Telford Southwater redevelopment work begins
Tuesday 11th January 2011, 1:09PM GMT.
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Redevelopment work on Telford’s Southwater area has finally begun with the draining of a popular pool – but what do people living in the town think of the work?
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On the day that Telford and Wrekin talk about cutting £19m from services work starts to build a new council offices in a prime town centre location – costing tens of million.
same old Tories!
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…. which is all being funded from the sale of the old site. This build is zero cost to the tax payer and i guess will be a lot greener & cheaper to run in the long run than an out of date concrete box?
And lets face it – Southwater could do with a face lift.
The development extends to more than just council offices you know!!
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Nothing has 0 cost.
if Telford and wrekin sold the existing civic offices and relocated into towns like Dawley and Wellington, and had the land where the new office is going to be – which could be sold or leased which would provide monies to the local authroity.
i work on stafford park and there a loads of council owned offices left empty. why does the council need to be in the heart of telford? its prime land which could attract prime monies.
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Heather, planning policy at local and national level would make it very hard to justify building the council HQ in what would technically count as out of centre site such Dawley or Wellington. Plus in no way are they central or particularly well connected in terms of public transport. Besides Wellington will be getting some council offices at its new civic centre anyway. Additionally the new building is land the council own so they wouldn’t have to buy any land nor is there any expensive demolition involved. Plus can you imagine how much bigger this building would be than anything else in Dawley or Wellington, completely dominating everything else around. The local NIMBY’s would be outraged.
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What planet are you on? Do you seriously expect a large organisation such as TWC to function as a cohesive unit if its employees are scattered to the four winds?
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Heather, I think the money was comitted well before the cuts programme.
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The Council have the wrong priorities – wasting money on Telford ‘shopping centre’ should not be the role of the council – the private sector should do that. The Council should be doing more to regenerate the Market Towns.
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They aren’t spending money on the Shopping centre, that is Hark/Appollo.
This is Telford’s town centre, usually the most high profile part of a town. I for one am quite happy for the council to be spending money trying to create a real heart for Telford.
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Is heather for real? Putting T&w elsewhere would render Ark Apollo owned telford town centre an even bigger white elephant.These works are entirely justifiable , supporting jobs in its contuction and maintaining the viability and prosperity of the new towns centre which if anyone might realise, secures jobs .Yes this isn’t cheap but would you rather not invest in Telfords future?
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What a complete waste of money.
The new build areas will be frequented by chavs (young and old), single parent chavs and stinking smokers skulking round every corner. You will have to go inside to get some fresh air.
Billy
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think your mistaking the town centre with Welligton
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great news big public sector led constuction projects is just what the economy needs really, lets have a hoover dam style nation recovery project – the olympics should help
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People think this is a good idea because of the redevelopment that is planned to go along side the council office, yet no detailed plans have been submitted for anything other than said council offices.
We are told that the first phase is the new office and secondary phases will be new library, cinema (?), bars and restaurants and shops.
Pound to a penny says the secondary phases will not happen for one reason or another, it was simply a sweetener to make people believe that the new offices were only part of a bigger plan.
The council could spend less money doing up their existing building instead of trying to create of faux ‘town centre’ that no one really cares about.
Leave the Shopping Centre to get on with what they do, but don’t think for a minute that the people of Dawley, Wellington, Oakengates & Madeley will see this pathetic ego-boost exercise as our Town Centre.
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You’ve all got to realise that it’s important councillors have a good environment to work in. Especially with a view over a lake. It’s not so far for them to shop either. These are important people, after all. Show some respect.
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I hope they are going to keep the swings for the workers to play on
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more to the point,is anyone from telford ? actually working on the project,the building trade is on its knees,however i doubt the council are that bothered as long as they get their plush new offices !
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The council own a large number of buildings in and around Stafford Park because it gives them control over developments in those areas. A majority land-owner in a certain area is automatically given certain development rights, by retaining ownership of certain buildings in and around both the town centre and Stafford Park, the council ensures that control and influence of development remains in public hands rather than private industry.
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