Cannock Chase Council officers are busy preparing for the elections on Thursday 6 May.   

Elections will be held across 13 Cannock Chase District Council wards, 6 Staffordshire County Council divisions (7 seats), and for the Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. There is also a by-election for a seat on Rugeley Town Council.

Candidates and their agents for the District and County Council elections are being invited to a virtual briefing via Zoom on Tuesday 16 March at 5pm.

Safety will be paramount throughout the election period.

The Council’s Cabinet have agreed to the allocation of S106 monies to the value of £22,877 for cycle storage and CCTV facilities in Market Street in Hednesford.

The S106 monies are linked to previous agreements with Tesco and Aldi.

At its meeting yesterday, Cabinet approved a new Local Development Scheme (LDS) for the next three years, which informs residents and stakeholders of each stage of the Local Plan review and opportunities to participate. At the same meeting the Cannock Chase Local Plan Preferred Option was also approved for consultation.

Households across Cannock Chase are being asked to take part in Census 2021 this Spring.

The census is a once-in-a-decade survey that gives us the most accurate estimate of all the people and households in England and Wales. It has been carried out every decade since 1801, with the exception of 1941.

Census 2021 will be the first run predominantly online. The census will include questions about your sex, age, work, health, education, household size and ethnicity.

Micro businesses, with one to four workers in Cannock Chase can benefit from 12 months’ free business support to help and guide them, following the pandemic.

The Council is pooling resources with Staffordshire County Council and other borough and district councils to offer free 12 month membership places with (FSB).

Membership will give free advice and guidance on issues such as legal and tax, employment legislation, health and safety, cyber protections and insurance.  This is available thanks to a partnership with Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). 

Businesses in Cannock Chase that remain closed due to the pandemic will receive a new grant payment, following the Prime Minister’s announcement on 22 February.

The Council is allocating over £2m, to businesses in the District that remain closed due to the Covid-19 restrictions. 

Businesses that have previously received the ‘Local Restrictions Support Grant’ and the ‘Council’s Additional Restrictions Grant’ will automatically get the payment by 5 March, at the latest. The new grants will cover the period from 16 February until the end of March.

‘We Are Watching’... Cannock Chase Council has installed CCTV in hot spot areas across the District to tackle fly tipping.

These cameras are first and foremost a deterrent, but the Council intends to use any evidence found to take enforcement action against the offenders. Fly tipping is an environmental crime, which has been steadily increasing over the last few years.

A Walsall man has been ordered to pay fines and costs of £359 after leaving a wine bottle on Cannock Chase. 

Mr Daniel Taylor, from Walsall, was witnessed littering the wine bottle by PC Darren Wilkes, Rural and Wildlife Crime Officer from Staffordshire Police.

Cannock Chase Council’s Environmental Health Team then issued Mr Taylor with a fixed penalty notice for £75 and when it wasn’t paid, he was taken to court.