Jonathan Sutton

East Staffordshire Borough Council has introduced £75 civil penalty notices for drivers whose vehicles are used to litter on land the council maintains. The charge is reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days, doubles after 28 days if unpaid, and may ultimately be recovered through the courts. The notice is sent to the vehicle’s registered keeper, even if someone else discarded the rubbish, following earlier advice, warnings and publicity campaigns.

Reform UK councillors at Tamworth Borough Council called for council assets to be held until the new unitary authority is established in 2028, arguing that community assets should not be sold without greater scrutiny. The meeting focused on concerns including Park Farm Community Centre and the council’s 577 assets. Conservative councillor Martin Summers dismissed the meeting as a farce because the asset-disposal strategy had already passed through cabinet without committee scrutiny. After a recess, councillors unanimously agreed to collaborative work identifying assets for disposal or transfer, although decisions covered by existing legal agreements cannot be revisited.

Tamworth Borough Council has approved an emergency public space protection order banning people from entering, swimming or bathing in Borrowpit Lake, and from using watercraft or encouraging others to enter without permission. The order follows repeated disregard of safety warnings and concerns from Staffordshire Police, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue and local headteachers about cold-water shock, hidden hazards and sudden changes in depth. Breaches may lead to a £100 fixed penalty notice or prosecution. The Lamb Angling Club and Tamworth Sea Cadets will retain permitted access, while new warning signs will be installed later in the month.