Queen Elizabeth II: State Funeral & bank holiday

Minute’s silence

A minute’s silence has been called for 8pm on Sunday, September 18th, to provide an opportunity for the nation to unite to reflect on the lifetime of service which Her late Majesty devoted to the United Kingdom, the Realms and Territories and to the Commonwealth. 

Community Hub and council offices

As a mark of respect for the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, and to allow our staff and members the opportunity to pay their respects, our office at Codsall Community Hub will be closed on Monday, September 19th.

Our phone lines will also be closed, but many of our services are available online: http://www.sstaffs.gov.uk/

The Codsall Community Hub library, Russell House GP Surgery, and The Hub Cafe will also be closed.

Our Books of Condolence at Codsall Community Hub, The Hailing Dene in Penkridge, and Wombourne Parish Council offices will still be available to sign on Monday, from 2-4pm.

Floral tribute sites at our cemeteries in Sytch Lane, Wombourne, and Strawberry Lane, Great Wyrley, will remain open to visitors on Monday. As usual, gates will open at 9am and close at 8pm.

All normal council services will resume on Tuesday, September 20th.

Waste collections and recycling centres/ tips

Waste collections

There will be no waste and recycling collections on the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral this Monday.

Collections due on September 19th will instead be made on Tuesday, September 20th.

For all other collections next week, please present your bins on your normal collection day by 7am, but allow up to one extra day for them to be emptied. For example, if your bin collection is normally on Tuesday, please present your bin on Tuesday as normal, but allow until the end of Wednesday for it to be emptied.

For more information, please visit www.sstaffs.gov.uk/waste

Recycling centres and tips

All of Staffordshire’s recycling centres and tips, including those in Wombourne, Cannock and Bilbrook, will be closed on Monday, September 19th. 

Normal opening hours will resume on Tuesday, September 20th.

Baggeridge Country Park and leisure centres

Baggeridge Country Park

As a mark of respect to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Baggeridge Country Park will be closed on Monday, until the funeral service has concluded.

The park will then open and close at 8pm.

The Teashop and Challenge Academy will be closed all day.

Leisure centres

All of South Staffordshire Council’s leisure centres will be closed on Monday.

This includes Codsall, Penkridge, Great Wyrley and Wombourne.

Rescheduled: Be a Councillor event

South Staffordshire Council’s Be a Councillor event, which was due to take place on Monday, has been postponed.

Details on the new date for the event will be released soon.

Digital Book of Condolence

For those wishing to make virtual tributes, an online Book of Condolence is available on the Royal website.

> We have been made aware of a number of hacking scams being carried out, with perpetrators sending out false links.

With this in mind, please ensure you use the official Royal Family website link only: www.royal.uk/send-message-condolence

Cyber security warning

The Government’s National Cyber Security Centre has warned that during this period following the death of Her Majesty the Queen, including her Lying-in-State and State Funeral, there may be an increase in phishing emails and other scams.

‘Phishing’ is when criminals use scam emails, text messages or phone calls to trick their victims. The aim is often to make you visit a website, which may download a virus onto your computer, or steal bank details or other personal information.

For more information on the warning, and how to stay safe, click here

Physical Books of Condolence

There are physical Books of Condolence at three sites across South Staffordshire. They will close on Tuesday, September 20th at 5pm.

The sites are:

• Codsall Community Hub – open from 9am to 5pm each day, including Saturday and Sunday.
• The Hailing Dene Centre in Penkridge – open from 10am to 4pm, including Saturday and Sunday.
• The Civic Centre in Wombourne – open from 10am to 4pm, including Saturday and Sunday.

> Please refer to the top section of this news round-up for timings the Books of Condolence will be available on Monday, September 19th.

Parish councils across the district may open their own Books of Condolence, however, the Books at the sites listed above will be the ones from South Staffordshire that will form part of the National Archive.

Floral tributes and wreaths

For those wishing to lay floral tributes and wreaths in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, the following sites have been set up with designated areas:

• Codsall Community Hub: At the front of the building, next to the memorial scuplture.
• Sytch Lane Cemetery, Sytch Lane, Wombourne, WV5 0JP
• Strawberry Lane Cemetery, Strawberry Lane, Great Wyrley, WS6 7AU

Gates at the cemeteries will open at 9am and close at 8pm – this will not change on Monday, September 19th.