Published: Wednesday 01st April 2020 | 5.46pm
Cannock Chase Council is focusing on providing the most essential services to residents and businesses as it deals with the current challenges.
With most staff working from home in line with government guidance this has changed the way the Council is delivering some of its services and has resulted in the Council having to suspend other services.
On a daily basis it is updating its website www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk and Facebook (search Cannock Chase Life) and Twitter (@cannockchasedc) sites on service information,
There are daily updates on bin collections and other service news, and via the website there are links to claim for benefits and to learn about support for businesses which is now coming through from government around business rates relief.
Key services continuing to run:
- Business and Financial Support – making payments of Government grants and confirming additional business rates relief to those businesses that qualify for this additional support. Handling queries and providing advice to residents about Universal Credit and Housing Benefits, and dealing with any concerns about making Council Tax payments due again from this month.
- Waste collection – these are continuing as usual but may take longer owing to staff sickness, so residents should leave their bins out until they have been emptied. We are asking residents to please clean handles and lids of their waste containers before and after collections to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- Street cleansing – this continues but with a greatly reduced service during the week. Residents are asked not to add to litter bins whether overfilled or not, but to take their litter / dog poo bags home with them and dispose of them in their general waste bins.
- Housing Services - the Housing Reception at the Civic Offices is operating limited opening hours for those people who are homeless. It is open from 10am to 11am and 3.30pm to 4.30pm Mondays to Fridays. Staff are available to handle housing enquiries including rent payments. Gas Servicing continues including annual gas saftey checks in tenants' homes.
- Housing Maintenance - emergency repairs still being carried out.
- Environmental Health Service – continuing to operate remotely and able to respond to any urgent matters. The service continues to process taxi and other licence renewals and is monitoring compliance with business closure requirements.
- Parks Service – limited service in operation; continuing with golf course, inspecting high risk trees, some grass cutting (where safe to do), maintenance and feeding the animals in Elmore Park and the cattle on Hednesford Hills.
Services and facilities currently closed:
- Reception offices at the Civic Centre in Cannock and Rugeley Area Office
- Chase Leisure Centre including the golf course, Rugeley Leisure Centre, 5s Pavilion at Hednesford, Prince of Wales Theatre and the Museum of Cannock Chase
- All Council owned play areas and toilet facilities, and entrances blocked to all our main parks where possible: Cannock Park, Hednesford Park, The Stadium, Heath Hayes Park, Ravenhill, Elmore Park, including open spaces such as Mill Green, Castle Ring and Laburnum Avenue.
- Housing maintenance – non essential repairs on hold; residents will be contacted in the near future to have their appointment rearranged.
- Markets: Cannock Indoor Market, Prince of Wales Market Hall and Rugeley Market Hall
- MOT testing centre at Hawks Green, Cannock
- Most grass cutting suspended
Although the Council successfully ran a Planning Committee last week using remote technology for some participants, it has decided to cancel its April Council and Cabinet meetings. These meetings, along with Planning and Licensing Committees, will continue subject to there being important business to discuss.
How to contact us:
You can do the following online 24/7 at www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/online
- Make Payments online for many of our services
- Report issues
- Request services and
- Access a wealth of information
Alternatively you can contact us
- By email at customerservices@cannockchasedc.gov.uk
- By telephone on 01543 462621
With the Council having a particular responsibility to support vulnerable people at this time, there may be a range of other requests for help around Coronavirus (not NHS related) including how to access other council services not managed by Cannock Chase Council.
The specific email address cv19public@cannockchasedc.gov.uk has therefore been set up by the Council for people to use.
Tony McGovern, Managing Director of Cannock Chase Council said: “Many vulnerable people will also be Council housing tenants and we have a particular responsibility to support them, especially if they have no family network or are struggling.
“Our staff and councillors are doing all they can to provide essential services and offering practical support and advice across our communities. As to be expected we have been taking a huge number of enquiries and will deal with these sympathetically and professionally to help everyone needing help. Please may I ask everyone to be patient if it takes longer than normal to respond and help you.”