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If parish councils would like to use this platform to share best practices with others, please feel free to do so. All parish councils are also welcome to submit articles for inclusion regarding local events, meetings and more.
To submit articles for consideration, please email k.rawlins@sstaffs.gov.uk
Christmas lights switch-on events
Wheaton Aston
Families will flock to a Christmas lights switch-on event this weekend.
Taking place in the centre of Wheaton Aston, the event will feature a Santa's grotto, alpacas, children's rides, a range of stalls, a tombola and more.
Entertainment will include a nativity by St Mary's First School, music from The Salvation Army Band, and a martial arts demonstration.
It takes place tomorrrow (Saturday), from 3.30pm to 6pm.
Wombourne
A Christmas lights switch-on event takes place in Wombourne this evening.
A choir from Westfield School will perform at 5.40pm, with lights and fireworks to follow at 6pm.
The event will take place at Wombourne Civic Centre.
Huntington Christmas Fayre
A festive fayre takes place in Huntington this weekend.
The event at Huntington Community Centre will feature more than 20 different stalls, a Santa's grotto, a raffle and more.
Taking place tomorrow (Saturday), the event will run from 10am till 4pm.
Festive afternoon tea
A Christmas-themed afternoon tea is on offer in Penkridge.
The tea includes a range of sandwiches, festive home-made cakes, sausage rolls, scones and more. The afternoon tea costs £14 per person with tea or coffee, or £18 per person with a glass of prosecco.
The events take place from 1 till 5pm, on November 23rd and 30th, and December 9th, 16th and 21st. Those wishing to attend must pre-book at least one week before the date and pay with cash in advance.
For more information or to book, call 01785 714157 or email reception@penkpc.co.uk
Local Plan Review
In the first full week of the Publication Plan consultation we held two face-to-face sessions, running from 10.30am until 7pm at Penkridge and Coven.
A further three sessions are planned at Essington, Codsall and Wombourne. The sessions are open to all, and appointments can be made by calling 01902 696423. Officers can explain the process and help residents to prepare their responses.
This is the final stage of consultation before the new Local Plan is submitted to the Government and an independent planning inspector is appointed to carry out a public examination into whether it is sound and legally compliant.
The consultation runs for six weeks from Friday, November 11th, until midday on Friday, December 23rd.
We are also hosting five locality based, virtual online Q&A sessions, between 6pm and 8pm, and anyone can join to listen in or pose questions to planning officers.
The Publication Plan, FAQs and supporting documents can be found here: Local Plan Review Publication Plan South Staffordshire Council (sstaffs.gov.uk)
Details of all consultation events and Q&A sessions are here: Publication Plan Public Engagement South Staffordshire Council (sstaffs.gov.uk)
All comments made to the plan must be made in writing, and during the six-week consultation period. For more information see the council website www.sstaffs.gov.uk/localplanreview or email localplans@sstaffs.gov.uk
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Community Lottery supporter wins £250
Huge congratulations to Ms R from Stoke on Trent, who supports CACH and won £250 in this week’s lottery draw.
Communities Against Crimes of Hate - otherwise known as CACH (pronounced 'catch'), supports people who experience hate crime, hate incidents, or who are generally targeted and treated unfairly because of who they are.
60p from every £1 ticket supports the work of this organisation. Supporters are also in with the chance of winning weekly cash prizes - including the £25,000 jackpot!
Support CACH when you play South Staffordshire Community Lottery - South Staffordshire Community Lottery (southstaffslottery.co.uk)
Boundary Review - revised proposals
The Boundary Commission for England (BCE) is redrawing constituency boundaries in order to rebalance the number of electors represented by each MP, and a final consultation on proposed new constituencies is now open.
A new, revised map of constituency proposals, which takes into account feedback sent in by the public on the initial proposals, has been published on the consultation website bcereviews.org.uk
Send in your views before the closing date of December 5th to have your say on new parliamentary constituency boundaries.
Polling Station Review
South Staffordshire District Council is conducting a review of Polling Districts and Polling Places.
The review will take place between October 2022 and January 2023.
The timing of the review is to enable any changes to be implemented before the next scheduled district and parish elections on Thursday, May 4th, 2023.
For more information, click here
Have your say:
South Staffordshire Residents' Survey
Make your voice heard - take part in our new Residents' Survey.
The survey is a chance for everyone living in South Staffordshire to let us know their views on where they live, and the district as a whole.
Have your say by completing the survey via this link
Your waste, your responsibility
This week, a couple from Bilston had to pay a Fixed Penalty Notice for failing in their Householders Duty of Care With Respects to Waste.
They had paid “a bargain price” for someone to remove waste from their home. Unfortunately, the price they paid did not cover lawful disposal of it and their rubbish was fly tipped at Himley Station on Railway Walk. This was cleared away promptly by our Street Scene Team, at a cost to our residents.
The couple were not able to provide a name, business name, phone number or any other details of the person who had removed the rubbish. They had not asked where or how the rubbish was being disposed of, paid cash and had no receipt. They had not checked if they held a Waste Carriers license.
They were issued with a fixed penalty notice for £200, which they paid within 10 days, meaning they were entitled to a reduction to £150.
Council job vacancies
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Technical Support Officer, closes November 24th
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Senior Planning Officer, closes November 24th
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Cleaning Assistant, open application date
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Relief Leisure Assistants at Codsall, Wombourne, Penkridge & Cheslyn Hay Leisure Centres, open application date.
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Swimming Instructors, all leisure centres, open application date.
For more information on all South Staffordshire Council vacancies and for details on how to apply, click here
The Goodlife Winter Saver
From November 1st to 30th, South Staffordshire Council’s leisure centres are giving customers the chance to join for just £10, with no further payments until January 2023.
Customers can sign up to any of the membership packages and enjoy unlimited use for two months, for just £10.
The earlier you join, the bigger the saving.
To view membership packages, click here.
Sign up from November 1st by emailing Leisure@sstaffs.gov.uk
Baggeridge Country Park visitor survey
Let us know what you think of Baggeridge Country Park and help us to improve the facilities and services on offer.
By completing this short survey, you can choose to be entered into a draw to win one of two annual parking passes.
Take part in the survey here
Supportive Communities Training
Signposting and Supporting Mental Health
Support Staffordshire and Staffordshire County Council is offering free online bite-sized training to give participants new knowledge and skills.
The next session is Signposting and Supporting Mental Health on Wednesday, December 7th, from 10am to midday.
This session will cover:
- Overview of common mental health issues
- Understanding mental health and wellbeing
- Promoting mental health and wellbeing
- Supporting someone who is struggling
- Barriers to disclosure and how to overcome them
- Signposting to community support and when to seek further help.
For more information, click here
Be Warm, Be Safe
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service is offering advice on how to stay safe this winter.
Energy bills are rising and householders may be looking at cheaper ways to heat their homes during the cold months.
Tips include getting chimneys swept and using a fireguard, keeping heaters a safe distance from items and materials, storing fuel away from any heat source, and using appropriate fuels on open fires and log burners.
For more tips, click here
Christmas Cyber Aware campaign
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), in partnership with City of London Police and Action Fraud, is reminding everyone to be 'cyber aware'.
Tips they have issued include:
- Protect your accounts: Use three random word passwords and set up 2-step verification for your email
- Check before you buy: Research online retailers to check they’re legitimate. Read feedback from people or organisations that you trust, such as consumer websites
- Report suspicious activity: Forward texts to 7726 and suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk
Individuals who think they’ve been a victim of fraud should contact their bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud online at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.
Community Recovery Grants Scheme
The Community Recovery Grants Scheme is now open for applications from groups who work with and support communities in the county from a new Staffordshire County Council fund.
The county council is keen to support the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in Staffordshire by providing a range of one-off grants to help them recover following the pandemic and with the challenges of the rising cost of living.
Grants of between £500 and £5,000 are available.
Grants will be awarded throughout October, November and December 2022 on a first come first served basis.
All grants will be fully distributed by December 2022 and recipients will need to spend the award by March 31st, 2023.
For more information, see here
Free holiday activities and food for kids
Keep your children and teens busy over the Christmas holidays with HAF2022.
Join the winter wonderland of activities. There’s dodgeball, cooking, paintballing, bowling, boxercise, horse-riding, dance, football, bushcraft and lots more. They’ll get a chance to socialise, have fun and be fed a healthy meal.
- FREE for eligible children aged 5-16 years in receipt of benefits related free school meals.
- Eligible children will get a letter from their school with a code to register.
- Registration opens at 4pm on December 1st
Find out more on the Staffordshire County Council website
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