Play area shut as deal with charity comes to an end

Sainsbury's is 'reviewing next steps'

- Dave Knapper

A PLAY area built as part of a new supermarket development has been locked up.

Bosses at Sainsbury's say it is reviewing the area in Leek as an agreement with a charity brought in to run it approaches the end.

Council leaders are also keeping tabs on developments after revealing how a condition under the original planning application for the town’s Sainsbury's store contained a request that a play area had to be created.

However, while the nature reserve by the store can still be accessed, the play area has been shut off with the gate locked.

The £50,000 play area was launched in 2016 - three years after the store opened.

It was funded by the supermarket chain with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust brought in to run it. The area around it was also sculpted to help encourage wildlife.