Spotlight on plan for track

Efforts to find the best place for a running track and other leisure facilities to be built once Cannock Stadium closes will be back under the spotlight in a matter of days.

Cannock Chase District Council's cabinet agreed last month for officers to investigate other possible sites in case the preferred location at Blake Valley Technology College in Hednesford fell through.

But the decision was called in by Labour councillors who claimed the brief to officers was too wide and they wanted the investigation to be limited to sites in the south of the district. Labour councillor Chris Mitchell called in the decision, supported by fellow councillors Mike Holder, Muriel Davis, Frank Allen and Doug Thomas and it will be put before the scrutiny committee on Tuesday afternoon.

But council leader Councillor Neil Stanley claimed it effectively ruled out a number of sites in the district, including the preferred option.

He said: "Quite simply, if we drew a line exactly between the south and north, you would find that most of Hednesford is in the north, including Blake. Really, we are trying to address the whole of the district and provide facilities in each part of the district.

"We have said we are committed to spending money in Hednesford as part of that and provide facilities in all parts of the district," he added.

But Councillor Mitchell said the terminology relating to the southern part of the district did not exclude any areas around Cannock and Hednesford as it was loosely worded and was not set in stone.

She said: "I have asked for a call-in because we are getting such varying stories from Cannock Chase Council and the county council."

The situation arose after the district council's cabinet was told that Staffordshire County Council had raised issues which could pose a risk to the plans to site extra leisure facilities at Blake Valley Technology College.

The list of 10 areas of concern raised by county officers included two new points only raised for the first time recently, relating to the size of the development and the impact it would have on the site.