Cannock Chase District Explained

Cannock Chase is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. It is named after and covers a large part of Cannock Chase, a designated National Landscape. The council is based in the town of Cannock. The district also contains the towns of Hednesford and Rugeley, as well as a number of villages and surrounding rural areas.

The district borders South Staffordshire to the west, the Borough of Stafford to the north, Lichfield District to the east, and the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall to the south.

History

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering two former districts plus a single parish from a third, which were all abolished at the same time:[1]

The new district was named Cannock Chase after the landscape and former royal forest which covers much of the area.[2]

Governance

Cannock Chase Council
Logo Pic:Cannock Chase Council logo.svg
House Type:Non-metropolitan district
Leader1:Steve Thornley
Election1:22 May 2024
Leader2:Tony Johnson
Election2:24 May 2023
Leader3:Tim Clegg
Election3:1 June 2021[3]
Members:36 councillors
Structure1:Cannock_Chase_Council_2024.svg
Structure1 Res:250px
Political Groups1:
Administration (21)
  • Labour (21)
    Other parties (15)
  • Green (5)
  • Next Election1:7 May 2026
    Session Room:Headquarters, Cannock Chase District Council - geograph.org.uk - 1991619.jpg
    Session Res:250px
    Meeting Place:Civic Centre, Beecroft Road, Cannock, WS111BG

    Cannock Chase District Council, which styles itself "Cannock Chase Council", provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Staffordshire County Council. Much of the district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[4] [5]

    The council's logo is a deer, referencing the area's past as a royal hunting forest and the fact that deer are common in the area. A survey in 2022 found that the deer population was growing.[6]

    Political control

    The council has been under Labour majority control since the 2024 election.[7]

    The first elections to the council were held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[8] [9]

    Party in control Years
    1974–1982
    1982–1987
    1987–2003
    2003–2012
    2012–2019
    2019–2021
    2021–2023
    2023–2024
    2024–present

    Leadership

    The leaders of the council since 2005 have been:[10]

    Councillor Party From To
    Neil Stanley[11] pre-2005 8 May 2011
    George Adamson 25 May 2011 19 May 2021
    Olivia Lyons19 May 2021 24 May 2023
    Tony Johnson 24 May 2023

    Composition

    Following the 2024 election the composition of the council is:[12]

    PartyCouncillors
    21
    10
    5
    Total 36

    The next election is due in May 2026.[13]

    Elections

    Since the last boundary changes took effect in 2024, the council has comprised 36 councillors representing 12 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) elected each time for a four-year term of office. Staffordshire County Council elections are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no district council elections.[14]

    The district covers the same area as the Cannock Chase (UK Parliament constituency). Until the 2010 general election the constituency also included the adjacent village of Huntington in South Staffordshire. From 2010 onwards the constituency has exactly the same boundaries as the district.[5]

    Premises

    The council is based at the Civic Centre on Beecroft Road in Cannock.[15] The building was purpose-built for the council between 1978 and 1981.[16]

    Demography

    According to data from the 2011 United Kingdom census, Cannock Chase has a population of 100,600, with 49,500 males and 51,100 females. 62.5% of the population is between the ages of 16 - 64, of which 88.7% is economically active, 11.2% above the West Midlands regional average.[17]

    Media

    In terms of television, the area is served by BBC West Midlands and ITV Central (West) broadcasting from Birmingham. Television signals are received the Sutton Coldfield TV transmitter. [18]

    Radio stations for the area are:

    The Express & Star is the local newspaper that cover the district. [20]

    Towns and parishes

    Much of the district is covered by eight civil parishes. The exception is certain parts of Cannock, which are unparished.[5] The parish councils for Hednesford and Rugeley have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council".[21]

    When the district was created in 1974 it only contained one parish, being Brindley Heath; the former Rugeley Urban District and Cannock Urban District were both unparished. In 1988 two parishes called Rugeley and Brereton were created covering the former Rugeley Urban District, and four parishes called Bridgtown, Cannock Wood, Heath Hayes and Wimblebury, and Norton Canes were created covering parts of the former Cannock Urban District.[22] The parish of Hednesford was subsequently created in 2000 from another part of the former Cannock Urban District.[23]

    The parishes are:

    Other areas and settlements include:

    Further reading

    Notes and References

    1. si. The English Non-metropolitan District (Definition) Order 1972. 1972. 2039. 17 November 2023.
    2. si. The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973. 1973. 551. 31 May 2023.
    3. News: Ashdown . Kerry . Councils to share chief executive despite concern over splitting time between two boroughs . 27 December 2023 . Stoke-on-Trent Live . 22 May 2021.
    4. act. Local Government Act 1972. 1972. 70. 31 May 2023.
    5. Web site: Election Maps . Ordnance Survey . 27 December 2023.
    6. News: Cannock Chase deer count suggests growing population . 28 May 2022 . BBC News . 15 April 2013.
    7. News: Stubbings . David . Cannock Chase Council results in full as Labour take control after border changes . 20 July 2024 . Express and Star . 3 May 2024.
    8. Web site: Compositions calculator . The Elections Centre . 9 September 2022.
    9. News: Cannock Chase . 2009-10-17 . . 2008-04-19.
    10. Web site: Council minutes . Cannock Chase District Council . 17 September 2022.
    11. News: Cannock Lib Dem leader loses to Labour's Gordon Brown . 17 September 2022 . BBC News . 6 May 2011.
    12. Web site: Cannock Chase election result. BBC News. 22 June 2024. 3 May 2024.
    13. Web site: Cannock Chase . Local Councils . Thorncliffe . 20 July 2024.
    14. si. The Cannock Chase (Electoral Changes) Order 2023. 2023. 1023. 27 December 2023.
    15. Web site: Cannock Chase Council . 27 December 2023.
    16. News: Royal brick graces new HQ . 27 December 2023 . Rugeley Times . 1 August 1981 . 3.
    17. Web site: Labour market profile - Cannock Chase. Nomis. 6 July 2023.
    18. Web site: Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) Full Freeview transmitter. 1 May 2004. UK Free TV. 16 April 2024.
    19. Web site: Cannock Chase Radio . 16 April 2024.
    20. Web site: Express & Star. 12 February 2014. British Papers. 16 April 2024.
    21. Web site: Parish and Town Councils . Cannock Chase Council . 27 December 2023.
    22. Web site: Cannock Chase (Parishes) Order 1987 . Local Government Boundary Commission for England . The National Archives . 27 December 2023.
    23. Web site: Langston . Brett . Cannock Chase Registration District . UKBMD . 27 December 2023.