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. 

Residents living in and around the Laburnum Avenue Recreational Area in Cannock have had the opportunity to design their new play area and provide ideas for wider site improvements as part of the first stage of consultation.  

Several community engagement sessions were held last month which took place on site and in local primary schools. Children and the local community took part in a Planning for Real exercise whereby they had the opportunity to spend £130,000 and design their own play area.