The Housing Neighbourhoods Team work closely with Partners and key agencies ranging from Staffordshire Police, Social Services, and Environmental Health.

We would describe Anti-Social Behaviour as behaviour that causes harassment, alarm or distress to a person. This can include:

Not all nuisance behaviour is ASB.  Every household is different, and although you may not like the way your neighbour lives or behaves, this does not necessarily mean your neighbour has demonstrated ASB, especially if no one is at risk or harm.  

We would not considered these type of behaviours to be ASB:

Children playing ball games, reasonable domestic noise such as vacuuming, doors closing, washing machines, televisions or babies crying, cooking smells, reasonable external noise including mowing lawns, DIY and repairs or children playing in an around their homes or in play areas, neighbours’ cats coming into your garden, one-off incidents of loud music or noise disturbance, including family celebrations or parking congestion in the street.  
As a general rule we will not usually take action on these types of issues.

You can report Anti-Social Behaviour online here.

You can contact us direct if you wish to speak to a Neighbourhoods Officer on 01543 462621 or email us at EMTeam@cannockchasedc.gov.uk

Further information:

Community Safety Delivery Plan

Anti-Social Behaviour and Hate Crime Policy

In certain cases of Anti-Social Behaviour and neighbour disputes, Cannock Chase Council will use an independent from the Council mediation service to empower people to work together to resolve their problems.  Solutions are offered by the parties themselves, enabling them to remain in control of any outcomes.  Resolutions are only created if all parties are in full agreement.   Agreements made are not legally binding, however, parties are more likely to adhere to them because they have created them themselves.

Mediation is most likely to work in the earlier stages of a case; however mediation can still be effective in older cases.  Mediation should not be regarded as a last resort when all else has failed, an informed decision should be made on a case by case basis.

The following are some of the indicators which might suggest that mediation is ideal.

• Parties seem to be misinterpreting each others behaviour
• Parties used to be friends
• Parties have never properly met
• There is alleged discrimination between parties; for example based on race, sexuality, gender, age, etc
• Parties have different lifestyles

Your Neighbourhood Team Officer will discuss with you if your complaint or dispute should be referred to a mediation service.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a key priority for Cannock Chase Council and other key organisations throughout the district.

Please see our leaflet below on the Legal and Non Legal Tools for ASB currently being used by Cannock Chase Council in dealing with Anti-Social Behaviour.

Cannock Chase Council, Housing Services want to make it as easy and simple as possible for our customers to report incidents of anti-social behaviour including 'out of normal office hours'.

Out of Hours Calls will go directly through to an advisor.  All calls received will be recorded and passed through to the relevant Partner Agency, this could be either the Police, Environmental Health or the Housing Services Neighbourhoods Team or Community Safety Partnership Team who will deal with the situation accordingly.

All calls will be treated in the strictest confidence.

If you wish to report a less urgent crime or disorder and for general Police enquiries, please contact Staffordshire Police on 101 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

If your call is an emergency you must contact the Police on 999.

You can also report Anti-Social Behaviour on-line here.

The Anti-Social Behaviour Incident Diary is available to download below:

Anti-Social Behavior Incident Diary

To complete the diary, you will need to open and save the pdf file with Adobe Acrobat Reader. This is free to download from adobe.co.uk

Witness Support

Hate Crime is any incident where someone has been targeted because they are believed to be of a different race, religion or gender or because of their sexuality or disability.

As we are committed to tackling any kind of hate crime or incident that occurs in the district, we are working closely with Staffordshire is USAH (Uniting Staffordshire Against Hate).

USAH is a free and confidential service providing information and emotional and practical support to all victims of hate driven crime or incidents.
They can be contacted by calling 0330 0881 339 or visit their website: https://usah.co.uk

For further information on all of the above, please see our leaflet Reporting Hate Crimes below.

For reporting incidents of a criminal but non emergency nature please contact the Police on 101.

REMEMBER - In an EMERGENCY please dial 999.

Reporting Hate Crimes

If your partner, ex-partner or a family member is causing you mental or physical harm or distress, you may be experiencing domestic abuse.

Examples of domestic abuse include controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, and psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional abuse.

Help is available if you are experiencing domestic abuse and we work with a wide range of agencies to keep people safe.  Help is also available to perpetrators of domestic abuse to support them to manage their behaviour and make positive changes.

If someone is hurt or in immediate danger call 999.  

Support Agencies that can help:

New Era offers help to those affected by Domestic Abuse and provides free confidential support for Victims, perpetrators and their families

Glow (Victims and Perpetrators) 0330 094 8878

New Era (Perpetrators) 0300 373 5772

North Staffs Combined Healthcare (Access Team) 0800 0328 728

Further information and support, for both victims and perpetrators, is available on our Domestic Abuse Support page.

If you need to flee a violent situation, under the Housing Act 1996 Part VII, you have the right to approach any Local Authority within the country and ask for assistance, following implementation of the Homelessness Act 2002. It is not only domestic violence that is relevant, but all forms of violence or threats of violence including racially motivated violence or threats of violence likely to be carried out.
Temporary accommodation will be offered in a hostel, refuge or bed and breakfast. The Local Authority may offer you this whilst you get an injunction against the violent partner (ex-partner/ husband). The Council cannot force you to return to the home that you are fleeing violence from.

IF I LEAVE WHERE CAN I GO?

If it is safe for you to do so, you may choose to stay with family or friends.

Self contained units of accommodation and refuges are accessible for women, both with or without children and are usually offered on a referral basis via the Local Authority or Women's Aid.

The centres and refuges offer their clients support and advice on welfare, benefits, housing and legalities.

The centres and refuges are usually a short term solution until permanent housing has been arranged, via owner occupation, social or private rented.

How can the Local Authority Help?

Those experiencing Domestic Violence can apply to their Local Authority for rehousing under section 177 of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended by the Homeless Act 2002).
If you are a Council tenant you can still apply to the Council rehousing under Homeless provisions of the Housing Act (as amended).
If you are staying in accommodation, which has not been provided by the Council, you can apply for rehousing either through the homeless route or by joining the Councils' housing register.
If somebody is experiencing domestic violence and comes from another area of the country and is too frightened to return home the Council cannot send them back, this would be deemed unreasonable to do so.

Options
There are 3 options:

• Leave your home - either temporarily or permanently, with an option of taking legal action against the perpetrator.
• Criminal Action - action taken by the Police and prosecution in the Courts.
• Civil Proceedings - plaintiff sues and outcome can be damages and/or injunction.

Further Options
This can be obtained through a solicitor by using the Family Law Act 1996 Part VI. There are two types of orders you can apply for and these are:

Occupation Order - It determines who can live in the property and order a violent or abusive partner to leave. This is only a temporary solution, which lasts for up to six months and then renewed. Orders can be renewed several times or granted indefinitely. Unless you are not married and not the legal owner or tenant, the maximum period is 12 months.
Non-molestation Order - Orders the abuser to stop committing any violence or threatening behaviour to you or the children. This too can be renewed indefinitely.
Both types of order can be granted together.

The violent, abusive or threatening behavioured partner may try to convince you that your children will be taken into care if you leave. This will not happen; the Courts will not allow it. If you do not work or are on a low income, benefits will enable you to live independently.

Our Housing Options and Homelessness section provides more detailled information on Relationship Breakdowns.

April 2024

A Council flat in Cannock used as a drugs den by dealers has been closed by magistrates and entrance barred to all persons causing Anti-Social Behaviour.

Cannock Chase Housing Neighbourhoods Team and the Police acted quickly to stop illegal drug activity at the property in Avon Road, Cannock.

Using the powers of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act, a Closure Notice was issued by the court - it means that no-one can enter the flat.

The Housing Department work closely with our partners to combat illegal drug activity in the district. By using the Closure Order, we have been able to stop the illegal activity. 
The Housing Department has recently obtained possession of this property through the Court and this will result in the eviction of the tenant.