If your home or business flooded in February 2020 you may be entitled to a grant to help prevent your property from being flooded again.

After an extension to the national scheme, Lichfield District Council is inviting owners of homes or businesses that flooded in storms Ciara or Dennis in February 2020 to apply for a property flood resilience grant of up to £5,000.

Councillor Rob Strachan, Cabinet Member for Finance, Procurement and Revenues & Benefits, said: “We know how heart-breaking it is to have your home or businesses flooded, and we want to help make sure local properties are able to withstand possible future flooding events.

“This is why we’re inviting anyone who owns a property in the district that flooded in February 2020 to apply for funding to install measures to help make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

To be eligible for a grant, an independent surveyor will need to assess the property to advise on the best way to make a property more resilient to future flooding, such as putting in flood doors and raising electrics from ground level.

The funding can only be spent on flooding mitigation measures and cannot be used for repairs.

To find out more and how to apply for a property flood resilience grant, go to www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/floodrelief.

Don’t forget therre is a Post Office at the Village Hall every Tuesday morning 10-12.

Send your parcels, do your banking and much more!

The rearranged Parish Council meeting took place on 26^th July at the Village Hall.

New plans had been submitted for the former Social Club site to address the concerns of the Planners and Conservation Officer, and the developers had been asked to provide evidence of how an alternative community facility could be provided to replace the closed club. A meeting had been held at the Cricket Pavilion to prepare a plan of work required for its use by the wider community.

Maintenance and electrical safety work had taken place at the Playground and new picnic benches had been delivered. It was agreed to begin enquiries about replacing the surfacing and the equipment in the longer term.

A resident had contacted the Parish Council regarding overgrown and impassable parts of the Rights of Way, these would be reported to the County Council Rights of Way team.

The Councillors agreed to discuss ideas for the long term needs of the village at the next meeting. Any residents wishing to suggest ideas please contact any Councillor.

There had been recent incidents of car theft and vandalism. Concerns would be raised with the PCSO and crime prevention advice would be shared with residents. Cllr Turley offered to investigate CCTV and report back to the September 13^th meeting.

For further information please see the Minutes.

Help is on hand to make dog walking as enjoyable as possible for you and your canine companion.

With many households buying or adopting a lockdown dog, Lichfield District Council is offering advice to new dog owners who may be struggling to keep their recent additions to the family under control.

Over the last year, the council has received a number of complaints about dogs off the lead that are giving cause for concern in local parks.

There are simple ways to make sure dogs follow commands, including enrolling on a dog obedience course.

The Dogs Trust – a registered charity – offer a four-week virtual and in-person Dog School for £65. Find out more at www.dogstrust.org.uk/dogschool.

Lyn from Lichfield said: “Puppy training really helped my dog Oakley, giving invaluable tips and support in a controlled socialising environment. The outcome was a fantastic and responsive pet. He is amazing off the lead and going back on it, especially when passing anyone who looks uncomfortable or if we come across dogs and I’m unsure of their temperament.”

Oakley, a three year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Japanese Spitz mix, is the face of Stay Pawsitive by Hegdesigns. You can find out what he gets up to over on his Instagram account at _oakleythedog.

For reactive dogs keeping them on a lead can be the best option. The Respect the Lead campaign offers the following advice:

• Don’t let your dog run over to a dog on a lead, they may be on a lead for a reason
• Don’t let your dog off the lead if you cannot easily recall them
• Don’t ignore warnings from other owners about their dog
• Check with other owners before letting your dog interact
• Remember a seemingly friendly dog may lash out if approached while on a lead

To find out more about Respect the Lead, go to www.respectthelead.com.