Hednesford commits to further regeneration in response to resident demand

Hednesford Town Council has committed to an enhanced programme of regeneration following a modest increase in its precept.

It was confirmed last year that just £2.61 per Band D household of monthly council tax bills, or £26.14 per year goes towards Hednesford Town Council.

Following a poll of residents, which revealed further regeneration of the town and support for community groups as key priorities, it was agreed that the figure should be increased by £0.92 to £3.53 per month per household over the ten monthly instalments taking the total yearly total up to £35.35.

The additional funds will be used to appoint part time community and regeneration officers, make improvements to the town centre, attract further investment and better position Hednesford as the gateway to Cannock Chase ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Garry Jones, Council speaker for Finance and Council Procedures, said: “Hednesford as a town has had some real successes over the last few years with the continued growth of the Summer Festival, Christmas lights switch on and introduction of artisan markets, much of which has relied on hundreds of hours of volunteer time. With extra support and coordination, we can get even more residents involved and help existing volunteers to achieve even more.  

“We need to be actively seeking new tenants for vacant properties such as the Co-op and former B&M sites. Hednesford train station is by far and away the best option for cyclists, walkers and day-trippers to access Cannock Chase, but in order to encourage more people to do so we need to improve signage and routes and ensure that facilities like cycle storage are available so that they can also take the time to visit the town.

“With these two new appointments, the introduction of new facilities and additional support for community groups we know that we will be able to make some real improvements for both residents and visitors.”