Shropshire Star

£2.5m plans for Telford move forward

Council chiefs have agreed to submit plans for a £2.5 million scheme to breathe new life into an area of Telford.

Published

A blueprint will now be submitted in a bid to gain planning permission for the revamp at Hollinswood - but it will not include homes.

The scheme includes demolition of the Woodcutter pub, knocking down and replacing existing shops and flats and building a new activity hub for adults with learning difficulties.

It also includes improvements and an extension of the community centre, landscaping improvements and the creation of better links to Telford town centre and the new £200 million Southwater development.

There is also the scope to build new homes - but that will be shelved for now after a consultation exercise revealed residents were split down the middle about whether it was a good idea or not.

An open day was held at Hollinswood Community Centre on Tuesday so people could have a look at the plans and make comments.

The plans to revamp Hollinswood were drawn up after a profile of the ward three years ago highlighted it as "unattractive, outdated, unsafe and subject to vandalism".

It also highlighted growing issues with crime and anti-social behaviour.

Speaking at a meeting of Telford & Wrekin Council's cabinet, Councillor Shaun Davies said: "I think anyone who has gone around Hollinswood can see that it clearly needs improvement.

"We have done it with Brookside and Hadley and now it is Hollinswood's turn.

"A consultation event was held this week and it was very, very positive in terms of our recommendations.

"The consultation also revealed that residents were split 50/50 in terms of whether residential homes should go up.

"We will look further into that and it will not form part of the first phase of the development."

Councillor Bill McClements, cabinet member for finance and enterprise at Telford & Wrekin Council, said: "This scheme will improve Hollinswood's links to the town centre, providing better access to emerging employment opportunities associated with Southwater and the extension of Telford Shopping Centre – which are expected to generate more than 2,000 jobs."

The cabinet approved the cash investment in Hollinswood in January and have since been working with residents, public sector partners and businesses to develop proposals which will deliver the major improvements.

The Woodcutter pub tenant left the venue at the end of August and planning approval has been secured for demolition, which is due to start next month.

The existing shops with three flats on the first floor – two of which are privately owned with the third owned by the Wrekin Housing Trust – will all be demolished with existing tenants relocated into the new flats, assuming they agree to the plans.

Proposals put forward for the regeneration to include a new activity hub for adults with learning difficulties were also approved at the cabinet meeting last night.

It will combine some of the services currently offered at other locations such as The Bridges, Halesfield 22, Lakeside and The Severns.

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.