South Staffordshire

The 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:{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972|year=1972|number=2039|access-date=31 May 2023}}

• Cannock Rural District
• Seisdon Rural District

The new district was named South Staffordshire, reflecting its position within the wider county.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973|year=1973|number=551|access-date=31 May 2023}}

{{Infobox legislature

| name = South Staffordshire District Council

| native_name =

| transcription_name =

| legislature =

| foundation = 1 April 1974

| coa_pic =

| coa_res =

| coa-pic =

| coa-res =

| logo_pic = South Staffordshire Council logo.svg

| logo_res = 250px

| logo_alt =

| logo_caption =

| house_type = Non-metropolitan district

| body =

| houses =

| leader1_type = Chair

| leader1 = Dan Kinsey

| party1 =
Conservative

| election1 = 7 May 2024{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 7 May 2024 |url=https://southstaffs.cmis.uk.com/Meetings/tabid/70/ctl/ViewMeetingPublic/mid/397/Meeting/2657/Committee/5/Default.aspx |website=South Staffordshire Council |access-date=21 July 2024}}

| leader2_type = Leader

| leader2 = Roger Lees

| party2 =
Conservative

| election2 = 14 September 2021

| leader3_type = Chief Executive

| leader3 = Dave Heywood

| party3 =

| election3 = January 2017

| members = 42 councillors

| structure1 = South_Staffordshire_District_Council_2023.svg

| structure1_res = 250px

| political_groups1 =

;Administration (29)

:{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} Conservative (29)}}

;Other parties (13)

:{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Independent politician}}|border=darkgray}} Independent (5)}}

:{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} Liberal Democrats (4)}}

:{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}|border=darkgray}} Green (2)}}

:{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} Labour (2)}}

| committees1 =

| joint_committees =

| voting_system1 = First past the post

| last_election1 = 4 May 2023

| next_election1 = 6 May 2027

| session_room = South Staffordshire Council Offices -Codsall.jpg

| session_res =

| meeting_place = Council Offices, Wolverhampton Road, Codsall, Wolverhampton, WV8{{nbsp}}1PX

| website = {{URL|www.sstaffs.gov.uk}}

}}

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.{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1972|year=1972|chapter=70|access-date=31 May 2023}}

The 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:{{cite web |title=Compositions calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=3825 |website=The Elections Centre |access-date=9 September 2022}}

The leaders of the council since 1982 have been:{{cite web |title=Council minutes |url=https://southstaffs.cmis.uk.com/Meetings.aspx |website=South Staffordshire Council |access-date=17 September 2022}}

Following the 2023 election the composition of the council was:{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2023/may/04/elections-2023-results-live-local-council-england#le-full-results|title=Local elections 2023: live council results for England|work=The Guardian}}

The next election is due in 2027.

{{also|South Staffordshire District Council elections}}

Since 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.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The South Staffordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2022|year=2022|number=1140|access-date=28 December 2023}}

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.

The 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.{{cite news |title=Council set for £700,000 move |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search-newspapers |access-date=28 December 2023 |work=Evening Mail |date=19 January 1976 |location=Birmingham |page=23}}

{{further|List of civil parishes in Staffordshire}}

The whole district is divided into civil parishes. No parish in South Staffordshire has been declared to be a town by its parish council.{{efn|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".}} 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:{{cite web |title=Parish councils |url=https://www.sstaffs.gov.uk/our-council/parish-councils |website=South Staffordshire Council |access-date=29 December 2023}}

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}

• Acton Trussell and Bednall{{efn|Shares grouped parish council with Teddesley Hay}}
• Bilbrook
• Blymhill and Weston-under-Lizard
• Bobbington
• Brewood and Coven
• Cheslyn Hay
• Codsall
• Coppenhall{{efn|Shares grouped parish council with Dunston}}
• Dunston{{efn|Shares grouped parish council with Coppenhall}}
• 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{{efn|Shares grouped parish council with Acton Trussell and Bednall}}
• Trysull and Seisdon
• Wombourne

{{div col end}}

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.{{cite web |title=Towns and cities, characteristics of built-up areas, England and Wales: Census 2021 |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwales/census2021 |website=Census 2021 |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=28 December 2023}}

There 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 {{convert|5.5|mi}} walk along the disused railway line of the Wombourne Branch Line.{{cite web|title=South Staffordshire Railway|url=http://www.sstaffs.gov.uk/your_services/leisure_services/south_staffordshire_railway.aspx|work=Leisure Services|publisher=South Staffordshire Council|access-date=28 February 2014}}
• 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.sstaffs.gov.uk/your_services/community_services/baggeridge_country_park.aspx|title=Baggeridge County Park|publisher=South Staffordshire Council|access-date=16 October 2016}}
• Bluebell Woods, Perton: An internationally important site for Bluebells.{{cite web|url=http://www.sstaffs.gov.uk/your_services/architectural__landscape_serv/building_and_landscape_design/environmental_improvements/bluebell_walk_at_smiths_rough.aspx|title=Bluebell Walk at Smith's Rough|publisher=South Stafforshire Council|access-date=2010-01-20}}
• 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/kinver-edge-and-the-rock-houses|title=Kinver Edge and the Rock Houses|publisher=National Trust|access-date=16 October 2016}}
• Shoal Hill Common: A {{convert|180|acre|km2|adj=on}} 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.

In 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. {{cite web|url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Sutton_Coldfield|title=Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) Full Freeview transmitter|date=1 May 2004|website=UK Free TV|accessdate=6 May 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/The_Wrekin|title=Full Freeview on the The[sic] Wrekin (Telford and Wrekin, England) transmitter|date=1 May 2004|website=UK Free TV|accessdate=6 May 2024}}

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.

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|South Staffordshire District|South Staffordshire}}

{{Staffordshire}}

{{West_Midlands}}

{{coord|52.6258|-2.1918|type:adm3rd_dim:40000_region:GB-STS|display=title}}

Category:Non-metropolitan districts of Staffordshire