke You’ll Love: It includes Stoke-on-Trent: the Story of a City 1925-2025, which charts key moments in the civic life of the city by local historian Fred Hughes.

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