£14m investment in borough's roads
Ruling councillors in Telford & Wrekin have given the thumbs up to one of the authority's biggest ever transport investment programmes which will see £14 million spent on the area's roads.
Ruling councillors in Telford & Wrekin have given the thumbs up to one of the authority's biggest ever transport investment programmes which will see £14 million spent on the area's roads.
The spending, which was approved at last night's meeting of the borough council's cabinet, will go towards improving, repairing and making roads across the borough safer to use for drivers and pedestrians.
Streetlights and road signs will also be improved and the main streets in four borough town centres will also be revamped as part of the programme.
Council cabinet members heard that there would be work to make more than 100 footpaths better, address road safety concerns and improve roads surfaces and bridges.
Major routes would benefit while £2.1 million of the outlay would go on 65 schemes for minor and unclassified road across the borough.
The four towns to benefit under the scheme would be Dawley, Oakengates, Newport and Wellington
A combined total of £4 million would be spent in these towns as part of the council's Borough Towns Initiative.
The High Street in Dawley will be spruced up as part of a wider regeneration of the town.
And in Oakengates streets in the town centre would be improved following consultations with residents.
High Street and Central Square in Newport will be repaved, as will New Street and Market Square in Wellington.
Councillor Adrian Lawrence, cabinet member for environment and rural areas, welcomed the investment.
He told members at last night's meeting: "All in all it is a very significant programme.
"It is a programme which includes work for all parts of the borough."
Councillor Sean Kelly said that the investment was "tremendous news" and demonstrated the council's ability to respond to residents' needs.
Council leader Councillor Andrew Eade said that the programme had been drawn up following consultations with residents in the districts.
Councillor Eade added: "I think that historically that is something this council hasn't done very well but is starting to do extremely well now.
"It is a very exciting campaign.
"We are addressing under-investment in roads and footpaths over a number of years.
"We are now starting to make inroads into that," he added.