On Tuesday 11th August, Stone Town Council held a live-streamed virtual committee meeting to discuss the impact of the recent Crown & Anchor Covid-19 incident, and plan how to move forward.
The meeting started with Councillor Jill Hood giving a factual account of the events so for, covering the initial incident, the press releases, the Mobile Testing unit, and the final count of cases which ended at being 22 in the cluster. From those 22 cases, an additional 60 people have been contacted as they had been in direct contact with the people testing positive and were advised to self-isolate and get tested.
Following Councillor Hood, Councillor Ian Fordham asserted that the local health authorities had averted a potential tragedy by prompt action, and also expressed a hope that the town can move forward.
A number of points were raised, including a healthy debate on whether Stone should be classed as “Open for Business” and be welcoming people into our town from far and wide. Covid-19 hasn’t gone away, just because the restrictions have been lifted, it’s still there and the various elements of guidance are there to protect us all as a society.
Councillor Hood was particularly passionate about the hard work that the many traders and business owners had put in to make the town a safe place for shoppers and those enjoying our hospitality businesses. Praise was also passed on about Stone residents who have been incredibly vigilant and considerate in raising concerns, with the majority of people taking the government guidance with the appropriate level of seriousness that it requires.
Many people watching the live stream will have never witnessed a council meeting in person, and this meeting was a great example of democracy in action with the councillors free to make their own statements and rebuttals from a very much personal point of view. If you missed Councillor Hatton’s input you should check it out, his choice of words had the viewers and the councillors raising a smile and caused some to have to go offline to compose themselves :D
The proposals put forward and voted on were the following:
- Councillor Fordham proposed that Stone Town Council write to Stafford Borough Council to propose a suspension of late-night music & alcohol licences – the Crown and Anchor was the only venue in the entire Borough open beyond 1am on the night in question. Direct link to the vote – Proposal Passed Unanimously
- Councillor Fordham proposed that Stone Town Council write to the Stafford Borough Council to ask for a review of the Crown & Anchor’s licence. Proposer Councillor Fordham. Seconded: Councillor Hood. Vote: Councillor Adamson against, Councillor Power Abstained, All others in favour. Direct link to vote – Proposal Passed, 1 against, 1 abstention
- Councillor Fordham proposed that Stone Town Council write to ask for weekend patrols of the town by both Staffordshire Police and the licensing enforcement team at the Borough Council. Direct link to vote – Proposal Passed Unanimously
- Councillor Leason proposed the creation of a working group with the towns traders, other interested parties and of course Stone Town Council. Direct link to vote – Proposal Passed Unanimously
- Councillor Kenny proposed that Stone Town Council write to Stafford Borough Council to ask how much they would charge the town council to provide free parking on every Saturday until the end of the year. Direct link to vote – Proposal Passed, 1 vote against.
- Councilor Hood proposed an extension to the High Street road closure until later in the evening – extended from 4pm to allow for better enjoyment of the town’s High Street. Consultation recommended with traders and market stall holders to find a workable solution that allows deliveries and market stalls to be packed up. Liaise with highways to discuss possibilities, especially as the current regulations aren’t enforced. Direct link to vote – Proposal Passed Unanimously
- Councillor Powell proposed that the town council write to Stafford Borough Council to ask for the pavement licence fee to be waived and to encourage a more alfresco experience in the town. Direct link to vote – Proposal Passed, 2 abstentions
The mood from the meeting was very much about raising the profile of the town again, drawing a line under the incident and getting locals and visitors back into a safe and secure High Street.
You can view the full meeting via the town councils YouTube page.
