The Council

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.

As the largest party, Labour has agreed an informal partnership with the Green Party where they have agreed to work together for the foreseeable future with the intention of ensuring the smooth running of Council services.

The Labour Group will form the administration and will consult with their colleagues in the Green Party Group on policy issues. This includes the Green Party Group Leader, Councillor Paul Woodhead, attending Cabinet meetings as an observer.

Labour Leader, Councillor George Adamson, said: “It is vital that the work of the Council continues to run smoothly. We are looking forward to working much more closely with our colleagues from the Green Party to ensure that this is the case. It’s in the best interests of our residents that we co-operate. That’s what the voters told us at the election and that’s what we will do."

Green Party Group Leader, Councillor Paul Woodhead said: "Our continued priority is to be the best ward councillors you can rely on to be available, visible and active in our community. In order to protect green spaces, tackle homelessness, support local business and reform the way the Council works we have agreed to support the largest group on the Council and will be working with them where we agree and be a critical friend where we differ. We will also work with others in the Council chamber where we can."

After the same elections the opposition Conservative Party Group announced that Councillor Olivia Lyons will be their Leader and therefore Leader of the Opposition. She succeeds Paul Snape who retired from this role at the Council.

Details of the new Cabinet can be found at www.cannockchasecouncil.gov.uk (search `Cabinet`in Find It!)

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.

The dwellings, part of the Chenet Chase Development of 111 residential dwellings including 55 for social housing, were built by Galliford Try following the granting of planning permission by the Council in January 2016 after consultation with statutory bodies the Health and Safety Executive, the Environment Agency and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service.

In July 2017, with construction under way, Axil presented a technical report raising safety concerns about the houses being built on this established brownfield site.

During the past two years the Council, Walsall Housing Group, Galliford Try, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Environment Agency have been discussing Axil`s concerns to understand the nature of the risks the company is concerned about and how best to mitigate against these.

At today’s Cabinet meeting (13 June) councillors heard about a series of non-statutory mitigations Walsall Housing Group is prepared to implement. This has given councillors the confidence that nominations can now be made, on the condition that the additional risk mitigations are successfully installed. Occupation of the dwellings would be undertaken on a phased basis.

The specific risk mitigations noted by councillors, some of which will be subject to planning consent, are:

• The installation of a 4m high Heatshield along the entire boundary with Axil Integrated Services
• The fitting of water sprinklers to plots 51-68 (apartment block) and plots 40-50 (houses) on the Axil boundary perimeter
• The removal of two car parking spaces along the boundary with Axil to reduce fire risk
• The installation of gated access to the apartment block to reduce fire risk on the Axil boundary
• That a quarterly review meeting is held with all key stakeholders on an ongoing basis to review and monitor risk issues and take any appropriate actions for further risk mitigation

The Cabinet has approved a grant of up to £100,000 in relation to the 48 vacant

dwellings from the New Homes Bonus Earmarked Reserve subject to the properties being brought back into use and that Walsall Housing Group implement the additional risk mitigations.

Cabinet has agreed that any individual on the Council’s housing list who is offered a property at Chenet Chase will be made fully aware of all the risk information beforehand and if they refuse, this will not affect their housing application status.

Cabinet was also in agreement that consideration be given to setting up a Resident Liaison Group to ensure that all residents (private or in social housing) are kept up to date with developments on and around the site.

Finally, Cabinet approved a proposal to send a letter to Axil Integrated Services requesting that the company considers the installation of a Hydrogen Cyanide Sensor (HCN) as a further and non-statutory risk mitigation to promote public safety. The installation of a sensor was recommended in a technical report produced for Walsall Housing Group by AECOM in December 2018.

Tony McGovern, Managing Director of Cannock Chase Council said: “This is a significant step forward in trying to resolve the current issues at the Chenet Chase development. We are grateful for the support of our partners, and particularly to Walsall Housing Group in supporting the range of measures designed to provide a sustainable way forward and allow occupation of the vacant dwellings”.

Gary Fulford, Group Chief Executive at whg, said: “The safety of our customers is whg’s number one priority. Once we were made aware of concerns raised by Axil Integrated Services (formerly Augean) we took the decision not to let these homes until we understood the issues in full.

“We have since discussed the safety concerns in depth with Cannock Chase District Council, the developer Galliford Try Partnerships, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Environment Agency and of course Axil themselves.

“In addition to this, we have sourced considerable independent challenge and specialist advice to give our Board assurance and to enable them to fully understand the picture of risk, its likelihood and opportunities for mitigation.

“A key element of this assurance was gained from Axil’s explicit confirmation and sharing of evidence that they run a safe and fully compliant operation, which in turn has been supported by the HSE.

“All of this work, together with the decision by the Council’s Cabinet in relation to a series of non-statutory mitigation measures proposed by whg, mean families will soon be able to live in these affordable, new and most importantly, safe homes.”

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.

Company director, Mr Zi Yao Gao, was fined a further £500 and ordered to pay £2,219 in costs. Surcharges totalling £220 were also imposed. 

The court heard how Environmental Health Officers from the Council visited China Garden on both occasions and found the restaurant’s kitchen had greasy and dirty walls and floors and the wash hand basins were either without hot water or were inaccessible. On one occasion staff were found not wearing protective clothing, using dirty cloths to clean surfaces and risking food contamination in the way they prepared raw chicken.

The court heard that Environmental Health Officers had contacted Mr Gao several times regarding the condition of his premises and he had been given many opportunities to tackle the problems but had failed to act on their advice. Mr Gao admitted only visiting the premises for an hour or two every week. The court decided he had been neglecting his responsibilities by not checking that staff he employed were keeping the kitchen clean and were following procedures for handling food hygienically.   

Councillor Christine Martin, the Council’s Health and Wellbeing Portfolio Leader said: “Most of our restaurants are well run with good hygiene standards. It is rare for us to bring cases like this but China Garden has had a poor hygiene rating for a while.

“Those who have a history of poor hygiene and refuse to act on the advice of our officers cannot be allowed to trade without consequence. I would urge any food business that might be in difficulty to speak to our officers who will continue to offer free help and advice.” 

The court heard how much of the restaurant’s business was through the App `Just Eat`.

99.4 % of businesses in Cannock have Satisfactory, Good or Very Good (3, 4 or 5) Food Hygiene Ratings. To find out more about your local restaurant/takeaway and their food hygiene rating visit www.ratings.food.gov.uk.

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.

Councillor Gordon Alcott, Portfolio Leader for Town Centre Regeneration said “This is a good move for Cannock and will help to increase the footfall in the town centre.  Sketts street market has been running for the last four years and they offer up to 25 stalls offering a wide variety of goods and produce.”

Sketts were appointed as the new street operator in October 2015 and have successfully built up a quality and varied market that increases the footfall into the town centre.

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.”

Whilst working part time in a shop Paije recognised that an elderly lady was struggling with her shopping bag and offered to help carry her shopping home, this soon became a regular thing.  The school has received emails from the ladies daughter outlining the kindness Paije demonstrates.

Paije has supported many charities by organising various dance events and a sponsored walk, she has also donated some of her wages from her part time job.

Paije is a Senior Prefect in Year 11 at Cannock Chase High School and demonstrates an extremely caring nature towards other students of all ages and abilities.  This includes supporting others with revision and helping them when they are struggling.

She volunteers at a local care home by taking the residents to the in-house café, spending time talking to them and accompanies her auntie who works at the care home to take residents into Cannock in their wheelchairs.

Outgoing Chairman Councillor Paul Witton said “Paije is really an incredible young lady.  I am proud to give this award to such a humble individual, who doesn’t see any of her actions as special.  She is a real credit to our District and a perfect role model to her peers.”

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.

Mrs Smith had been offered the opportunity to avoid court proceedings in relation to the dog fouling incident, by paying a Fixed Penalty, which she declined. Therefore, the case proceeded to court.

Dog fouling remains one of the most frequent causes of complaint and patrols operate regularly in areas prone dog fouling.

The Council has now introduced a Public Space Protection Order (Dog Control) which supersedes the 2 previous Dog Control Orders in place from 2010.

The Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) is now in force and makes it an offence for the person in control of a dog to not remove faeces, from land to which the Order applies, immediately after the dog has fouled.

The Order also makes it an offence to not have or produce, when requested by an authorised officer, a receptacle for picking up dog faeces prior to it`s disposal. It is also an offence to not dispose of the dog faeces in a suitable bin provided for the disposal of waste, including standard litter bins.

Anyone found guilty of any of these offences can be issued with a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice payable within 14 days. Failure to pay this fine could result in a prosecution at the Magistrates Court where the maximum fine is currently £1000.

Councillor John Preece, Portfolio Leader for Environment said “The Council takes dog fouling very seriously and will always consider taking action against offenders where reports are received from members of the public who have seen a dog fouling and are able to provide officers with credible evidence of the offence. In these cases officers will need to take a witness statement from the person reporting the fouling, for use should it be necessary to take the offender to Court. However, the vast majority of offenders pay the Fixed Penalty rather than take the risk of going to court and receiving a much larger fine.” 

Cannock Chase Council is committed to improving the environment for local communities, businesses and visitors to the area. Officers regularly undertake patrols across the District in an effort to tackle those responsible for littering and dog fouling.

Incidents can be reported by contacting the Council on 01543 462621, by emailing environmentalhealth@cannockchasedc.gov.uk or via the website.

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.

In August 2017 Mr Antill was witnessed by a member of the public dumping a large amount of waste in a field off Gains Lane in Cannock.  The witness provided the details of the offender’s vehicle to Cannock Chase Council which was linked back to Mr Antill.

Documentation in the waste linked it to a property in Walsall and Council officers investigating the incident discovered that the producer of the waste engaged Mr Antill who also advertised his waste disposal services on Facebook. Mr Antill was paid to remove the waste and dispose of it correctly, however, that didn’t happen and the waste was fly-tipped on private land.

Councillor John Preece, Portfolio Leader for Environment said “We strongly recommend members of the public to check the credentials of anyone offering waste disposal services especially when using the services of those advertising on social media. A list of legitimate registered waste carriers is available of the Environment Agency’s website. Making a note of the vehicle and its registration number as well as obtaining a receipt from the waste carrier is advisable.

Householders have a duty to ensure that the person that they are paying to remove their waste is a registered waste carrier. Never allow anyone to take rubbish who only gives a mobile phone number in an advertisement or knocks on the door and offers a service.

“The Council now has new powers which enable Officers to issue fixed penalty notices for Householder Duty of Care in appropriate circumstances, in these cases offenders will find themselves facing a penalty of at least £200.”

The Council is continuing to offer a £100 reward to anyone who provides evidence that leads to the successful conviction of any person, business or other organisation involved in fly tipping waste in the District. The witness in this case has received a £100 reward.

Anyone who witnesses fly tipping in the District is urged to report it to Cannock Chase Council by calling 01543 462621. Key information to pass on includes:

• The date and time of the incident
• The model, make, registration number and colour of any vehicle used.
• A description of the offender or offenders
• Details of any documents in the waste

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.

The Council is keen to hear views on the big issues which a new local plan should be dealing with and how we should be dealing with these issues.  Views are being sought on a range of issues and on the options for dealing with those issues, including the levels of development needed in the District and where that development should go. 

A number of other documents are being consulted on at the same time: a Sustainability Appraisal and evidence related to infrastructure requirements, housing and economic development needs.  This is all needed to inform the emerging local plan.

Dean Piper, Head of Economic Prosperity said “There has been a major shake-up of the planning system on a national level.  We have had to start work on a new local plan to reflect this and to deal with the future needs of the District. We need local people to tell us what the big planning issues are in their community so we can look at ways of addressing these as we move forward. The policies in our new Local Plan will eventually help us to determine individual planning applications so it is important we get this right.”

The consultation runs from Monday 13 May until Monday 8 July.  You can view all documents and find further information on how to respond to the consultation on the Council’s website at: www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/planningpolicy where comments forms can be downloaded.

There are also a number of drop in events as detailed below where you can speak with Council officers.  They will be the same so it doesn’t matter which one you attend.

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.

Ms Willdigg was found guilty by the Court and was fined £220, a victim surcharge of £30 and ordered to pay costs of £80.

Mike Walker, Cannock Chase Council’s Environmental Protection Manager said “If Ms Willdigg had paid the Fixed Penalty she would have avoided court proceedings and a criminal record which could have lifetime consequences.

“Even small items such as cigarette ends are litter and anyone caught dropping them can expect to receive a Fixed Penalty Notice in the first instance, with repeat offenders being likely to face prosecution.”

Each year the Council removes and disposes of 245 tonnes of waste from the streets of the district, much of it in the form of takeaway packaging and cigarette-related items, at a cost of £135,000 to Council tax payers.

Cannock Chase Council is committed to improving the environment for local communities, businesses and visitors to the area. Officers regularly undertake patrols across the district in an effort to tackle those responsible for littering and dog fouling.

Incidents can be reported by contacting the Council on 01543 462621, by emailing environmentalhealth@cannockchaseDC.gov.uk or via the website.