Archive for February, 2014

Council Tax Frozen Again by Conservative Controlled Council

Tuesday, February 18th, 2014

On Thursday 13th February, a meeting of Conservative controlled Staffordshire County Council once again agreed to freeze council tax as members agreed the budget for next year and that means there has been no rise for four years.

Being able to freeze council tax will keep more money in everyone’s pockets, including those staff who live in the county. This in turn will help further boost Staffordshire’s economic recovery, which is already heading in the right direction.

Demand for council services, particularly for adult social care, people with learning disabilities and vulnerable children, has continued to increase. As people live longer, the health and social care demands will only grow. In addition, the substantial reduction in funding from Government in recent years has focussed our minds very clearly on exactly how we, as officers, use public money to the very best advantage. With increasing demand and reducing income it’s undeniably challenging to achieve the right balance and we must continue to adapt and embrace doing things differently.

We must support those who need us most, invest in our economy to support jobs, and find the savings to balance our books. We are determined to do the ‘right thing’ for our residents.

This determination is reflected in the new strategic plan and the associated five-year financial plan. Together they set out how we will invest and create the right conditions for the economy to grow and new jobs to be created.

Underlying all is a continuing refinement in the way we must now work together. Whatever our role, we can all contribute to creating a connected Staffordshire where everyone has the opportunity to prosper, be healthy and happy.

Whether it’s working together across teams, with partner organisations or with the private sector, we will all become more connected to deliver the necessary efficiencies and savings. With your help, we will always be able to put the people of Staffordshire first and do the right thing.

You can see more information about Staffordshire County Council share of the council tax here.

Conservative Politicians Working Together to Stop Hate Crime in Staffordshire

Saturday, February 15th, 2014

Tackling hate crime in Staffordshire is playing an integral part in making the county a safer place for everyone, the County’s Community Safety Leader said this week.

Speaking after a joint event to understand hate crime better and how it can be tackled, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Support Member for Community Safety, Cllr Mark Sutton, said addressing the issue was everyone’s responsibility.

Hate crime is defined as when an offender targets the victim because they believe they are different in some way, be that because of their sexuality, a disability, their race, religion, gender or even because of the way they look or dress. Yesterday’s event, held at Staffordshire University, brought together a range of organisations from across the county and Stoke-on-Trent. Its aim was to bring better understanding of the issue both in Staffordshire and nationally and to draw up a joint plan to tackle it.

Cllr Sutton said, “It is hugely encouraging to see the positive force we have in Staffordshire across a range of organisations to stop hate crime. This type of crime has a devastating impact on people and communities and can have tragic consequences.

“It is hard to understand why anyone would commit this type of crime and it is important that perpetrators are brought to justice. However, it is vital that easily accessible support to victims is in place and that we are working to prevent this crime from happening in the long-term by addressing root causes.

“Staffordshire people should be confident that we have a committed team who are already doing a great deal to tackle hate crime. We know there is a lot to be done, but we are continuing to strengthen our partnership to make this county a safer place which is a priority to us.”

The event was organised by Staffordshire County Council and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, both of which are currently controlled by Conservative Party elected politicians. The event was also supported by Staffordshire Police, Challenge North Staffordshire (CNS), Chase Against Crimes of Hate (CACH) and Partnership Against Crimes of Hate (PACH).

Pincher Calls for Farmers to Allowed to Clear and Manage Their Watercourses

Tuesday, February 11th, 2014

Yesterday in the House of Commons, Christopher Pincher called on the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to put pressure on the Environment Agency to allow farmers to clear and manage the watercourses that cross their land to avoid flooding from nearby rivers.

During the debate on flooding Mr Pincher said, “The River Mease in my constituency has regularly flooded near Elford, Haunton and Harlaston, partly because the Environment Agency, with other agencies, has refused to allow farmers to clear and manage their watercourses.

“May I echo others by asking my right hon. Friend to encourage the practitioners of conventional orthodoxy to pay close attention to the concerns and advice of farmers, who are as expert at managing their fields and watercourses as anyone in the EA?”

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles MP, replied, “We have looked to farmers and those in similar professions to help us out during this whole process and their local knowledge has often made the difference. As I have said from the Dispatch Box, my right hon. Friend the Environment Secretary believes in that principle passionately, and I believe that good management is operated, if only by acting as an agency for the agency.”

Conservative Controlled Council Scheme Helping to Open Doors to the Jobs Market

Friday, February 7th, 2014

An innovative scheme delivered by Conservative controlled Staffordshire County Council is continuing to help hundreds of people get a foot on the career ladder.

The Open Door programme, which was introduced in 2009, helps prepare people for the world of work by offering them a twelve-week work experience placement. Over 350 people from across the county have already benefited from the programme so far.

The scheme focuses on helping people who face difficulties and barriers in finding work, and includes people with disabilities, mental health issues, ex offenders, Children leaving care, school leavers, and graduates.

The scheme provides work placements within Council departments and also with external organisations depending on the candidates preferred area of work. During the placement, people get valuable work experience, which they can put on their CV, a reference from their manager, as well as access to certain training courses. People also get the opportunity to apply for any internally advertised jobs with the Council.

Staffordshire County Councillor, Ben Adams, Cabinet Member for Learning and Skills said, “A key priority for us as a Council is to ensure that people get the opportunity to access good quality jobs and that we have a skilled workforce to grow our economy. This is a vital part of our strategy to bring growth and prosperity to Staffordshire.

“Our Open Door project is a great scheme that offers people a twelve week voluntary work experience placement within a wide variety of job roles. The scheme, which was launched in 2009, has already helped over 350 people, with some securing full time employment.

“We are making sure that people who need that extra bit of support to get into their chosen careers get the help they need. Open Door, along with other initiatives including our highly successful apprenticeship programme is helping people get into work.”

For further information on the Open Door Staffordshire scheme please contact Vicky Perry on 01785 854486 or email Vicky.Perry@staffordshire.gov.uk.

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Archive for February, 2014

Council Tax Frozen Again by Conservative Controlled Council

Conservative Politicians Working Together to Stop Hate Crime in Staffordshire

Pincher Calls for Farmers to Allowed to Clear and Manage Their Watercourses

Conservative Controlled Council Scheme Helping to Open Doors to the Jobs Market

Conservative Controlled Council’s Cabinet Vote for Tax Freeze

Conservative Council to Support County’s Future Sports Stars

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