Cannock Chase Council

Plans for homes, businesses and a school on the site of a former power station could take decades before they're built.

BBC

That's assuming proposals, just submitted by the owners of Rugeley Power Station, Engie, get permission from Cannock Chase Council and Lichfield District Council.

Last year, the firm revealed plans for the future use of the 139-hectare site including a combination of 2,300 houses, commercial buildings and a primary school.

The planning application's now been submitted to both authorities as, given the size of the land, it straddles both districts.

If the outline plans get approved, work could begin in 2020 but take until 2040 to finish as it would be carried out in stages.

Cannock Chase Council's going to be run by Labour and the Green Party but they deny it's a formal coalition.

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Labour lost overall control of the authority in the local elections earlier this month and it's taken almost four weeks to reach an agreement over what happens next.

The Labour group said at this week's annual council meeting that it would form the administration and consult with Green Party councillors on policy issues.

Charities could have to get a council licence and guarantee 70% of what they earn goes to the cause under new proposals aimed at stopping bogus collections.

PA

The Charitable Collections Policy is being planned by Cannock Chase District Council to regulate house-to-house calls in the area.

If agreed, organisations wanting to collect door to door would have to get a licence, with local charities given priority.

The plans would also see charities limited to a maximum of six collections each year.

The proposals are now going out to public consultation.

A council's being urged to ban goldfish being handed out as fairground prizes on land it owns.

PA

Cannock Chase councillor Claire Wilkinson pushed for the move at the latest full council meeting, describing it as a "cruel and outdated practice".

In England, it is only an offence to give away an animal as a prize if the recipient is under 16 and not accompanied by an adult.

The council says the proposal's now on the agenda for their next cabinet meeting on 23 August.

With the way results have gone in the local election, Cannock Chase remains an island of red surrounded by blue authorities in Staffordshire.

BBC

Labour kept control of the district council which had 13 out of 41 seats up for election this time around.

However the Conservatives walked away with two more seats and the Green Party added a third councillor.