Telford could get a new parish council under new boundary proposals - here's where
A new proposal has emerged that could see a Telford neighbourhood get its own parish council.
Brookside is currently covered by Stirchley & Brookside Parish Council but at least one councillor resigned from the authority after calling for the area to become independent.
Former councillor Stuart Cook had claimed that Stirchley & Brookside Parish Council had failed to prioritise the genuine needs and concerns of its residents. This was a claim strenuously denied by other councillors, including from Brookside.
Now new options have come to the fore as a Telford & Wrekin Council committee seeks a wholesale redrawing of town and parish council boundaries. It will be the first major rejigging since 1998.
It had been proposed to create a new Nedge Parish Council by merging Stirchley & Brookside Parish Council with Hollinswood & Randlay Parish Council.
But papers released in advance of a meeting of the borough’s boundary review committee next week say that the consultation found “considerable opposition to the creation of a proposed The Nedge Parish Council”.
The officials add that “the recent spate of councillor resignations from Stirchley & Brookside Parish Council may be considered to indicate that the arrangements need to be reviewed”.
Council officers have now come up with three possible options.
One is to retain the existing Hollinswood & Randlay Parish Council and the Stirchley & Brookside Parish Council.
A second option is to create two new parish councils: one for Brookside and the second for Stirchley, Hollinswood and Randlay.
Proposal three is to create two new parish councils: one for Brookside and the
second for Stirchley with the existing Hollinswood & Randlay Parish Council
remaining in its current form.
A fourth proposal is to create two new parish councils; one for Hollinswood and the second for Randlay with the existing Stirchley & Brookside Parish Council remaining in its current form.
Committee officials have also proposed more consultation to figure out what to do wth the Great Dawley, Lawley and Overdale, Madeley Town Council and The Gorge area in the south of the borough.
The borough says this is in response to the “strength of feeling” regarding community identity in Aqueduct, Little Dawley, Horsehay and Lightmoor. It could get its own parish council.
A revised proposed Great Dawley Town Council would primarily be based on the existing Great Dawley Town Council with the addition of some streets taken away from Lawley & Overdale.
Dawley Hamlets Parish Council would be split up into other areas and cease to exist. Dawley Hamlets Parish Council has been asked for comment.
Councillor Giles Luter (Labour, Ercall) who chairs the boundary review committee, said: “Town and parish council arrangements have remained largely unchanged since 1998, yet our borough has evolved significantly.
“It’s vital that governance structures reflect the current needs and identities of our communities.
“The level of engagement in this review has been exceptional. We received a wide range of thoughtful and passionate responses, and the committee wants to thank everybody who has taken the time to share their views with us.
“Our aim is to ensure any changes are fair, representative, and rooted in the best interests of local residents. We’ve also asked for further consideration of some areas and I look forward to discussing this at our meeting next week.”
Ercall Magna Parish councillor Ray Wickson, who chairs the Shropshire Association of Local Councils, said he is pleased with the recommendations, subject to a decision being taken next week.
He added: “It shows that democracy works.
“There are a number of outstanding issues in Wrockwardine and Rodington, and The Nedge but overall there have been some very positive results for parish councils as a whole.”
The outcome of the Community Governance Review, including any changes to town and parish council arrangements, will then come into effect at the next local election, in May 2027.
