Bulldozers to move in

Plans to bulldoze Malinslee Centre in an £11 million revamp to create new shops, a doctors' surgery and homes, have been given the go-ahead by Telford & Wrekin Council.

It will be the first project in a multi-million pound "rolling regeneration programme" to breathe new life into the borough's struggling district centres.

Councillors went into private session to discuss the issue at cabinet last night, excluding press and public, because they were talking about "financially sensitive" matters.

But the council issued a statement today to say cabinet had given its backing to the scheme.

Council leader Keith Austin has been pushing for regeneration projects of this kind for the past two years and has chaired a series of meetings in each area to find out exactly what local people want.

He said: "This is great news for the residents of Malinslee and it shows our commitment to local centres.

"The local centres are a lifeline for many residents who want good local services on their doorstep.

"By bringing together housing, shops, local services and play we are focused on bringing the centre back to life and helping residents feel proud of their local community."

The transformation of Malinslee includes a new primary school due to replace the existing Langley & St Leonards and Malinslee primary schools.

Malinslee would boast a new retail centre, replacement of the existing doctors' surgery, new and extended play facilities and a mix of apartments and houses.

The cabinet last night also backed in principle the idea of a regeneration programme for parts of Dawley.