Wetter winters and drier summers mean that you could be more likely to experience flooding in your area.

We’re currently running a flood awareness campaign to help take the hassle out of preparing a plan for when you may be affected by flooding.
The initiative is timely. Not only have recent weeks shown that flooding is a growing problem in the UK, but our own research also revealed that nearly three in four people in Leicestershire do not have a plan in place.

We found that while valuable resources are available, these resources are dispersed and sometimes difficult to find.

To help people get started, we have gathered the information into a step-by-step guide. From community support, which 70% of survey participants were interested in, to making a household plan and signing up to flood alerts, find out what you can do to boost your resilience.  Become flood aware https://trentriverstrust.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cae6b2d1d43115c199416a5aa&id=f26f6ff938&e=922b4f8102

Could nature help us become flood resilient?

Working with nature for communities
Restoring catchments to a more natural state not only benefits rivers, it can also play an important role in delaying and lowering flood peaks. Natural flood management is what we do locally to reduce the impact on communities.

Following Storm Babet between the 19^th and 25^th October 2023 South Staffordshire Council have received confirmation that those county/ unitary areas who have recorded over 50 flooded properties as a direct result of Storm Babet are eligible for funding under the Flood Recovery Framework.

The 50 property criteria applies to the whole of Staffordshire, and whilst we know there were a number of parts of the District impacted by the recent bad weather , South Staffordshire Council or colleagues at Staffordshire County Council have not received any conformation of properties being directly impacted within South Staffordshire.

To hit the threshold and be able to draw down funding to support affected properties, 50 verified incidents with supporting evidence must be recorded across the County. If you are aware of any properties in your wards/parishes which were impacted by the flooding can you please ask the resident to get in touch via emergencyplanning@sstaffs.gov.uk  and we can then confirm if the property meets the set criteria, add this to the combined county list of properties, and if the threshold is met we will then be in a position to support those properties.

Properties have until Thursday 25^th January 2024 to come forward, after this date no additional impacts will be able to be recorded or claimed against.

Available Support if (50 property threshold is met)

• Flooded households in affected areas can apply for up to £500 to give cash quickly to help with immediate costs.
• Households and businesses significantly affected by recent flooding will be eligible for 100% council tax and business rates relief for at least 3 months.
• Small-to-medium sized businesses in affected areas will be eligible for up to £2,500 from the Business Recovery Grant to help them return quickly to business as usual.
• Eligible flood-hit property owners will be able to apply for up to £5,000 to help make their homes and businesses more resilient to future flooding via the Property Flood Resilience Repair Grant Scheme.

Eligibility Criteria

Which households are eligible

Eligible households will be primary residences where, as a result of the relevant severe weather event:

• flood water entered into the habitable areas of the residence; or
• flood water did not enter into habitable areas, but the local authority regards that the residence was otherwise considered unliveable for a period of time

Second homes and empty homes will not be eligible.

Instances where households might be considered unliveable could include:

• where access to the property is severely restricted (e.g. upper floor flats with no access)
• key services such as sewerage, water and power supplies are severely affected
• the adverse weather has resulted in other significant damage to the property such that it would be, or would have been advisable for residents to vacate the premises for a period of time, regardless of whether they do vacate or not
• flooded gardens or garages will not usually render a household eligible but there may be exceptions where it could be demonstrated that such instances mean effectively that the property is unliveable.

Business eligibility criteria

Small and medium businesses which:

• are directly impacted by the severe weather event – for instance there was flood damage to the property, equipment, and/or stock; or
• are indirectly impacted by the severe weather event – for instance business has had no/highly restricted access to premises, equipment and/or stock as a result of flooding, restricted access for customers, suppliers and/or staff and directly suffered loss of trade as a result.

South Staffordshire Council is funding a research project to appraise the challenges & opportunities in 7 key village centres in South Staffordshire.  The appraisal covers Perton and aims to focus on what makes it:

• Attractive
• Liveable
• Accessible
• Vibrant

‘Unmissable’ HUGE orange bubble coming to Baggeridge

A giant orange bubble representing one tonne of carbon dioxide will be landing at a South Staffordshire beauty spot next week.

Dubbed an ‘unmissable event’, the spectacular 10m-wide sphere will be at Baggeridge Country Park on Monday (August 14) where visitors will be offered top tips on how to mitigate climate change in their area.

The average South Staffordshire resident emits 5.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year – the bubble is designed to help people visualise what one tonne looks like.

Visitors are also invited to have their say on what they think could help cut carbon emissions locally, and to make a ‘green pledge’ to adapt their behaviour.

For more information, see the full article via this link

Camp Bestival arrives for second year at Weston Park

Family festival Camp Bestival returns to Weston Park next week.

South Staffordshire Council’s environmental health and licensing team will be on-hand throughout the event to ensure a safe and enjoyable time for all.

The team will be on-site from Thursday, August 17, to Monday, August 21, to undertake inspections of food outlets and conduct noise monitoring.

The event will feature family fun activities – children’s shows and theatrical entertainment, plus artists such as Primal Scream and Human League. There will also be a full range of food stalls and a bar.

Following resident feedback from last year’s event, a number of improvements have been made. The main stage will finish at 11pm, the smaller stages at midnight, and the layout has also been altered to redirect noise.

Residents can call 0161 647 7934 to speak to the external event manager during event days. Should you wish to contact the South Staffordshire team, please email campbestival@sstaffs.gov.uk

Kinver Neighbourhood Plan

Kinver residents are being urged to have their say on the future of planning policy in their parish, with a referendum planned later this summer.

A neighbourhood plan has been drawn up by a steering group for Kinver parish, also covering Stourton, Iverley, Lawnswood, which, should it be approved by referendum, will influence planning in the parish.

The referendum will take place on Thursday, August 24, at the Edward Marsh Centre in Legion Drive, Kinver.

• Poll cards will be sent to Kinver residents around early August – with residents urged to register to vote by Tuesday, August 8. Further information can be found via: Register to vote – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
• Information about the referendum including official notices are published via: Forthcoming elections and results | South Staffordshire District Council (sstaffs.gov.uk)
• Voter ID will be required to vote at the polling station, further information on this requirement can be found at: Voter ID and Election Act 2022 Changes | South Staffordshire District Council (sstaffs.gov.uk).

For more information, see the full article via this link

Vacancies

• Litigation Solicitor, closing August 28th
• Relief Leisure Assistant (all South Staffordshire Council leisure centres), closes September 30th
• Welfare and Financial Assessment Officer, closes September 1
• Relief Water Assistant (all South Staffordshire Council leisure centres), closing September 30th
• Relief Swimming Instructor (all South Staffordshire Council leisure centres), closing September 30th

All vacancies can be viewed in full and applied for on our recruitment site: https://www.sstaffs.gov.uk/vacancies

Carbon literacy training

Leisure latest

Summer activities for young people and families

This summer, South Staffordshire Council’s leisure centres are providing a range of activities, schemes and discounts for young people aged 5-17 years old.

                                   Training courses

Partnership updates

Be dog-safe this summer

Making sure people are safe around dogs this summer is a priority for the Canine and Feline Sector Group. Their advice is:

• Be alert – always keep an eye on children around dogs
• Be aware – dogs use signals to tell us how they feel
• Be safe – any dog can bite, accidents can happen fast
• Follow the Dog Safety Code: https://cfsg.org.uk/dog-safety/