Newport will see none of £21m store cash

Newport will see none of the £21 million given to council bosses by developers after the controversial sale of a green site in the town to make way for supermarket giant Sainsbury's, it was revealed today.

Last month planning chiefs gave their backing for the 50,000sq ft supermarket next to Station Road, Newport.

The application, put forward by developers St Modwen, nets Telford & Wrekin Council £21 million.

But Councillor Bill McClements, from the controlling Labour party, said: "The capital receipt referred to here will go some way to reducing the huge and dangerous debt levels that this administration inherited from the Conservatives.

"For every £1 million debt, the council has to pay £75,000 per year which comes from front-line services. This administration is committed to protecting front-line services and reducing the massive council debt is key to that."

Conservative Councillor Adam Stanton said: "Newport is traditionally a Conservative area and because of that the Labour administration is using it as a cash-cow to make improvements in Labour areas of Telford & Wrekin.

"They have voted to put a supermarket more suited to the outskirts of Birmingham on the edge of a beautiful Shropshire market town."

Resident Helen Madeley added: "It's being forced upon us and we aren't going to benefit from any of the money. It's a disgrace."

In the planning application, Sainsbury's agreed to donate nearly £2 million to the town as part of a legal Section 106 agreement.

Almost half of that money will be spent on road improvements around the supermarket area.

Russell Griffin, spokesman for Telford & Wrekin Council, confirmed that money would be given in addition to the land sale.