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.

Cannock Chase Council is delighted to announce that the street market in Cannock Town Centre will be trialled on Tuesdays during the summer of 2019.

Cannock’s regular street market usually takes place on a Friday, and following a Cabinet decision on 18 April, will now be trialled on Tuesdays as well.

From Tuesday 11 June the market will be in Cannock Town Centre from 9am until 4pm on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Paije Hodgkiss aged 16 from Cannock has been awarded Cannock Chase Council’s Youth Endeavour Award for 2019.

The Youth Endeavour Award is given to a young person between the ages of 11 and 18 who lives in the District and has made an outstanding contribution to their community, shown great bravery, or helped others in some way. 

Paije was nominated by Miss Jinks, Director of Year 11 at Cannock Chase High School who described her as “an amazing young lady, who always puts others before herself.”

A resident from Cannock has been fined after failing to pick up after one of her dogs fouled.

Mrs Maureen Smith from Hednesford Road, Cannock attended Cannock Magistrates Court and entered a not guilty plea, after being caught by a member of the public after failing to pick up after one of her dogs fouled on a local football pitch.

However, Mrs Smith was found guilty on 13 May 2019 by Cannock Magistrates Court and was fined £150, ordered to pay costs of £700 and a victim surcharge of £20.

A Telford man has been prosecuted for fly tipping on private land in Cannock.

On 20 May Mr John Antill from Stanwyck in Telford pleaded guilty to breaching Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Newcastle Under-Lyme Magistrates Court.

Mr Antill was fined £120 and ordered to pay costs of £684.75 as well as a victim surcharge of £30, totalling £834.75.

Cannock Chase Council is asking local people to get involved with future development decisions and have their say in a consultation on a new Local Plan.

The Local Plan covers at least a fifteen year period and determines what sort of development is needed for the future, for example; homes, businesses and shops, how much development is needed and where it should go.  It also sets a clear policy for protecting and improving the local environment and delivering local infrastructure.

Lynette Willdigg, from Cannock, was ordered to pay the fine by Newcastle Magistrates Court after discarding two cigarette ends on the car park at B&M and McDonalds, in Cannock.

On 17 September 2018, Ms Willdigg was witnessed littering two cigarette ends by two Enforcement Officers. Ms Willdigg was offered the opportunity to avoid court proceedings, by paying a Fixed Penalty of £75 – reduced to £50 if paid within ten days. Ms Willdigg failed to pay and as a consequence was prosecuted by the Council.