Shropshire Star

Telford MOD hub means 'jobs jackpot'

Telford will hit the "jobs jackpot" if it wins the fight for a Ministry of Defence hub, it was claimed, as councillors approved a £120m Government loan to build it.

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Kuldip Sahota, leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, praised the potential employment boost if a huge expansion of the Donnington MoD base got the go-ahead.

If Telford was chosen as the location for a flagship centre for supplying kit to the Armed Forces, it would see1,000 local jobs safeguarded and 700 new roles in the supply chain.

And winning the hub would also mean a boost of £60 million a year to the borough's economy, last night's meeting of Telford & Wrekin Council's cabinet was told.

Members approved a scheme to borrow up to £120m from Government to be able to offer the base to bidders.

Councillor Bill McClements, cabinet member for finance and enterprise, presented what he declared as "the biggest and single most important issue to come to cabinet in recent years".

He said: "If successful, this scheme would generate up to £60 million in and will add considerable momentum to the local economy, building on the results our business winning approach is already yielding.

"It would protect 1,000 jobs at Donnington and create around 700 more in the supply chain here.

"Putting this funding in place to ensure that our scheme, including if required a design and build option, is ready to go, is essential to our bid's success.

"It is a clear statement of intent from Telford & Wrekin to the MoD – we are presenting Donnington's full offer and we believe that we can deliver the best and most cost effective solution for logistics."

He also thanked residents, local businesses and Hadley & Leegomery Parish Council for their "support and understanding" in backing the plans.

Councillor Sahota said it would be a "jobs jackpot' for the borough if Donnington was selected as the site for the new facility.

And councillor Liz Clare called the bid, which is up against towns including Bicester, "an absolute must of the highest priority". She said the final decision is expected to be made by the MoD on December 19 and she hoped that this would be a "good Christmas gift".

Councillor Andrew Eade asked if such a big decision would be made by the Government when the General Election was so close.

The loan would be used to buy the 56 acres of land next to the existing site and build a 875,000sq ft fulfilment centre, a 200,000sq ft warehouse and a 30,000sq ft, office block.

But the money would only be used if the council won the bid and provided the facility.

The council would then recoup the borrowing costs as part of the contract and create a considerable surplus to fund key council services such as care for vulnerable adults and children.

The borrowing requirement will go to full council for final approval later this month, with the MoD expected to announce a decision in December.

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