An informal partnership has been announced between Cannock Chase Council’s Labour Group and its Green Party Group following the recent District Elections where no single party was able to take overall control.

It was formally announced at the Council’s Annual Meeting held on 29 May when positions for the Cabinet were also announced.

The Council has 41 councillors. After the elections Labour held 18 seats, the Conservatives 15, the Greens 5, the Liberal Democrats 2 and there was 1 Independent.

Cannock Chase Council’s Cabinet has agreed that nominations from its housing list can be submitted to occupy 48 dwellings owned by Walsall Housing Group that have been unoccupied since Axil Integrated Services raised safety concerns about their proximity to its hazardous waste site at Walkmill Lane in Bridgtown, Cannock.

Garden House Express Limited, the company which operates the China Garden restaurant at High Green Court in Cannock, and a company director, have been found guilty of seven breaches of food hygiene law by Cannock Magistrates Court at a hearing held on 10 June. 

This followed inspections carried out on 17 January this year and on 1 March 2018. Garden House Express Limited was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £2,220 towards Cannock Chase Council’s costs.

Two tenants have recently been evicted from their Council homes by Cannock Chase Council after making their neighbours’ lives a misery.

A Council tenant from Devon Road, Cannock was convicted on 22 August last year for drug related offences for ‘possession of controlled drugs with intent to supply’. Based on these offences which occurred at the Council property, Cannock Chase Council sought possession at Walsall County Court and the eviction was subsequently carried out on 31 January.

The tenant was required to pay costs totaling £1,834.40.

Councillors from Cannock Chase Council  took a tour of the new look Chase Leisure Centre in Cannock on Monday prior to it being fully opened to the public in 12 days time following a major refurbishment.

The £1M development of Chase Leisure Centre will be complete and opened on Saturday 30 March and it is promising to be a hit with fitness fans.

Refurbishments, which have been taking place in phases since last November, will soon be complete with a host of new workout opportunities including immersive cycling.

The Chairman of energy regulator Ofgem, Martin Cave, has been in Cannock to find out about an innovative community solar installation scheme that feeds surplus energy into the national grid, so reducing the bills of Council tenants who could otherwise be facing fuel poverty.

He was joined on his fact finding visit by Ofgem’s Executive Director for Consumers and Markets, Mary Stark.

The Solar PV installation is managed by Chase Community Solar, one of the largest community energy projects in the UK managed entirely by volunteers.