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Staffordshire County Council have launched a period of consultation on Staffordshire’s approach to managing flood risk.

As the lead Local Flood Authority, Staffordshire County Council has launched a four-week consultation to gather views on its updated strategy to minimise and mitigate flood risk in our county. They are committed to working with local communities and organisations responsible for water courses, sewers and development to minimise the risk of flooding to properties from sources such as watercourses, surface water, and groundwater.

Since 2018, there have been 9 significant flood events in Staffordshire, and climate change is only likely to increase the frequency and intensity of the rain we see. It is therefore more important than ever that they work together to minimise and manage the risk of flooding.

They are encouraging everyone: residents, businesses and organisations across Staffordshire to help shape Staffordshire’s approach to help manage the risk of flooding in the county.

The consultation can be found here https://bit.ly/3Ke9IwF.  By responding, you will help shape Staffordshire’s approach to help manage the risk of flooding in the county.

The consultation closes on 20 March. If you would like further information or have a query, please email the Flood Risk Management Team at: flood.team@staffordshire.gov.uk.

Anyone wishing to cast their vote at a polling station, in the upcoming Local and Parish Elections, will need to provide photographic identification at the polling station.

For more details, see latest information provided by Stafford Borough Council: press release

Keir, working on behalf of HS2 have advised of an overnight road closure, from 8pm – 5am, from 20 February until 24 March 2023.  For more details click on link: Keir – AWN Site 15 Great Haywood Hoo Mill_

Stafford Borough Council has issued a Press Release on fly-tipping in the Borough.  A Senior Councillor has warned litter louts that they could face court action if they dump rubbish illegally in Stafford.

For more details click here  press release

Residents in Stafford Borough are being encouraged to contact experts about keeping their homes warm and their bills down – with the cold snap and the potential of snow on the way.

With the cost of living affecting so many people across the country households are being advised to maintain the temperature in their homes at a minimum level to avoid serious respiratory illnesses, like colds and flu, which could add to the pressures already seen on the NHS across the county.

Keeping room temperatures around 18°C, which is the recommended temperature for most households to avoid the risk of serious short and longer-term illnesses is difficult for many households in the borough and with the cold snap forecast for the next few days residents are being urged to contact Warmer Homes Stafford.

Warmer Homes Stafford is a partnership between the borough council and fuel poverty charity, Beat the Cold – with people encouraged to get in touch to find out more about funding and free advice to improve energy efficiency in their homes.

Beat the Cold are a longstanding Staffordshire based charity who provide telephone and face to face help with energy bills through specially trained staff.

And testimonies from people helped by them demonstrate this – with one local woman saying she was made aware of ways she could save on bills adding: “It was lovely to have someone at the other end of the phone who genuinely cared and listened to me.’’

Stafford Borough Council has also joined forces with a network of venues to create ‘warm spaces’ for residents – with village halls, churches, and community centres available as friendly, inviting places to help local people facing the cost-of-living crisis.

People can find out more about the scheme from www.staffordbc.gov.uk/warm-spaces

They are also working with food charities and the Stafford Food Distribution Hub to make more food available to foodbanks across the Borough.

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities and Health, Councillor Jeremy Pert, said: “If this Winter was not challenging enough for residents in the borough, with some having very difficult decisions between heating and eating, this cold snap will make it doubly difficult and I would urge residents to seek the help that they can from someone like Warner Homes Stafford.

“Equally, the network of Warm Spaces across the Borough is still growing – with room for more to come on board – and they offer not only a warm welcome but also a warm space, warm drink, and warm food. So, if residents have been reticent to visit one so far, they will find somewhere with support and a space to beat the cold snap that’s coming.”

Residents in the borough can get in touch at 0800 677 1785 or via warmerhomesstafford@beatcold.org.uk

At the end of 2022 it was estimated that over 6 million households are living in fuel poverty across the UK.

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England has announced the commencement of a 10 week consultation period, as follows:

Today is the start of a 10-week public consultation inviting proposals for new council divisions and division boundaries for Staffordshire County Council.

The consultation will close on 20 March 2023.

After all representations made to us during this consultation have been considered, draft recommendations will be published in July 2023.

A further period of consultation will then be held on the draft recommendations, with final recommendations expected to be published in November 2023.

The new electoral arrangements will come into effect at the local elections in May 2025.

If you represent a local organisation or community group in Staffordshire, please pass this message on to your members or anyone who you think might be interested in the review. You can share the message by email or through social media by using the buttons at the bottom right of the page.

What is an electoral review?

Our electoral review will recommend new electoral arrangements for Staffordshire County Council. We will propose:

• the total number of councillors elected to the council in the future;
• the number of divisions;
• the number of councillors representing each division;
• division boundaries; and
• the names of divisions.

How to get involved

This is a public consultation and we welcome views from individuals and organisations across Staffordshire on where they think new division boundaries should be drawn.

What is an electoral review?

Our electoral review will recommend new electoral arrangements for Staffordshire County Council. We will propose:

• the total number of councillors elected to the council in the future;
• the number of divisions;
• the number of councillors representing each division;
• division boundaries; and
• the names of divisions.

How to get involved

This is a public consultation and we welcome views from individuals and organisations across Staffordshire on where they think new division boundaries should be drawn.

We are minded to recommend that 62 councillors should be elected to Staffordshire County Council in the future.

This is no change from the current number of councillors.

We are now inviting proposals to help us draw up a pattern of divisions to accommodate 62 councillors.

In drawing up new electoral divisions, we must balance three legal criteria, namely:

• to deliver electoral equality: where each councillor represents roughly the same number of electors as others across the county;
• that the pattern of divisions should, as far as possible, reflect the interests and identities of local communities;
• that the electoral arrangements should provide for effective and convenient local government.

We will treat all submissions equally, and judge each case on its merits and against the legal criteria.

If you wish to put forward a view, we would also urge you to ensure that evidence supports your submission.

For example, if you wish to argue that two areas should be included in the same electoral division, make sure you tell us why they should be together, providing evidence about community facilities, ties, organisations, and amenities, rather than simply asserting that they belong together.

There is more advice on our website about how you can get involved in the consultation.

Our website features technical guidance that explains the process and our policies, as well as guidance on how to take part in each part of the process.

We have also set up a webpage dedicated to the review of Staffordshire, where you can find all the relevant information.

You can also access interactive maps of the current ward boundaries across Staffordshire on our specialist consultation portal. The portal also allows you to comment and upload documents directly to the site.

Update on Improvements to Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal Tow Path by the Canal & River Trust

 Ingestre with Tixall Parish Council have been working with the Canal & River Trust to support with improvement works to the Canal Tow Path that, the Parish Council believes, will commence in January 2023.

The part of the tow path that will be affected will run from Haywood Junction to Milford Turnover bridge.

It is our understanding that in order to complete the works, ahead of Spring/Summer 2023, it will be necessary to close access to the canal tow path for a period of up to 3 months.

As this period of closure may cause some disruption, the Parish Council suggests that you may wish to communicate this position to any parties whom you believe may be affected by this closure, so that they can plan accordingly.

Provided by Ingestre with Tixall Parish Council

December 2022

Residents in Stafford Borough are being reminded to check when their recycling and waste will be collected over the Christmas period.

There will be revised collection dates for green, blue and brown bins, and blue bag, in the borough from Saturday 24 December until 7 January.

The borough council is encouraging people to check the rescheduled dates on their collection day calendars or at www.staffordbc.gov.uk/collectiondays. Bins should be out by 7am on the revised collection days.

If you do not have access to the internet and require a copy of your calendar, contact 01785 619402 to arrange for one to be sent to you.

The cost for having your brown bin garden waste collected has been frozen at £36 for 2023 and to continue using the service go to www.staffordbc.gov.uk/brownbin or contact the council at 01785 619402