Strategic Services - Further Information
South Staffordshire is located in a strategically important
position on the edge of the built up area of the West
Midlands Conurbation. The District also retains a unique and
distinctive rural character which has become established
through the heritage of its natural and built environments.
There are 4 Service Areas within the Strategic Services
Portfolio that play a vital role in supporting the
Urban Regeneration and Rural Renaissance of the West
Midlands Region and the Corporate Aims and Objectives of South
Staffordshire Council :
- Economic Development
Contributes in particular to the Corporate aim of being 'a
prosperous District with thriving communities' by helping to create
the conditions for a vibrant and sustainable economy.
Activities include: -
- Supporting inward investment
- Working with partners to develop
sustainable economic development
- Seeking external funding
- Compiling and maintaining economic data
sets
- Responding to and participating in regional
and sub-regional economic strategies
- Development
Plans
Contributes in particular to the Corporate aim of 'celebrating and
improving South Staffordshire's distinctive environment' by
delivering a Spatial Planning Strategy, through the Local
Development Framework (LDF), that helps to shape a sustainable
future for South Staffordshire.
Activities include: -
- Delivering policies in the LDF that
will help to shape a better environment for South
Staffordshire
- Contributing, through the LDF, to the
delivery of the Community Strategy that has been developed in
conjunction with partners in the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP)
for South Staffordshire
- Conserving the Green Belt by resisting all
inappropriate development throughout the Plan period
- Taking an active role in the development
and review of the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) for the West
Midlands Region and any consequential Sub-Regional Strategies
- Monitoring and compiling statistical
data
- Championing transport and rural
issues across the District
- Housing Strategy
Contributes in particular to the Corporate aim of being 'a
prosperous District with thriving communities by providing an
efficient housing service in partnership with other agencies and
dealing effectively with the housing requirements of South
Staffordshire residents.
Activities include: -
- Preparing the Council's Housing Strategy
and implementing its Action Plan
- Monitoring the performance of the
Registered Social Landlords (RSLs)
- Providing more affordable houses within
South Staffordshire by ensuring that planning decisions take
account of local housing needs
- Delivering the Council’s Homelessness
Strategy Action Plan, improving the Council’s Housing advice and
homelessness service in partnership with colleagues in Community
Services Portfolio
- Bringing empty properties back into use and
providing advice to private landlords through seminars, meetings
and mailshots.
- Conservation &
Design
Contributes in particular to the Corporate aim of 'celebrating and
improving South Staffordshire's distinctive environment' by
providing a professional advice service that aims to enhance the
quality of the historic and designed environments.
Activities include: -
- Advising the Development & Building
Control Service on planning applications, applications for listed
building consent and applications for conservation area
consent
- Providing specialist advice to owners and
their agents about appropriate materials and techniques to use in
repairing and maintaining historic buildings
- Establishing and recording the broad
spectrum of the historic environment including ‘buildings at
risk’
- Preparing a ‘local list’ of buildings of
architectural and historic importance I South Staffordshire
- Commissioning Conservation Area Appraisals
and Conservation Area Management Plans
- Providing an efficient and effective
graphic design service to all portfolios within the Council
- Championing design issues across the
District
