Businesses in Cannock Chase District are being supported to Go Digital and transition to Net Zero under new government-funded projects to be delivered by Staffordshire University.

The fully funded Go Digital Accelerator project will support 16 SMEs who wish to adopt digital technologies or develop new digital products and services.

The 16-week project will involve an Innovation Advisor and Innovation Consultant – usually a trained student or graduate – who will tailor their support to meet bespoke business needs.  

Joint press release with Staffordshire County Council

People affected by the proposed closure of Amazon’s Rugeley distribution centre are being offered a support package by a Staffordshire partnership. 

While all employees have been offered positions at the new Sutton Coldfield facility, several hundred live locally those who choose to look for opportunities locally will be helped to find new jobs in Staffordshire.

Cannock Chase councillors have appointed fellow Councilllor, David Williams, to be the Council’s Armed Forces Champion for the remainder of the 2023/24 Council year.

Cannock Chase Council’s Parks, Culture, and Heritage Portfolio Leader, Councillor John Preece, has given an update on the future of the Museum of Cannock Chase in Hednesford.

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting last Thursday (13 July), he made the following statement:

“I would like to update Cabinet on the petition received at the Annual Council Meeting on the potential relocation of the Museum of Cannock Chase, where the Council received a petition with 3,200 signatures asking that it stays in Hednesford. The petition was set up by Darrell Mawle.

Reacting to this evening’s news from Amazon, Cannock Chase Council Leader, Councillor Tony Johnson said: 

“This is a really sad day for Rugeley and we feel for the workers who will be directly affected by Amazon’s proposal to close the Rugeley site and move operations to a new site in Sutton Coldfield, especially during these challenging economic times. 

“Amazon is the biggest employer in Cannock Chase District with around 1,000 workers, several hundred of whom live locally. This will also impact the town’s wider economy.

Residents living near the park in Barnard Way in Cannock are being given the opportunity to feedback on the design of the new play area which is due to be completed this year.

In January 2023, Cannock Chase Council’s Cabinet agreed to fund improvements to this play area in Cannock.

The costs to deliver the improvements will be met from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funds from the Cannock East ward at a cost of £88,000.

As part of its £20 million Levelling Up Fund scheme to create a leisure and cultural hub in Cannock town centre, Cannock Chase Council has made a compulsory purchase order and is now issuing a legal `Notice of Making a Compulsory Purchase Order`.

The notice, which is required to be published in one or more local newspapers for two consecutive weeks, sets out the Council’s intention to acquire 65 parcels of land, all located within the town centre.

A coalition between Labour, Green and the Liberal Democrat parties will run Cannock Chase Council for the next 12 months up to the May 2024 elections, it has been confirmed. 

After the elections on 4 May no single party had overall control on the Council, with the Conservative Party winning 18 seats, the Labour Party 17 seats, the Green Party 5 seats and the Liberal Democrats 1 seat.

The situation was resolved at the Annual Council Meeting held last week when Councillor Tony Johnson from the Labour Party was appointed Leader.