Cannock Chase Council officers are busy preparing for the elections on Thursday 6 May.   

Elections will be held across 13 Cannock Chase District Council wards, 6 Staffordshire County Council divisions (7 seats), and for the Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. There is also a by-election for a seat on Rugeley Town Council.

Candidates and their agents for the District and County Council elections are being invited to a virtual briefing via Zoom on Tuesday 16 March at 5pm.

Safety will be paramount throughout the election period.

‘We Are Watching’... Cannock Chase Council has installed CCTV in hot spot areas across the District to tackle fly tipping.

These cameras are first and foremost a deterrent, but the Council intends to use any evidence found to take enforcement action against the offenders. Fly tipping is an environmental crime, which has been steadily increasing over the last few years.

A Walsall man has been ordered to pay fines and costs of £359 after leaving a wine bottle on Cannock Chase. 

Mr Daniel Taylor, from Walsall, was witnessed littering the wine bottle by PC Darren Wilkes, Rural and Wildlife Crime Officer from Staffordshire Police.

Cannock Chase Council’s Environmental Health Team then issued Mr Taylor with a fixed penalty notice for £75 and when it wasn’t paid, he was taken to court.

Cannock Chase Council’s Cabinet has today (28 January) put forward its recommendations for the Council’s general fund budget covering the next three financial years to 2023-24.

In today’s Cabinet report the focus was on the impact of the pandemic on the Council and its residents and the need to maintain services for residents.

The impact of Covid-19 on the Council during the next financial year, for 2021-22, is estimated to be £1.4million.  

Cannock Chase Council has announced phase 2 of its social housing investment programme with a further £12 million of resources being allocated to this new phase.

The next Census takes place on Sunday 21 March and to ensure its success in Cannock Chase District, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has appointed a Census Engagement Manager to support residents in the area.

Kirat Raj Singh, the area’s Census Engagement Manager, will help organisations, charities, faith groups and community leaders within the District raise awareness of the census and the value to residents in taking part. In his role he will be covering Cannock Chase, South Staffordshire and Tamworth districts with support from each of the councils.

The leaders of all Staffordshire councils have joined forces to appeal for all workers who can’t work from home to book a regular Covid test – as part of the rollout of mass testing of people without symptoms.

With new Community Testing Centres open across the county, council leaders are calling for workers in all places allowed to stay open, to make testing part of their regular routine in efforts to identify more people who may unknowingly be carrying the virus.

Cannock’s rail station and car park are getting a makeover. The new short-term improvements are being made in time for the opening of the new McArthurGlen Designer Outlet at nearby Mill Green, which is due to open for business in the next few months.

Over 80 murals are being installed on the rear of the railway station platforms and the access walkways leading to and from the station’s two platforms. The images, provided by local photographers Anthony Dunn and Michelle Williams  are of local scenes, landmarks and points of interest from around the District.

Eligible businesses who continue to be affected by Government restrictions around Covid-19 are being invited to apply for an Additional Restrictions Grant from Cannock Chase Council.

Grants of up to £1,500 per fortnight can be claimed from a pot of nearly £2m, which is available to support businesses following the end of the national lockdown on 2 December. It is aimed at businesses that, while not required to close, are finding trading very difficult due to the effects of the pandemic. This will include businesses who do not currently pay business rates. 

Cannock Chase Council has been successful in securing a grant from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation to construct a new full sized third generation artificial grass football pitch at Rugeley Leisure Centre.

The award from the Football Foundation of £460,016 will be added to funds provided by Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles of £155,000 and £194,999 from Cannock Chase Council’s own Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) to provide a total investment of £810,015, benefitting local footballers with a state of the art new pitch.