Council and district news
Now live: Brand-new website launches
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Our brand-new website has arrived!
The fresh, modern online platform makes accessing information easier and quicker than ever, with a completely revamped design and layout.
Our new website also allows more people to access it, with new features put in place to ensure the pages are easy to find and simple to understand.
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The Review magazine is also now presented with an all-new page-turning application, giving readers an enhanced, more accessible experience.
We have also introduced Recite Me, an interactive accessibility tool which allows visitors to customise the site to meet their needs. This includes tools such as a screen reader, a language translator, and numerous other features – each of which can be saved to ensure visitors' preferences are in place for every time they visit our website.
The new platform also makes transactions smoother than ever to complete – such as the payment of council tax and the registration for garden waste collections – and enables users to complete these at any time which best suits them.
We are also be asking for your feedback on the new website to help us make it the best it can be for everyone, so please do take the time to let us know what you think.
This is just the first step of an exciting new programme of works through which South Staffordshire Council is looking to improve the customer experience when members of the public or businesses need to access our information or get in touch.
Check out the new website at Homepage | South Staffordshire District Council
Now out: New Review magazine
The latest edition of our Review magazine is now out.
The residents magazine features updates from across the council, with news about council tax, the latest from our leisure centres, information from our waste and recycling team, and information about what we’re doing to help mitigate climate change in the district.
It also includes news on fly-tipping figures – and what residents can do to help reduce littering in the district – plus information on what’s needed to vote in the upcoming elections.
There’s also news from our planning team, an update from the new Local Policing Commander for South Staffordshire, information around community safety, and the latest from our business team.
Man made to pay £1,830 for fly-tipping on country lane
A man has been made to pay more than £1,800 after he dumped a large pile of trees on a country lane in South Staffordshire.
Dilpreet Singh Khatria, of Fairdale Gardens, Hayes, pleaded guilty to a fly-tipping offence when he appeared at Newcastle under Lyme Magistrates Court this week.
Khatria drove to Mill Lane in Saredon on April 16th last year, where he unloaded a large amount of conifer trees from his pick-up truck.
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Hackney Carriage
On Behalf of Cllr Wendy Sutton, Chair Licensing and Regulatory Committee
We are currently consulting on a proposal to increase the fare charged by hackney carriages in South Staffordshire.
Notes: there is currently only one hackney carriage vehicle operating in South Staffordshire. (These are taxis that can be hailed, rather than private hire vehicles which must be pre booked.) The majority of vehicles operating in South Staffordshire are Private hire vehicles and they are able to increase their fees without consultation, and have done so recently.
South Staffordshire hackney carriage fares are currently the 175th lowest fare rate in the country. Our fares have not increased for twelve years, since 2010, with a two-mile journey on tariff one (the industry benchmark) costing £5.10. Every other licensing authority, apart from Pendle, has increased their fees more recently.
Engagement and consultation with the trade has been ongoing, with consideration given to inflation, labour shortages in the taxi industry, future anticipated costs, fares set by other authorities.
The consultation period will run from March 1st 2023 to March 28th 2023. Any objection to the proposed variations should be made in writing to:
David Pattison
Director of Governance
and Solicitor to the Council
Civic Centre, St Peter’s Square
Wolverhampton WV1 1RG
5 rated businesses
Well done to these businesses who have achieved a 5 rating at their recent inspections:
- Woodford House nursing home in Trysull
- @ Allan’s, Cherry Tree Court, Essington
- Create Community Café, Stafford Rd, Huntington
- The Truckers Rest Café, Watling St, Hatherton
- Bee Wild, Hollybush Garden Centre, Saredon
Vacancies
All vacancies can be viewed in full and applied for on our new recruitment site: https://www.sstaffs.gov.uk/vacancies
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
Leisure latest
Brand-new website now live
South Staffordshire Council launched a brand-new website this week and work will continue over the coming weeks and months to continue developing the new webpages however to view the leisure centres webpages, visit https://www.sstaffs.gov.uk/sports-and-fitness #accessibility
Cheslyn Hay Leisure Centre.
We announced last week the reopening of the upgraded gym and we are now delighted to tell you that the swimming pool and changing areas are also having a makeover and will reopen later this month.
Wombourne Leisure Centre refurbishment progress
This is progressing well with the new reception and foyer now open. The swimming pool and poolside changing rooms are also near completion after receiving all-new tiles on the poolside deck and a total refurbishment including new tiling, lockers, flooring, showers and cubicles in the changing rooms. The facilities are planned to re-open at the end of this month. For more information and to book call 01922 417790.
The leisure centres are also taking on new members. For full details visit www.sstaffs.gov.uk/leisure.
Easter activities at the Leisure Centres
Various activities are taking place in the leisure centres over Easter for families and children.
- Easter Fayre at Cheslyn Hay Leisure Centre on Saturday March 25th. This is free to enter and you can buy goodies from local businesses.
- Free school holiday activities and food schemes happening from April 3rd.
- Aspire school holiday activity camps from Monday April 3rd.
- Wolves Goalkeeping and Soccer schools available at Cheslyn Hay, Penkridge and Wombourne Leisure Centres
Bookings for the free activities and food will be available from 4pm on March, 17.
All customers booking the free activities and food must have their unique reference to hand at the time of booking.
For more information about school holiday activity camps and to book, visit https://www.aspire-sports.co.uk/active-camps
For more information about the free camps and hot food places, and to book visit https://www.aspire-sports.co.uk/active-camps/free-easter-activities.
For more information and to book the Goalkeeping and Soccer schools, click here which takes you to the Wolverhampton Wanderers booking screen.
Watch this space for further information over the coming weeks and follow the leisure centres on their Facebook pages for the latest information.
Partnership Updates
S&SOT Integrated Care Partnership Strategy
The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Partnership is engaging with
people and communities to develop a single strategy that sets out the ambition,
vision, and approach for the area over the next five years and beyond.
Building on local knowledge and existing health and wellbeing strategies, it will
describe how the health, care and wellbeing needs of the local population are to be
met and how partners will work together to increase the integration of health, social
care and other community services.
Although a national requirement, a collaborative approach is being taken to develop
the strategy, which will be locally owned and delivered at a local level. A draft
summary is available here, however the final version will be shaped by
feedback from partners and the public.
The integrated strategy will focus on long-term priorities that will tackle longstanding
challenges, reduce inequalities, and deliver better care. It will be underpinned by a
population health approach that will outline how the ICP will deliver more joined-up,
preventative, and person-centred care for the whole population.
The partnership are currently engaging with groups and communities across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent to hear the views of the local population, supported by an on-line
survey. To complete the survey, click here.
Consultation with Young People
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Staffordshire Council of Voluntary Youth Services (SCVYS) has been asked by the Violence Reduction Alliance (VRA) to engage with children and young people aged 11-25 years old. The consultation aims to understand the views and concerns of young people, and how as a partnership we can work together to improve community safety across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
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This survey can be independently completed by all and any young people aged between 11 and 25 years of age clicking here.
The Great British Spring Clean
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Back for its eighth year, the Great British Spring Clean is the nation’s biggest mass-action environmental campaign - and this year the official date is March 17th to April 2nd.
Friends of Bilbrook have two events planned on March 30th or March 31st.They are looking for volunteers to litter pick around Bilbrook, normally for two to three hours per day.
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Making Every Contact Count (MECC)
MECC is essentially about enabling your staff to recognise the opportunity they have in facilitating people to have greater awareness of their health and wellbeing.
It is about empowering people to seek their own solutions to support their own health and wellbeing.
MECC training is online, so no travelling costs, and allows people to deliver brief evidence-based interventions for lifestyle behavioural change; the core elements of which are:
- Stopping smoking – Everyone Health offers a service
- Increasing physical activity– Everyone Health offers a service
- Maintaining a healthy weight and diet – Everyone Health offers a service.
- Promoting mental health and emotional health and wellbeing
- Reducing alcohol consumption
For more information, contact the service manager: emmamennell@everyonehealth.co.uk
To view the training dates and booking details click here: Everyone Health MECC - Staffordshire - Booking by Bookwhen
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Science fair and Spring festival
To celebrate British Science Week Perton Library and Wild About Perton are hosting a fantastic science fair for all the family on Saturday 18th March, 10:00am – 3:00pm.
There's a variety of science shows, workshops, exhibitions and things to see and do.
For further information or to book places on the more popular workshops, please contact Perton Library on 01902 506050 or email perton.library@staffordshire.gov.uk
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