Stafford News
The latest Stafford news: planning decisions, council and crime updates, business and community stories, each linked back to its official source.
Top story
Stafford Council to Buy 3 Homes for £675,000 to Cut B&B Use
Stafford Borough Council plans to buy three homes for £675,000, about half from a government grant, as around 20 households a month end up in bed and breakfast.
More stories
Jobs
Stafford Unemployment: 2,185 Claiming, Up 150 in a Year
Stafford borough's claimant count rose to 2,185 in August, up 150 on a year and the largest increase of any Staffordshire district, led by under-25s and over-50s.
Council
Stafford Town Council Approved: £38.44 a Year From 2027
Stafford gets its own town council from April 2027, at £38.44 a year on a Band D home. Nineteen councillors, 11 wards, first elections next May.
Planning
Stafford Planning Committee Loses Powers on 31 October
From 31 October most Stafford planning applications must be decided by officers, not councillors. The council called it a serious loss of democracy.
Council
Stafford Council Merger Paused: May 2027 Election Back On
Stafford Borough Council's abolition is on hold. The May 2027 borough election now goes ahead on existing wards, three days after joint committees were set up.
Council
Stafford Council Handover: 6 Boroughs Share 6 of 12 Seats
Staffordshire County Council took six of the 12 seats on the body planning Stafford's replacement. Three days later the government paused the whole programme.
Community
Stafford Regeneration: 7 Photo Books, 4 Years, 55 Students
Fifty-five Stafford College students spent four years photographing the town centre rebuild. The seven books go to Stafford's libraries and sell for the hospice.
Transport
Staffordshire Care Leavers Get a Free Bus Pass, Any Time
Care leavers in Staffordshire can now travel free on any bus in the county at any hour, for 12 months. Here is who else travels free, and what changes in 2027.
Stafford
Stafford Bin Collections Move a Day for 31 August Holiday
Every bin round in Stafford borough shifts one day later from Monday 31 August, and Friday rounds land on Saturday 5 September. Normal days return 7 September.
Cannock Chase
Disposable barbecue ban: Stafford shops must clear shelves
Shops here must stop selling disposable barbecues after the government acted on 14 August. Staffordshire fought 600 outdoor fires in July, double last year.
Children
Staffordshire child protection: action plan due 12 November
Inspectors found Staffordshire's response to child sexual abuse in the family fast at the front door, then inconsistent. An action plan is due by 12 November.
House prices
Stafford house prices slip to £259,721, off April's record
The average Stafford home sold for £259,721 in June, a second monthly fall that leaves it £6,347 below April's record high. The year is still up 4.4%.
Council
Stafford's new council named: South and Mid Staffordshire
Ministers set the legal name and 92 councillors for the council replacing Stafford Borough Council, then paused the whole plan on 7 September 2026.
Council
Stafford Town Centre: 600 Saw the Plan for 200 Homes
About 600 people saw Stafford's town centre blueprint at the drop-ins. It sets out 200 homes, a 2,595 sqm market hall and a college plot on cleared land.
Schools
Stafford GCSE results day: 20 August, remarks by 24 Sep
GCSE results land on Thursday 20 August. Sir Graham Balfour opens at 8.30am, Stafford College enrols by time slot, and remark requests close on 24 September.
Jobs
Stafford unemployment: 2,150 on claimant count, up 210
2,150 people in Stafford borough claimed unemployment benefits in June, 210 more than a year earlier; the 2.5% rate still undercuts the West Midlands' 5.3%.
Council
Stafford Face Coverings Rule Backed by 92%, Starts December
92% of about 390 people backed Stafford's face coverings rule, with a £100 fine for refusing to remove one. The renewed PSPO is due to start in December.