‘Telford people could be paying hundreds more’ warns chair of under-threat parish council resisting boundary proposals

Proposals under consultation set out the end of Dawley Hamlets Parish Council as its constituent wards are split up and devoured by three other enlarged council areas.

“There will be a big financial commitment dropping through letterboxes in 2027,” said Councillor Bob Wennington, chairman of the parish council, at the annual meeting on Wednesday (May 21).

“People will be paying more money.”

Councillor Wennington said Great Dawley Town Council and The Gorge Parish Council charge residents much more than the £29 per year that Dawley Hamlets Parish Council does.

“Residents who are moved to Great Dawley would pay £300 more,” he said.

Figures released earlier this year as councils were setting their budgets show that residents in average Band D properties in Dawley Hamlets were charged £2,067,54 for the services of the borough, parish, police and fire service.

Those in similar homes in The Gorge had a total bill of £ 2,102.41 with Great Dawley’s Band D council tax at £2,355.50.

The difference in the figures is because of the what parish councils charge.

Dawley Hamlets Parish Council says its Band D charge for residents is £29.04, and has compared this to Great Dawley Town Council’s £317.00, Lawley & Overdale Parish Council’s bill of £108.55 while at Madeley Town Council it is £164.20 and The Gorge Parish Council’s figure is £63.91.

Only one resident of the parish, former councillor Alan Scott, spoke against the idea at the annual meeting. The chairman described his speech as "passionate".

“What are the benefits to the residents of abolishing Dawley Hamlets?” asked Mr Scott, who sat on the council for 12 years.

“We know we have a great parish council that responds to the needs of residents,” he added.

“What a waste of money this review is.”

Three members of Dawley Hamlets Parish Council, who are also members of Great Dawley Town Council, left this week’s annual meeting before councillors set about deciding what their response would be.

The chairman told the meeting that he had been given legal advice that it would be a conflict of interest for them to be a part of deciding a formal response.

Under proposals being considered by a boundary review, some parts of Dawley Hamlets could be going to Great Dawley, while other wards end up as part of enlarged councils for The Gorge or Lawley & Overdale.

After the departure of the Great Dawley members, the remaining four councillors formed a bare quorum and they unanimously opposed the loss of the parish council.

Councillor Bob Wennington said he had been hoping that more than one member of the public would have turned up at Aqueduct Primary School for the meeting to speak about the issue.

“My concern is that the public don’t know that this is happening,” said Mr Wennington.

“We need to have residents on our side but how can we generate interest, so we don’t lose it through apathy?

“We will be fighting a losing battle if we have not got residents on our side.”

Councillors agreed that they would hold two public meetings one after the other on June 2 – one in Aqueduct and the other in Horsehay – and get the message out by delivering leaflets and speaking to local groups.

“If we do not get the support of residents we are flogging a dead horse,” said Mr Wennington.

“They need to respond formally and not just on Facebook.”

The parish council is set to meet again on June 18 after the public meetings and urges residents to get their views in before the consultation deadline of July 14.

The proposals include moving the Small Hill area into Lawley & Overdale Parish Council and shifting Little Dawley and Aqueduct wards plus Cambridge Close and Baptist Avenue into Great Dawley Town Council. It is also proposed that Horsehay and Doseley are incorporated into The Gorge Parish Council together with the Nightingale Walk ward.

Announcing the second phase of a consultation exercise recently, the Boundary Review Committee chair said the borough council wants to hear feedback.

Councillor Giles Luter (Labour, Ercall) who took the chair after Councillor Paul Davis (Labour, Haygate & Park) was promoted into the borough cabinet, said: “We’ve listened to what’s been said and taken into account the comments made, particularly around the importance of community identity and cohesion, but also accepting that some areas have changed considerably since local town and parish councils were established in the borough.

“These draft proposals are now open for feedback until July 14. We’ll be approaching all town and parish councils directly but want to hear what people living in these areas think too.”

The Community Governance Review consultation closes on July 14 and the outcome of any changes will then come into effect at the next local election in May 2027.