Will Telford & Wrekin Council's £22m redevelopment scheme help Oakengates rediscover its soul?
A few years ago the town of Oakengates, perched on the route of Thomas Telford's most famous old road and able to trace its history back to medieval times, adopted a slogan declaring itself "the heart of Telford".
On some days, even the most optimistic visitor would be hard-pressed to find its pulse.
The latest regeneration plan, to rejuvenate the 1960’s Limes Walk precinct, refresh the theatre, and create a new outdoor events and market space could offer a brighter future for Oakengates - at least according to Telford & Wrekin Council.
In 2019 the authority secured over £22 million of Government funding for projects in Oakengates, Wellington and Telford town centre, a trio of regeneration initiatives linked under the banner of the Telford Towns Fund.
In Oakengates, the multi-million pound regeneration project hangs off the redevelopment of Telford Theatre, along with a programme of demolitions and refurbishments around Limes Walk designed to better link the theatre to the town's shopping streets.
Built as Oakengates Town Hall in 1968, the old building has always sat a little awkwardly in its seat as Telford's main performance venue; a compromise to the older town from the makers of the new one, a promise that Oakengates would not be forgotten.
The building has undergone numerous redevelopments and rebrands over the years - some more confusing than others.
Constructed in a modernist style on the site of a former nail factory, the theatre has been redeveloped a number of times in its history, the auditorium arriving in 1983 ahead of a further fit-out in 1989.
It was rebranded to Oakengates Theatre as part of the later refurbishment, before adopting the ambiguous and almost universally unadopted moniker of "The Place" in 2005.
In 2022, the building was renamed again to "Telford Theatre", although somewhat confusingly, the former branding still remains in place.
To some, a decision to redevelop and enlarge the existing building will offer the same promises of additional footfall as previous regeneration schemes, and feel like a repeat of an earlier policy which has never truly worked, either for Oakengates or Telford.
