The Council

On Friday 11 October, Cannock Chase Council was granted an Order at Cannock Magistrates’ Court in relation to 60 dogs that were seized from a house in Cannock on 7 October under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. 

The dogs, a mixture of Chihuahuas, German Shepherds and a Bullmastiff, were seized as they were suffering or likely to suffer if their circumstances did not change.  One of the Council’s Environmental Health Officers described the odour inside the property, from urine and faeces, as “amongst the worst I have endured”.  He said “the floors within the house were littered with faeces and the noise from the dogs barking made it difficult to communicate with the owners.”

The Magistrates heard that the house was being used for the breeding and sale of dogs, and that the Council had so far linked online adverts for puppies with a total value of over £100,000 since March 2017.   

Councillor John Preece, Portfolio Leader for Environment said, “I am not surprised that the Magistrates have granted the Order. The conditions encountered at the property left officers with no alternative other than to seize the dogs to protect them from further suffering.

“The Council takes its animal welfare responsibilities very seriously and if officers find dogs or any other animals in such extreme conditions, their owners can expect to face robust enforcement action.”

The Council is now required to keep the dogs for a period of 21 days.  After that, the dogs will be available for rehoming through a charity.  For information about opportunities to rehome these dogs, please contact the Council after the 1 November on 01543 462621.

McArthurGlen, Europe’s leading owner, developer and manager of designer outlets, is celebrating a year of progress for its highly anticipated £160 million designer outlet in Cannock, twelve months after breaking ground on the shopping centre.

Over 20 guests visited the designer outlet today (Friday 11th October) to mark the occasion, including Leader of Cannock Chase Council, George Adamson, council Managing Director, Tony McGovern, and a range of other local representatives. They were joined by McArthurGlen’s joint venture partners Aviva Investors, The Richardson Family and U+I, taking a tour of the development and hearing all about progress from McArthurGlen and contractor, Bowmer + Kirkland.

Spanning 285,000 sq ft of retail space across two phases, the designer outlet will become McArthurGlen’s 26th centre, and its seventh in the UK. Due to complete in autumn 2020, Phase I will be home to around 80 iconic brands and high-street favourites offering year-round savings of up to 60%, along with a selection of restaurants and cafés, a children’s play area, and bike parking for cyclists.

Steelwork and building structures are nearly complete at the constantly evolving site, with facades and roofs being installed prior to internal fit-outs of the outlet shops. Car parking is also underway and the centre will boast 1,400 spaces upon completion.

To date, approximately 1,270 tonnes of steel has been used, with over 60,000 structural bolts and 580 square metres of timber cladding. 234 upper windows are now in place.

Around 2,500 people will be working on the site over the duration of the project, and once fully open, McArthurGlen Designer Outlet West Midlands will create 1,000 new retail jobs for the local community.

Mike Thomas, the inaugeral Centre Manager, said: “We’re delighted to have welcomed visitors today and to have celebrated our progress at the site one year after breaking ground. Once complete, McArthurGlen Designer Outlet West Midlands will be a landmark retail destination, attracting visitors from all over the region and beyond, with local tourism spend expected to grow by £3 million annually.

“The centre is set to be one of the area’s biggest employers and will support around £20 million of employment income for the local economy every year. We are extremely proud to be partnering with Walsall College on the Access to Retail Employability Programme, a training academy helping local people get the skills they need to benefit from the range of opportunities we’ll be creating at the centre.”

McArthurGlen has also committed £15 million to a highway improvements programme and a further £1.5 million package supporting local projects that will bring significant benefits to the local community, including the enhancement and ongoing maintenance of the Mill Green Nature Park, improvements to Cannock Town Centre, and the railway station.

Councillor George Adamson, Leader of Cannock Chase Council, said “It is truly amazing to see the progress made over the past year. I would like to say a huge thank you to our residents for their patience for the disruption on the roads during the essential highways works. This is the most exciting thing to happen to our District and I can’t wait for it to open next year.”

Cannock Chase Council is saddened by the news that the Mid-counties Co-operative in Hednesford is proposed to close in January 2020.

A consultation period started on 4 October and will finish on 10 January 2020.  If a store closure goes ahead, the store will officially close on 26 January.

Councillor Gordon Alcott, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Leader for Town Centre Regeneration said “I am so sorry to hear the news about the closure of the co-op in Hednesford.  The staff working there are long serving and loyal and I hope the co-op will do all they can to relocate those affected.

”Council Officers have made an approach to offer to support to those individuals affected by the closure.  The Council is partnered through the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership with SERCO who operate an EU funded project that offers skills support for the workforce especially for staff at risk of redundancy. The support they provide is fully funded and includes assessing individual skills needs and matching these skills with training support from level 2.  I hope that the staff affected take up this offer of support.”

Cannock Chase Council launched its Town Centre Development Prospectus to potential private sector investors, developers and local businesses this week.

The breakfast event held at the Premier Suite in Cannock on 1 October was an opportunity for over 50 delegates to listen to presentations from Councillor Gordon Alcott, Simon Marks from GBSLEP, Mike Thomas from McArthurGlen and Dean Piper, Head of Economic Prosperity; about the importance of place making, why others have invested in Cannock and the development sites identified in Cannock town centre.

Councillor Gordon Alcott, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Leader for Town Centre Regeneration said “It was great to see so many delegates at the launch event this week.  Cannock town centre is changing and we have identified some exciting development opportunities. 

“We have a long term vision for Cannock town centre to create a Culture and Leisure Hub and we hope this event has highlighted these opportunities and we get some investors that can help us achieve our vision.”

The Prospectus was jointly funded by Cannock Chase Council, Staffordshire County Council and the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) via its Strategic Economic Plan Enabling Fund, which forms part of its Towns and Local Centres Framework.

You can view or download a copy of the Cannock Town Centre Development Prospectus by clicking on the link: http://www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/business/economic-development/cannock-town-centre-development-prospectus

Hednesford Park has scooped a gold Britain in Bloom Award for the third year running at the Britain in Bloom regional awards ceremony that took place in Birmingham on 8 September.  

This achievement recognises the involvement of local schools, vulnerable groups, and local people in many different activities and projects throughout the year. The Britain in Bloom Award criteria assess how we have incorporated the history of the park, developed the area and what our plans are for the future. The judging relies very much on community involvement and delivery of their projects.

A weekly gardening group called Plant Pots, are a group of young people from Littleton Green Community School who come into the park and help in the gardens.  Last year they gained their Level 3 RHS Schools Award with the work they achieved in Hednesford Park and have been a key reason why we achieved the gold award again.

Councillor Christine Mitchell, Portfolio Leader for Culture and Sport said “I'm very proud of the children and the work they have done in the park. They have helped achieve this much coveted award as well as improving their skills and building self-confidence. They have worked through all weathers and deserve this recognition for their efforts, along with all the volunteers who helped make it happen.”

Volunteers gain valuable skills from the work they do in Hednesford Park, if you would like to get involved, please meet at Hednesford Park Pavilion every Wednesday at 9.30am or Contact Lynn Evans on 07896 239717 or email: lynnevans@cannockchasedc.gov.uk

Cannock Chase Council in collaboration with Lichfield District, Tamworth Borough Council and East Staffordshire Borough Council are hosting a free event to help start-ups and SME’s.

The aim of the event is to give start-ups and SME’s an understanding of the support and funding available to them.

Presenters on the day will include Business Growth Programme 2, who offer grants of between £2,500 and £1,000.000; Small Business Grant Scheme, a hub launched to fund capital grants of up to £10,000 and Higher Level Skills Match which has been created with and for businesses to reach a broader range of graduate talent. There will also be a range of other support agencies attending the event to promote their programmes.

The event takes place at The George Hotel in Lichfield on Wednesday 6 November from 8am until 10:30am.

Councillor Tony Johnson, Portfolio Leader for Planning and Economic Development said “This event is a platform for small businesses across the district to network and to find out about the funding and support available to them.  This is a great opportunity for start-ups and SME’s in the district and I would encourage businesses to take advantage of this free event.”

To register your place visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/business-funding-skills-support-for-start-ups-and-smes-tickets-68959205841

Colin Morgan aged 52 from Highland Road in Cannock, has been found guilty of breaching his Community Protection Notice (CPN) for street drinking in Cannock town centre.

Mr Morgan appeared in Cannock Magistrates Court on 16 September after pleading guilty to the offence of breaching his CPN and for assaulting a police officer. He was fined £620 court costs, £160 for the offences and £30 victim surcharge.

In order to clamp down on the anti-social behaviour associated with persistent street drinking, Cannock Chase Council and Staffordshire Police issue CPNs under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, if the conduct of an individual is unreasonable and is having a detrimental effect on the local community’s quality of life.

Mr Morgan was warned about his behaviour and was offered support, before being issued with a CPN in December 2018. This was subsequently breached on numerous occasions, culminating in an assault on a police officer in July 2019.

As a result of the persistent nature of his behaviour, Mr Morgan has also had an application for a Criminal Behaviour Order submitted against him which is to be heard in November.

Councillor Carl Bennett, Portfolio Holder for Crime said “I am delighted with the result of this case.  This conviction is the outcome of a process adopted by Cannock Chase Council and Staffordshire Police, whereby we can utilise the powers under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.  This helps us to tackle the problem of street drinkers in Cannock town centre, which are reported to us by the local community. 

“This is a great example of how the Community Safety Partnership within the Council have worked with the Police. We will continue to provide help and support to the vulnerable, but I hope these serious fines are a stark warning to others that we will not tolerate street drinking in our town centres and we will continue to be vigilant.”

Chief Inspector Wainwright Cannock Chase NPT Commander stated “This is just another example of the work we are doing in partnership with Cannock Chase Council to improve the quality of life for our community”.

Cannock Chase Council’s Cannock Town Centre Development Prospectus launch event in October is now fully booked.

Over 40 potential investors and developers have reserved their place and will get a chance to see the exciting development opportunities that have been identified in Cannock town centre.

The event takes place on Tuesday 1 October at The Premier Suite in Cannock, where guest speakers will be explaining the importance of place in driving economic growth and why other developers are investing in Cannock and to formally launch the Development Prospectus.

Councillor Gordon Alcott, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Leader for Town Centre Regeneration said “I am pleased that we are at full capacity for the prospectus launch, it shows interest in the town centre and the Council’s future plans. 

“I am hoping that by showcasing the development opportunities available we are able to get businesses to invest in Cannock town centre and give us a town centre which will compliment the £160m McArthurGlen Designer Outlet West Midlands which will open in the autumn of 2020.”