South Staffordshire is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. Its council is based in Codsall. Other notable settlements include Brewood, Cheslyn Hay, Coven, Essington, Featherstone, Four Ashes, Great Wyrley, Huntington, Kinver, Landywood, Penkridge, Perton, Wedges Mills, Weston-under-Lizard and Wombourne. The district covers a largely rural area lying immediately to the west and north-west of the West Midlands conurbation.
South Staffordshire District | |
|---|---|
| South Staffordshire | |
 | |
 South Staffordshire shown within Staffordshire | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Non-metropolitan county | Staffordshire |
| Status | Non-metropolitan district |
| Admin HQ | Codsall |
| Incorporated | 1 April 1974 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Non-metropolitan district council |
| • Body | South Staffordshire District Council |
| • MPs | Gavin Williamson Theodora Clarke |
| Area | |
• Total | 157.3 sq mi (407.3 km2) |
| • Rank | 86th (of 296) |
| Population (2022) | |
• Total | 111,527 |
| • Rank | 217th (of 296) |
| • Density | 710/sq mi (270/km2) |
| Ethnicity (2021) | |
| • Ethnic groups | |
| Religion (2021) | |
| • Religion | List
|
| Time zone | UTC0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| ONS code | 41UF (ONS) E07000196 (GSS) |
| OS grid reference | SJ8701803171 |
The neighbouring districts are Stafford, Cannock Chase, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Bromsgrove, Wyre Forest, Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin.
History
editThe district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The new district covered two former districts, which were both abolished at the same time:[2]
The new district was named South Staffordshire, reflecting its position within the wider county.[3]
Governance
editSouth Staffordshire District Council | |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1 April 1974 |
| Leadership | |
Dave Heywood since January 2017 | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 42 councillors |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
| First past the post | |
Last election | 4 May 2023 |
Next election | 6 May 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
| Council Offices, Wolverhampton Road, Codsall, Wolverhampton, WV8 1PX | |
| Website | |
| www | |
South Staffordshire District Council, which styles itself "South Staffordshire Council", provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Staffordshire County Council. The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[5]
Political control
editThe council has been under Conservative majority control since 1976.
The first elections 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:[6]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| No overall control | 1974–1976 | |
| Conservative | 1976–present | |
Leadership
editThe leaders of the council since 1982 have been:[7]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Brownhill[8] | Conservative | 1982 | 2005 | |
| Brian Edwards[9] | Conservative | 2005 | 13 Aug 2021 | |
| Roger Lees | Conservative | 14 Sep 2021 | ||
Composition
editFollowing the 2023 election the composition of the council was:[10]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 29 | |
| Independent | 5 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 4 | |
| Labour | 2 | |
| Green | 2 | |
| Total | 42 | |
The next election is due in 2027.
Elections
editSince the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 42 councillors representing 20 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[11]
The district covers a similar geographic area to South Staffordshire parliamentary constituency, although the north of the district is covered by the Stafford constituency. Sir Patrick Cormack of the Conservative Party held the South Staffordshire seat, and its predecessor, Staffordshire South-West, between 1974 and 2010, when he retired and the seat was won by Gavin Williamson for the Conservative Party.
Premises
editThe council is based at the Council Offices on Wolverhampton Road in Codsall. The building was purpose-built for the council shortly after it was created, opening in 1976 to replace buildings in Penkridge and Wombourne that the council inherited from its predecessors.[12]
Settlements and parishes
editThe whole district is divided into civil parishes. No parish in South Staffordshire has been declared to be a town by its parish council.[a] None of South Staffordshire's settlements are classed as post towns either; postal addresses in the district therefore all include the name of a post town outside the district, the main ones being Cannock, Stourbridge, Stafford, Walsall and Wolverhampton. The district's parishes are:[13]
- Acton Trussell and Bednall[b]
- Bilbrook
- Blymhill and Weston-under-Lizard
- Bobbington
- Brewood and Coven
- Cheslyn Hay
- Codsall
- Coppenhall[c]
- Dunston[d]
- Enville
- Essington
- Featherstone
- Great Wyrley
- Hatherton
- Hilton
- Himley
- Huntington
- Kinver
- Lapley, Stretton and Wheaton Aston
- Lower Penn
- Pattingham and Patshull
- Penkridge
- Perton
- Saredon
- Shareshill
- Swindon
- Teddesley Hay[e]
- Trysull and Seisdon
- Wombourne
At the 2021 census the Office for National Statistics identified three built-up areas in the district with a population over 10,000, being Great Wyrley and Cheslyn Hay with 17,640 people, Wombourne with 12,815 and Codsall (including Bilbrook) with 11,865.[14]
Countryside
editThere are many beauty spots within the South Staffordshire district, for example the village of Wombourne has the Wom Brook Walk and the Bratch Locks on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal in the nearby village of Bratch. Other sites include:
- South Staffordshire Railway Walk: A 5.5 miles (8.9 km) walk along the disused railway line of the Wombourne Branch Line.[15]
- Baggeridge Country Park: A large and diverse country park located between Wombourne and Sedgley (in the Dudley Metropolitan Borough), which has won the national Green Flag Award for 11 years.[16]
- Bluebell Woods, Perton: An internationally important site for Bluebells.[17]
- Highgate Common: A large area of heathland near Swindon.
- Kinver Edge: A National Trust property, located in the south of the district which features the Holy Austin Rock Houses.[18]
- Shoal Hill Common: A 180-acre (0.73 km2) site of lowland heaths and woodlands which can be found to the extreme north of the district.
Bunkers Tree Wood is also in the area and contains a large Corvid roost.
Media
editIn terms of television, the area is served by BBC West Midlands and ITV Central. Television signals are received from the either Sutton Coldfield or Wrekin TV transmitters. [19] [20]
Radio stations for the area are:
- BBC Radio WM
- BBC Radio Stoke
- BBC Radio Shropshire can also be heard.
- Heart West Midlands
- Smooth West Midlands
- Capital Midlands
- Free Radio Black Country & Shropshire
- Black Country Radio
- WCR FM, a community based station that broadcast from Wolverhampton.
Local newspaper is the Express & Star.
References
edit- ^ Parish councils may declare their parishes to be towns under Section 245(6) of the Local Government Act 1972 and then take the style "town council".
- ^ Shares grouped parish council with Teddesley Hay
- ^ Shares grouped parish council with Dunston
- ^ Shares grouped parish council with Coppenhall
- ^ Shares grouped parish council with Acton Trussell and Bednall
- ^ a b UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – South Staffordshire Local Authority (E07000196)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 31 May 2023
- ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
- ^ "Council minutes, 7 May 2024". South Staffordshire Council. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
- ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
- ^ "Council minutes". South Staffordshire Council. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
- ^ "Trio get long service awards". Express and Star. 22 June 2007. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
- ^ "Councillor Brian Robert Edwards MBE". South Staffordshire Council. 15 August 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
- ^ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
- ^ "The South Staffordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2022", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2022/1140, retrieved 28 December 2023
- ^ "Council set for £700,000 move". Evening Mail. Birmingham. 19 January 1976. p. 23. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
- ^ "Parish councils". South Staffordshire Council. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ "Towns and cities, characteristics of built-up areas, England and Wales: Census 2021". Census 2021. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
- ^ "South Staffordshire Railway". Leisure Services. South Staffordshire Council. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
- ^ "Baggeridge County Park". South Staffordshire Council. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
- ^ "Bluebell Walk at Smith's Rough". South Stafforshire Council. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
- ^ "Kinver Edge and the Rock Houses". National Trust. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
- ^ "Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) Full Freeview transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ "Full Freeview on the The[sic] Wrekin (Telford and Wrekin, England) transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 6 May 2024.