For sale: 191 acres of land to step up Telford's growth

A mix of residential and industrial land is to be released on to the open market by the Homes and Communities Agency to allow building to continue.

About 77 hectares – 191 acres – of land is to be put up for sale around the town, presenting opportunities for house builders and businesses to continue with their investment in Telford's future.

Many of the sites are included in Telford's Local Plan, meaning they have been previously identified as possible development spots.

But the willingness of the HCA to sell the land on the open market could accelerate that growth and allow work to start promptly.

Business and industry:

• Hadley Park A, 0.61 acres

• Hadley Park B, 0.98 acres

• Hadley Park E, 2.09 acres

• Site 2 Donnington Campus, 1.73 acres

• T54 – Plot 2, 3.12 acres

• T54 – Plot 3, 1.27 acres

• T54 – Plot 5 Nedge West, 1.62 acres

• T54 – Plot 6, 15.12 acres

• T54 – Plot 7, 7.47 acres

• North Of Siemens Halesfield 1 Site A, 1.39 acres

• Plot 2 – Halesfield 24, 0.66 acres

• Plot 3 – Halesfield 23, 0.74 acres

• Plot 1 – Hortonwood 65, 3.91 acres

• Plot 6 – Hortonwood, 3.68 acres

• Plot 12 – Hortonwood, 3.84 acres

• Plot B – Hortonwood, 2.73 acres

Residential plots:

• Moor Farm, Majestic Way, 2.55 acres

• Site C Pool Hill Road, 0.27 acres

• Site D Pool Hill Road, 0.65 acres

• Old Park Phase 1 And 2, 6.46 acres

• Horsehay Land Lightmoor Woodlands, 6.99 acres

• Snedshill/Church Road, 1.23 acres

• Woodlands Farmbuildings, 0.34 acres

• Priorslee East F, 2.02 acres

• Priorslee East – Phase 1 Plot 1, 2.91 acres

• Priorslee East – Phase 1 Plot 2, 1.23 acres

• Priorslee East – Phase 1 Plot 3, 1.77 acres

It is not yet known the impact the sales would have on the number of homes and jobs created in Telford and Wrekin.

Telford & Wrekin Council's cabinet is meeting tonight, with a discussion of Telford & Wrekin's Land Deal due for discussion in private session.

Councillors at the meeting will be discussing a timetable for the sale of the land and how best to utilise it for the advantage of the borough's economy.

The HCA is the government's disposal agency for surplus public land, and has been involved in a number of the developments around Telford in the last few years, including at Lightmoor Village.

The population of Telford and Wrekin has swelled to about 170,000, compared with 158,000 at the time of the 2001 census, and is earmarked for further growth in the future.

HCA chief executive Andy Rose said: "The sale of surplus public land helps to meet government priorities to build more homes and business premises, while delivering a financial return to the taxpayer.

"We will use our commercial expertise and local market knowledge to make land attractive to house builders.

"As the government's disposal agency for surplus public land, we are well placed to support other departments and agencies in meeting their contribution to the government's land programme."

One of the most recent HCA projects in Telford saw the government agency help with the development of 200 homes along with the Bourneville Village Trust on land north of Lightmoor Village.

Simply putting the land up for sale will not necessarily ensure that new homes and business units will be warmly received, however, as another project near to Hadley Learning Community proved when a storm of opposition greeted plans for a new 11-unit business park, including industrial, offices, retail, restaurants and takeaways.