Posted on Thursday 15th September 2022
Most Staffordshire County Council services will be closed on Monday, as the nation gathers to mourn Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
A Bank Holiday has been declared and millions of people are expected to watch the funeral service live from Westminster Abbey.
In Staffordshire, emergency children’s and adult services will be working, as well as the highways call out team to attend incidents such as fallen trees, collapsed culverts and road accidents.
Council-owned country parks and toilets will remain open for public use, although the Marquis Drive Centre at Cannock Chase and nearby Chasewater Innovation centre will be closed. The cafes at Marquis Drive and South Shore, Chasewater, will also be closed for the day.
Other services, including all libraries, mobile libraries, the archives service, all household waste recycling centres and children’s centres will be closed.
Schools will be closed and individual early years providers will make their own decisions about opening and communicate directly with parents. Adult and community learning schemes will also be suspended for the day.
Register offices will also be closed, though staff are still attending weddings going ahead at outside venues.
Alan White, Leader of Staffordshire County Council, said:
It feels like a strange time for all of us. On one hand, there is the sense of loss and mourning for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, balanced by the urge to offer support and encouragement to the new King.
And, on the other, there are the arrangements to be made for the choice of Monday for the funeral and the declaration of a Bank Holiday so that those who wish can share in a moment of history.
Our emergency teams will be providing their usual out-of-hours Bank Holiday cover and all council services will resume as usual on Tuesday 20th September.”