As residents will know, exciting improvements are planned for the playground, with new equipment and surfacing. However, we’d like the whole community to use the area, not just families with young children, who we know love to play there. There will be health and social benefits for the wider village community.

Did you know there is a covered barn with picnic tables that can be used whatever the weather? Why not use this space for meetings or celebrations such as birthday parties, or just to meet others for a chat and a sit down after a walk around the village or the field?

At the moment individuals and local organisations get in touch with the Parish Council when they want to use these facilities but it would help everyone if we had plenty of notice, so we’d like you to contact clerk@elfordparish.co.uk or send a message via Elford News on Facebook if you’d like to reserve a space for your group.

When the new playground has been installed later this year (subject to successful funding applications) we’d like even more of the community to use it. The Howard School have told us they would like to take groups of children there as a reward for working hard. Currently groups such as the French group use it for a pancake party in July, and it is used for events such as the Platinum Jubilee Picnic in the Park and the Christmas Fayre. Electricity and water supply is available, and subject to demand we could provide more seating, fold up tables, and equipment such as a barbecue if users need these. Going forward if there are other groups who would like to use this space and the facilities please get in touch – perhaps to organise Mum and toddler meet ups, coffee mornings, art group sessions, or fitness tuition there? Other ideas are welcome!

HS2 are offering online one to one meetings as follows, click on the link for details:

files/HS2_Invitation_-_Phase_2a_Virtual_121_Meetings_2022.pdf

Thank you to all those who suggested names for the new roads to be built in Elford.

The most popular one with the Councillors was Tame View and this suggestion has been passed on to Lichfield. We are just clarifying with them whether a second name is needed on the development or not, if so the smaller road will be named Hill Top.

Here's a plan showing the two roads. 

Get back to growth in 2022 with a £5k grant

Grants of between £2,000 to £5,000 are now available to small businesses across Staffordshire to grow and thrive. Improving your business is a year-round job, but new year is the perfect time to get the financial boost you need to start the year strong.  Want to invest in increasing sales, productivity or profitability, or improve business processes but feel the risk is too high? Did you put your business-growth plans on hold during the pandemic, but need financial help to finally realise your potential? If you’re an eligible small business, now’s the time to stop crossing your fingers and get a grant of up to £5,000 from the Staffordshire Means Back to Business Scheme to help you to regroup and grow. Funding is on a first come first served basis, and has now been made available to businesses across the county following Staffordshire County Council's successful bid to secure over £751,000 for the Staffordshire Means Back to Business Scheme from the government's UK Community Renewal Fund. Grants of up to £5,000 have already helped small businesses across all sectors with a range of growth activities, including: Finding expert knowledge and support to help develop business ideas and success, including financial strategy, business strategy, marketing strategy and website expertise, and even expertise to enhance customer service Support to analyse customer data Tackling those back-burner projects and tasks Purchase of equipment and technology for new starters Purchase of specialist equipment – from video equipment to specialist fabrication tools and beyond. Support to prioritise business planning Diversification into new market sectors and taking advantage of new opportunities Developing online payment facilities and getting online and much more. Start 2022 right and apply now for a growth grant of between £2,000 and £5,000.

Read the latest Neighbourhood Watch newsletter for advice on how to stop burglaries and information on running a street party.

files/March_2022_OUR_NEWS.pdf

Bin calendars for Lichfield District homes are now available to download at www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/bincalendar

Councillor Ashley Yeates, Lichfield District Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change & Recycling, said: 

“It will be much simpler to keep the calendars up to date online, and there is substantial environmental benefit from not printing and distributing calendars to around 80,000 households.

“We are working hard on our plans for how to introduce the blue reusable bags for paper and card recycling, which will include a multi-channel communications campaign to ensure households are fully informed about how the system will work and what it will mean to them.”

The new bin calendars are available online at www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/bincalendar

Residents who do not have access to the internet are being encouraged to use the online services from their nearest library or to seek help from their family, friends, or neighbours. They can also call the shared waste service on 0345 002 0022 for help.

Local opinions sought on parish arrangements in Lichfield District.

Green-fingered folk across Lichfield District are being encouraged to subscribe again for the garden waste service.

Online registration at www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/mygardenbin is now open for the garden waste service, and Lichfield District Council is urging local residents to sign up again to have their brown bins emptied in 2022.

The council has held 2021’s price and it will cost £36 per brown bin for fortnightly collections in 2022. Next year’s garden waste service will run from 31 January to 16 December and customers will receive a maximum of 23 collections.

Councillor Ashley Yeates, Cabinet Member for Climate Change & Recycling, said: “Thank you to everyone who signed up to our garden waste service in the last year.

“We’re now reminding all our residents that they will need to sign up again if they want their brown bins emptied in 2022.

“It costs the same regardless of when you register during the year, and your annual subscription will always end in December. This is why it makes sense to register before the first collection in 2022, so you can get a full year’s worth of collections.”

Sign up for the garden waste service at www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/mygardenbin or call the Lichfield and Tamworth Shared Waste Service on 0345 002 0022.

“It is important to remember that your brown bin will not be emptied in 2022 unless you are signed up and have displayed your new sticker on your garden waste bin.

“We are also encouraging anyone who signs up not to cover up their 2021 sticker with their new one, so our crews know to continue to empty your garden waste bin for the rest of this year,” added Cllr Yeates.