Cannock Chase Council’s Cabinet agreed at their meeting yesterday (Thursday), to provide financial assistance to Inspiring healthy lifestyles (IHL) following the temporary closure of its Culture and Leisure Facilities.

IHL manages Chase Leisure Centre, Rugeley Leisure Centre, 5s Pavilion, the Prince of Wales Theatre, the Museum of Cannock Chase and community activities on behalf of the Council.

Whilst residents of Cannock Chase are following government guidelines and staying at home, there has been a massive increase in general waste and recycling.

Last week our waste and recycling teams collected 1,105 tonnes of waste and recycling, this is 16% above the amount that is normally collected at this time of year.

Cannock Chase Council has launched a COVID-19 Community Vulnerability Hub to provide targeted support for those most at risk during the coronavirus outbreak.

Cannock Chase Community Vulnerability Hub is targeting local residents considered most at risk as well the Council’s most vulnerable housing tenants. This will include residents who have no family, friends or trusted neighbours they can call upon during this unprecedented time. A new logo has been designed to identify the Hub.

Cannock Chase Council officers have been working hard to process the emergency grants received from government to help eligible businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first payments were made on 6 April and it expects the vast majority of these grants to have been paid by the end of the month.

As of 15 April, the Council had made grant payments to businesses in the District worth £9 million, representing 40% of the anticipated number of eligible payments.

Cannock Chase Council and Staffordshire Police have received a number of reports about social gatherings that have taken place in local streets over the Easter weekend.

The Council and local police are politely reminding residents that they cannot socialise with friends or relatives who do not live in the same household. This includes not meeting others, including neighbours outside, unless strict social distancing measures are followed.

Support is still available to anyone affected by domestic abuse across Cannock Chase District during the Coronavirus lockdown. Local support services are offering alternative ways to provide help for those trapped in an abusive situation at home.

All those services which previously offered face-to-face or group support, including the New Era victim and perpetrator service commissioned by the Staffordshire Commissioner’s Office, can now be accessed online, by Skype or webchat where available, or by telephone.

Officers from Cannock Chase Council visited hundreds of businesses over the Easter bank holiday weekend to check that those required to be closed were complying with the law. 

Across the District officers visited places including shops, restaurants, gyms, nail bars, pubs, hotels, hair salons, playgrounds, cafes, churches, betting shops, tattooists, and car showrooms and none of them were found to be open illegally.

Council Officers were also on hand to give advice and support to places that are allowed to remain open including takeaways and certain shops.

Cannock Chase Council has served prohibition notices on two pubs in Hednesford after people were found to be drinking in contravention of the regulations introduced by government at the end of last month.

Following a complaint received about people gathering in a pub, officers from Staffordshire Police entered the first premises on the afternoon of 28 March and discovered a number of people drinking within it. Following further enquiries, a similar notice was served on another nearby pub in the town.

Residents of Cannock Chase have been leaving messages of thanks attached to their bins, thanking refuse crews for their hard work and dedication during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bin men completing their collections have been overwhelmed by the brightly coloured pictures and messages of thanks and have even been left gifts such as Easter eggs as thanks for their hard work.

As Cannock Chase Council prepares to make its first Business Support Grant payments after receiving funding from government, it is warning against a number of business scams that have been brought to its attention.

A district councillor was contacted by three businesses saying they had received phone calls purporting to be from the Council in which shop owners were asked for their bank details over the phone to enable them to have a grant payment paid direct in to their accounts.