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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
South Staffordshire Council ‘impressive’ and ‘focused’, says report
South Staffordshire Council has been described as a ‘very impressive council’ and was praised for a wide range of achievements in a Local Government Association (LGA) review.
The LGA Peer Review took place in October last year, after council chiefs invited representatives from the association to undertake the assessment.
The Peer Review report has now been published – praising South Staffordshire District Council (SSDC) for a range of projects and approaches, including Codsall Community Hub, the council’s support of residents, its ability to respond to changing circumstances, and more.
Within the document, the Peer Review team states:
“This is a very impressive council which is clearly focused on delivering for the communities of South Staffordshire.
“SSDC is a well-run council and has received external recognition most recently from iESE, including ‘UK Council of the Year 2022’. The council is rightly proud of this achievement and remains focused on ensuring ongoing improvement.
See the full article via this link
Council asks for clarity on government proposals
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities published a consultation on planned changes to the National Planning Policy Framework on December 22, 2022.
The framework sets out the government's planning policies for England and how these should be applied. It provides a framework within which locally-prepared plans for housing and other development can be produced. The National Planning Policy Framework must be taken into account in preparing local development plans.
The council is keen to gain clarity on a number of queries it has regarding the content of this recent national consultation document.
These include queries around the need for councils to consider neighbouring authorities' housing needs in their plans, plus questions around the release of greenbelt land for development, says Cabinet Member for Planning and Business Enterprise at South Staffordshire Council, Councillor Terry Mason.
“These are particularly pertinent policies for areas such as South Staffordshire," said Cllr Mason.
“We will be seeking clarity on the new national proposals and until we fully understand the potential implications, we will not be submitting the Local Plan to the Inspectorate for examination.
“While we await further information from government, we will continue working on the responses and representations made in response to our recent Local Plan consultation.
“The council believes the best way to stop unplanned development is to have a sound Local Plan in place, and the plan recently consulted on was in conformity with national planning policy.
"However, now that there is a potential for national change, we need to assess the implications to ensure that going forward, our plan meets the new requirements."
Elections voter ID: Are you ready?
The UK Government has introduced a requirement for voters to show photo ID when voting at a polling station at some elections.
This new requirement will apply for the first time in England at the local elections on Thursday, May 4th, 2023.
Find out which forms of ID you can use and more information via this link
Community Lottery
Are you a local sports club, school PTA, charity or community group within South Staffordshire looking to boost your fund-raising potential?
If so, you could benefit by getting involved with the South Staffordshire Community Lottery. It’s a fun and effective way for your good cause to raise funds, plus it’s simple, easy, and free join.
For further information, click here
Business Place Partnership Networking Event
South Staffordshire Council’s Business Place Partnership, Dunston Business Village and The Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire Growth Hub are working in partnership to deliver an exciting business support & networking event!
January 18, 2023
Dunston Business Village, Stafford Rd, Penkridge, Stafford ST18 9FJ
10:00am - 2:00pm
For further information click here
Building Strong Foundations for Housing Success
The Council recently reaffirmed its commitment to improving the housing offer in South Staffordshire, by formally adopting a new Housing and Homelessness Strategy 2023-2027 in December.
This updated strategy seeks to ensure that everyone in South Staffordshire is able to afford a home that is suitable for them, whether it be on the open market, or through a local Registered Provider. In its key priorities, the strategy also recognises the important role the district’s housing stock plays in the environment, and in particular, the climate change agenda.
Partnership working remains at the heart of the strategy, recognising the important work that local housing providers, stakeholders, statutory bodies and residents do to improve housing outcomes in South Staffordshire.
To read the full strategy, click here
Community is the Best Medicine fund
A fund has been set up to assist households which may be faced with challenging choices due to the rising cost of living.
The scheme is run by South Staffordshire Council, in partnership with the Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust (MPFT) and The Staffordshire Community Foundation.
Find out more about the scheme and how to apply via this link
Council job vacancies
All vacancies can be viewed in full and applied for on our new recruitment site: https://www.sstaffs.gov.uk/vacancies
Kickstart 2023 with South Staffordshire Council’s leisure centres
South Staffordshire Council’s leisure centres provide everything you need to get fitter and improve your health and wellbeing.
In addition to a range of equipment, the leisure centres also have swimming pools which provide a range of adults only, family and general public swimming sessions. The leisure centres are open to both members and non-members.
To further enrich members' experiences, Penkridge Leisure Centre is newly refurbished, with revamp works at Wombourne and Cheslyn Hay set to be completed in March.
For more information on leisure facilities click here
For details on memberships, click here
February School Holiday Activity Camps
South Staffordshire Council’s leisure centres are working in partnership with @AspireActiveCamps to deliver sports-based school holiday activities for young people aged 5-14 years old.
The camps provide children with access to a wide range of fun activities in a safe and structured environment. Active Camps are a safe, fun, flexible, and an affordable childcare solution.
Bookings can be made as full day and half day sessions (no block booking required) and are available from February 20th to 24th at Codsall and Wombourne Leisure Centres.
Aspire Active Camps provide discounts for early bird bookings, sibling and emergency service workers.
For more information and to book, click here
Active Youth
Young people can now access South Staffordshire Council’s gyms as part of an Active Youth scheme to encourage teens to take part and engage in positive activities such as improving their health and wellbeing.
The scheme gives young people aged 13 years plus access to discounted and supervised gym access at dedicated times where an instructor is on the gym floor to ensure young people are using the facility safely. Teens can enjoy using the gyms without a parent/guardian but only during programmed supervised sessions.
Young people will receive a free gym induction during their first session however please book this in advance.
The leisure centres have also further increased access to now enable young people aged 13 years+ access to the gym at any time, when accompanied by a participating parent/guardian for the duration of the workout.
Advanced booking is advisable as places are limited. For more information and to sign up and book contact your nearest leisure centre, click here
The Platform Wombourne
The Railway café has undergone complete refurbishment and is now under new management and called ‘The Platform’.
The Platform is a coffee house and eatery offering breakfast, brunch and lunch.
To view the newly refurbished coffee house and their menus, follow The Platform Wombourne on Facebook and Instagram.
Customers can also contact them on 07950 320661 or email hello@theplatformwombourne.co.uk.
Still time to get the flu vaccine
The Department of Health and Social Care is urging all those eligible for the flu vaccine to come forward as cases rise to levels not seen since before the COVID-19 outbreak. There is a particular need for pre-schoolers, pregnant women and those in the care and health workforces to take up the offer.
Unpaid carers are also entitled to resources and services including free vaccination for COVID-19 and flu.
If you're eligible for a free flu vaccine, you can book an appointment at your GP surgery. You can also book online to get a flu vaccine from a pharmacy that offers it on the NHS.
You may also receive an invitation to get vaccinated, but you do not have to wait for this before booking an appointment.
Everyone who is eligible for the free flu vaccine will be able to get it.
GP surgeries and pharmacies get the flu vaccine in batches throughout the flu season. If you cannot get an appointment straight away, ask if you can book one for when more vaccines are available.
Those that have symptoms of the flu or COVID-19, should try to stay at home and avoid contact with others to protect friends and loved ones, if they can.
To find out if you're eligible and how to book a flu vaccination appointment, click here
‘Be Winter Ready’
The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) has recently launched their Energy Aware campaign supporting consumers this winter with advice on their rights, financial schemes they are eligible for and energy saving tips.
The Energy Networks Association has also recently launched its annual ‘Be Winter Ready’ campaign to help consumers prepare for winter.
To view Ofgem's energy aware toolkit, click here
To find out how to plan winter readiness, click here
Wolverhampton City Credit Union is coming to Codsall Community Hub
For further information, click here
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