Shropshire Star

Telford & Wrekin Council leader hails investment impact

Millions of pounds of funding towards major developments in Telford will be key to the town's recovery from the pandemic, according to the borough's council leader.

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The investment will be a major boost for the borough according to Telford & Wrekin Council's leader

Earlier this week it was announced that the Marches LEP had allocated £7 million for the projects in Telford, with Telford & Wrekin council also setting aside £12m.

It will be used to unlock brownfield sites, with plans for around 500 houses as part of the schemes.

The three developments, at Telford Town Centre – known as the 'Station Quarter', Donnington and Wellington, would together create around 500 new homes for affordable and private rent and sale, as well as specialist and supported accommodation for vulnerable people.

Council leader Shaun Davies, who is non-executive board member of the Marches LEP, said the developments would have a major impact on the prosperity of the borough.

He said: “Telford & Wrekin Council has worked very hard to secure this support from the LEP and follows many months of work behind the scenes bringing these major schemes forward

“This is another huge level of investment into business and the infrastructure of the borough.

“These are two very high profile schemes which will help to make Telford an even more attractive destination for our residents and in attracting new investment to the borough."

Councillor Davies said that the developments could play a major part in the town's economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis.

He said: “At such a challenging time and to recover from the effects of the pandemic it’s viral that we provide the leadership to drive growth and further stimulus in our economy.

“Major developments such as these will be key to help the borough’s economy as it recovers from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

"We have many bids into government right now, we need each and every one of them to be successful and supported by the government;

"Before the coronavirus pandemic, we needed investment as part of our new town legacy. The effects of the pandemic make investment more urgent, more needed than ever and on a larger scale.

"We will bid for funding through any and every vehicle to create a better borough."

Telford will also benefit from a new Marches Centre of Excellence in Health and Allied Health and Social Care being created in the town by Wolverhampton University.

The Marches LEP will be contributing £3.5 to the project.

The university said the new centre will provide state-of-the-art training facilities, enabling students to gain hands-on real-life experience of the discipline they will enter and ensure they have the skills and knowledge to benefit employers.

The centre will also proactively address shortfalls in health professionals across the Marches area, with an emphasis on local people and students who will become key workers within the area.