Minister in Telford for Housing Summit

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There is enormous potential for growth and new jobs in Telford over the next few years despite the credit crunch, a Government minister claimed today.

Watch our excusive video report here.

The possibilities for a bright future were spelled out by Housing Minister Ian Wright who was in town to attend a crunch Housing Summit involving key organisations from around the borough.

Speaking before the summit, Mr Wright told the Shropshire Star: “There are difficulties, real challenges facing construction and housing but Telford has real opportunities for growth and development.

“There is enormous potential here for employment growth and housing growth in the next few years.

“There are challenges at the moment but with close working with the MPs, the council and key agencies we have real scope here to do something exciting.”

The minister said the Government was trying to bolster the construction industry by giving housing associations money to accelerate new builds and social housing, £775 million having been made available.

Mr Wright was in town at the invitation of Telford Labour MP David Wright who organised the summit to thrash out problems surrounding a lack of affordable and social housing in the borough.

He said work on some sites owned by English Partnerships had slowed down dramatically and they needed kickstarting.

The MP added: “We need to deliver a percentage of affordable housing on those schemes in my view but we need to build mixed nature estates.”

A total of 40 representatives of more than 30 different organisations attended the summit to hear an introduction by the Telford MP and then a speech by the minister on how Government policy translated into action in the borough.

There was then a question and answer session, followed by a series of workshops on access to housing, supply and demand and the regeneration of estates.

A report on the findings of the summit is expected to be published in the New Year.

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This article posted on November 27, 2008 at 12:45

One Comment

  1. Mrs Mary-jane Preece said: Feb 17th, 2009 at 11:39

    i think the housing situation is terrible, I’m a mother of 1 and currently living in woodside through no choice of my home, and am trying to be re-housed with my new husband in shifnal, to keep being ignored by the council, even after offering to take a terrible run down property and do it up ourselves, even applicants are refusing this house yet we are not been considered

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