The owner of a gym in Rugeley has been prosecuted for illegally remaining open during the first Covid-19 lockdown, despite having been previously warned to close.

On 28 April Environmental Health Officers from Cannock Chase Council visited Garth’s Gym Future Bodies on Power Station Road in the town. The staff had locked themselves inside and initially refused to allow the officers in. Once they gained entry, they found people at the back of the building in exercise clothing.

Cannock Chase Council has now received funding from the Government to help businesses in the District whose trading has been affected during the current national lockdown. Grants are now available to be claimed from the Council.

The funding is aimed at businesses forced to close or those seriously affected by the lockdown measures that began on 5 November and which are due to continue until 2 December. The grants will help compensate for income lost during this four-week period.

Cannock Chase Council has given its views on the Planning for the Future White Paper which the Government consulted on between early August and late October.

The White Paper advocates reforms to the planning system by `streamlining and modernising the process through a new focus on design and sustainability, by improving the system of developer contributions and by providing more land for development`.

In total, the Government has made 24 proposals across three policy pillars and it is these proposals that the Council has responded to with its views.

`By and large the majority of Council services will continue as usual` is the message from Cannock Chase Council as the country prepares to enter another lockdown period this Thursday (5 November) which is expected to last until Wednesday 2 December.

However, in line with the Government’s announcement which included details of businesses needing to close and personal restrictions to be put in place, there will be some changes made to Council services as a result.

Closing as from the end of Wednesday will be the following:

Work is now well underway to build new homes on land at the Council’s Hawks Green Depot site at Old Hednesford Road in Cannock.

The housing development scheme is the result of a successful partnership between Cannock Chase Council and Cannock based Jessup Brothers. The development will transform part of the Council’s Depot into a mixed tenure housing estate. It is the first scheme to be built with money from the Council’s £12.9m Housing Investment Fund.

The announcement that Staffordshire will move from the lowest Covid-19 restrictions of Tier 1 and Medium, to Tier 2 and High from 00.01 on Saturday 31 October was “to be expected”, says the Leader of Cannock Chase Council.

Councillor George Adamson gave his name to a joint letter with Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Care and Wellbeing Dr Johnny McMahon delivered to all households last week urging residents to follow the Covid-19 rules.

Cannock Chase Council is asking residents views on a new Corporate Plan for 2021-2024, which will set out the priorities and objectives for the District.

The current corporate plan runs from 2018-2023, however the Covid-19 pandemic has had such a profound impact on the Council and the District that is has been decided to review and replace the current plan.

The Council is proposing three priorities;

1. Supporting Economic Recovery

2. Supporting Heath and Wellbeing

3. Financially resilient District

A fly-tipper apprehended in Cannock Chase District in August is feeling rather dejected after the Ford Transit Van he was using to illegally discard waste was well and truly crushed this week at a vehicle crushing site.

News that a new Digital Skills Academy is to be established in Cannock and Tamworth by South Staffordshire College has been welcomed by Cannock Chase Council as it plans for economic recovery in the District.

The new academy is one of 11 `shovel ready` schemes put forward by Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) that have succeeded in attracting a share of the government’s £900million Getting Building Fund that has been announced. The intention is that all projects will be completed by March 2022.

Cannock Chase councillors have responded to new legislation from Government for a pavement licensing scheme, by voting unanimously to support it at its Council Meeting held last evening. The scheme allows businesses selling food and drink to place tables and chairs and associated furniture outside of their premises.

Furthermore, councillors agreed to make the `pavement licences` free of charge to successful applicants. Other local authorities have decided to charge businesses £100 for a licence, the maximum amount allowed by Government.