Robbed of our true address

I have read that a project has been launched to redevelop the Southwater core of Telford town centre and this will take the focus away from the existing enclosed shopping centre.

I am a local person.

Most true local people, born and bred for generations, resent anything that the development of Telford has done to our once beautiful country area.

The small hamlets we once knew as Dawley, Oakengates, Wellington etc, have now become over populated with thin-walled, back to back housing developments.

Crime rates have gone up over the 40 years since Telford has been created into a new town.

We hardly ever had criminal, anti-social incidents in our small Shropshire country area before the town development.

It's not surprising that this is so, due to the 162,000 people that now live here.

There are factories being built and within a few years they have been left empty, but rather than reuse them they just keep on building more and more industrial units.

It is so sad to read in the local papers that Wellington traders are forced to close business due to lace of trade, or Oakengates is a virtual ghost town, with a few charity shops.

Why is Telford & Wrekin Council not supporting more trade being taken into Wellington and Oakengates, the real local areas?

Most locals certainly did not welcome the development of Telford.

Indeed, I strongly despise even putting the word Telford as my address.

J M Smith

Ketley