I am working with officers at the district council to get the undergrowth cut back on the public foot path that leads from Hardie Avenue to Rugeley Town Train station. Environmental Health Officers are also investigating reports of flying tipping along the path, at the back of Curzon Place and I will update residents on these issues when the officers report back to me.

I have been made aware by residents living in Durham Way of youths using the alley way between Durham Way and Flaxley Road as a gathering point to use drugs. I am working with the street wardens and and the neighbour hood policing unit to address these issues. I have also asked the Highways Department to repair the broken street light in the alley way, if it is well lite it may act as a deterrent. I will update you as this progresses.

I am continuing to work with local residents to try and ensure that the redevelopment of the Pear Tree pub site is in an acceptable form. There are currently 2 planning applications, which the Cannock Chase planning committee rejected, one for 34 flats for elderly residents and one for 14 houses. The developers have now appealed against the the decision taken by the committee, and despite saying they wanted to talk to residents. Residents are concerned about the possibility of additional traffic problems in that area of Queensway. And the change of street scene if a three story block of buildings was to be built on the corner site. The hearing date has been set for 10.00 a.m. on 6th of January 2009, and will be held in the council chamber at Rugeley Town Council.Taylors Lane, Rugeley. The appeal will take the form of an informal hearing which is run in the format of a discussion about the key issues, and is led by the inspector. If you wish to speak you must inform the inspector at the opening of the hearing.

I am continuing to to put pressure on the Post Office to keep this vital local asset open. I have asked officers at the District Council to prepare a report objecting to the closure because the Post Office have not applied the criteria for closure correctly to this branch, as it will leave many residents of the Hagley ward with over a mile to travel to access Post Office services. I am asking the Post Office not to proceed with any action on this branch until they have fully answered all the questions that the District Council is asking them. Which they have failed to do up to now.

Some local residents on Elizabethan Way contacted Tony Williams about some anti-social behaviour taking place  on the footpath that runs behind their homes. The path known locally as “The Gully was being used by motorbikes, mini-motos and even a car, as a shortcut between Burnthill Lane and Hagley Road.  After some discussions with local Police and other users Tony has had some removable bollards installed to prevent motor vehicles from use the pathway illegally. The Police have also issued warnings to some motorcyclists that their vehicles can be seized and crushed for this type of anti-social activity.

Some local residents have been surprised to see the recycling collections sometimes putting all the items that they have separated back together in a single collection vehicle. This is in fact the result of a possible new collection system that is being tested out. It is now possible as a result of a new processing plant that the Council’s contractors have opened where items are separated. While this system is being tested local people are still asked to carry on separating their recycling as not all collections are yet able to go to the new plant. However if the new collection scheme works it will no longer be necessary for householders to separate items or for different vehicles to be used.
New recycling records are being set by local residents and as a result the Council is looking for Government funding in order to provide people with a recycling bin rather than the current blue boxes. It is of course recognised that some people may chose to stay with a blue box if that is enough for their recycling or if they live in a flat and have limited storage.

On a recent walk around the Hagley Ward, Neil Stanley and I noticed how overgrown the footpath, which is known locally as “Common Lane” had become. This is the path that runs from Durham Drive down towards Rugeley and comes out on Hednesford Road just
by the now closed Pear Tree Pub. The path had become almost in-passable in places and a large amount of rubbish had been fly tipped along this route. We had the district councils environmental clean up team out to the area and they have cleared the rubbish and cut back to overgrown foliage so that the path now back in a usable state. We would like to remind residents that the district council takes the offence of fly tipping very seriously and will prosecute anyone caught committing this crime. The district council offers a cash reward for anyone who can provide evidence which leads to a conviction for fly tipping. Please contact our environmental services team on Cannock (01543) 462621 if you have information on fly tipping.

Over the last few months we have tried to find out who is responsible for the maintenance of the trees in Bedford Way. The County Council Highways department has said that they are responsible but say they do not have the funding to carry out the work at this time. We are going to continue to lobby the County Council to ensure this work is done and we would urge all residents of Bedford Way and those in Durham Drive who’s homes back onto Bedford Way and have overgrown trees hanging over their back gardens, to contact their Local County Councillor and ask him why as council tax payers we are not getting the service we are paying for. Councillor Gwilym Edffrwd Roberts is your Local County Councillor . You can contact Council Roberts via the County Councils website at http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/forms/councillors, you can also contact The High Ways Department direct Via Clarence by phone on 0800 23 23 23, by email:clarence@staffordshire.gov.uk or via their webisite https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/doitonline/clarence/intro.aspx

I have as your local Councillor and Cabinet Member for the Environment at the District Council Continued to to put pressure on the Post Office to keep this vital local asset open. It is not good enough for the Post office to expect elderly residents, and those with disabilities, to travel almost a mile to Anson Street to access the Post Offices services. The main offices at Anson Street is under staffed with only two or three counters open at peak times, this leads to elderly residents have to queue for up to twenty minutes, which will only get worse when you also have former customers from the Pear Tree Post Office also trying to use these facilities. I have instructed officers at the District Council to prepare a report objecting to the closure, this will go before Cabinet this month and then a formal objection will be made to the Post Office. But I am very concerned that they will not listen, as they have already announced the closure of St Aidan’s Post Office in Pye Green Road, Hednesford, despite the Councils objections. And now BT want to remove the pay phone at the junction of Queens Way and Hednesford Road, as they say it is under used and is regularly vandalised. I will be taking the same actions to try and keep this local facility open. What ever happened to the Labour Governments policy of sustainable local communities?? Only if its in London is the answer.

I have more good news for local residents concerned about the redevelopment of the Pear Tree pub site, following the planning committee at Cannock Chase District Council decision to turned down both applications. The developer has decided to listen residents concerns about what should be built on the site. They would like to meet with a small group of concerned residents and local councillors to find out what local residents think should be put on the site. If you would like to be involved in these discussions please contact either Neil Stanley or Tony Williams.We would hope to have the first meeting before the end of August.