18-hour fun plan for Telford town centre

The latest stage in the mission to reinvent the heart of Telford is a proposal to knock down Asda to make way for a nearly 100,000 square metre development.

The plans, which are expected to generate thousands of jobs, are expected to be approved when they go before council bosses next week.

Papers released today give more details of how Telford Shopping Centre will be improved.

In total the overhaul could increase the size of the one million sq ft centre by as much as 80 per cent, with a net increase of up to almost 400,000 sq ft of shops and nearly 250,000 sq ft of restaurants, cafés and bars, with other proposed uses including a cinema and hotel.

The plans hinge on a £1.5 million contribution from the applicant, Telford Trustees, to be put into highway improvements around the site, on the Red Oak car park.

The application would see shops, bars, restaurants, a new supermarket, petrol station, hotel and cinema or leisure facility within the Box Road and Central Southwater.

It would also complement the neighbouring £250m Southwater scheme for shops, entertainment and homes, which is now being built.

Developers want to start work when Asda moves to the site of the former civic offices in Malinsgate in the spring.

Recommending the plans for approval, planning officer Gareth Thomas said: "The core strategy's long term development vision will see the transformation of Telford's centre into an 18 hour, seven days a week focal point for recreation, leisure, and cultural services and facilities.

"It will provide new jobs, new opportunities and new wealth, to transform the image and perceptions of Telford."

The Southwater scheme set to open in the spring will include a public services one- stop shop, 11-screen Cineworld cinema, an 85-bedroom hotel and restaurants.

The box road which surrounds both sites will be made two-way to link the new developments with the shopping centre and improve pedestrian and cyclist access around the town.

A new multi-storey car park off the box road is nearing completion at Southwater and later phases of road reshaping will see Woodhouse Central, Lawn Central, Grange Central and Coach Central, which form a square around the centre made two-way.

Building on the Northern Quarter, where Asda is currently situated, is expected to get under way once the supermarket moves to the former civic offices site in Malinsgate in the spring.

And if it goes ahead as planned, the first work will coincide with the unveiling of Southwater's 11-screen Cineworld cinema, incorporating chain restaurants Harvester, Pizza Express, Chimichanga and Zizzi.

An 85-bedroom Premier Inn will house high street giants Bella Italia, Nandos and Wagamama. And an iconic piece of architecture clad in gold will become a one stop shop for public services.

A new building called Southwater One will be home to a new library and council customer service teams.

In a report to next Wednesday's Telford & Wrekin planning committee, planning officer Gareth Thomas wrote: "The vision has been refined and bolstered so that the town centre including, of course, Southwater provides a vibrant, sustainable, commercial and cultural heart for the town that looks, feels and functions like an identifiable town centre, rather than the present indoor shopping centre focus."