'Set for the next 50 years' - The major developments changing the face of Wellington town centre

The local authority was set to consult traders on plans to refurbish the town's Market Hall this week, work which it hopes will be completed before next summer.

Earlier this year, Shropshire firm Paveaways was appointed to carry out a £4 million scheme to refurbish the Victorian-era market building, which was purchased by Telford & Wrekin Council in 2023. 

Telford & Wrekin Council says the work will address the "significant property defects" and overall poor condition of the market building - while creating a "retail, food and leisure hub" which it hopes will safeguard the future of the building for the next 50 years.

A meeting with more than 50 traders and food businesses who currently call the market home was set to take place this week as the authority looked to finalise its plans.

And while work is completed over the next twelve months, a number of other schemes are either under way or set to take place to improve other areas in the town centre, part of what Telford & Wrekin Council says is a "major investment" into the market town.

Currently, pavements are being widened and resurfaced on Church Street, the first phase of planned public realm works which the council says will create high-quality public spaces aimed at encouraging "pride, belonging, character and identity for the local community" in the town - as well as boosting the trading environment for businesess.

At the same time, work to bring the former YMCA building on Walker Street back into use is set to be completed this summer, in a scheme which will see the upper floors of the landmark building converted to residential accommodation while the ground floor retail unit undergoes a full refurbishment.

The building was purchased by the YMCA in 1920 and has been used as a gymnastics hall, billiards rooms and a soup kitchen.

A linked scheme of works taking place directly opposite will see two "unstable" buildings at the corner of Crown and Duke Street completely demolished and rebuilt, also with apartments planned for the upper floors.

The apartments on the upper floors are being developed by Nuplace, Telford & Wrekin Council’s wholly-owned housing company.

“We are committed to the regeneration of Wellington and continuing to bring more shops into the centre and creating more town centre living space," said Telford & Wrekin Council leader Lee Carter at the launch of the scheme.

“The redevelopment of 1 Walker Street is just one of a number of major investments in Wellington as we aim to make Wellington and Telford and Wrekin a better place for our residents and a place where they can be proud to live, work and secure great jobs.”

Also now underway is the latest round of works to Wellington's community owned Orbit cinema, which plans to create a number of flexible spaces for hire as part of the latest scheme of works to fully bring the former bank building on Station Road back into use.

Telford & Wrekin Council says the redevelopment will enable more opportunities for arts, culture and community hireable space, boost the economy, and provide entrepreneurs with the "space and opportunity" to get started, while giving established businesses the chance to scale up and grow.

The scheme marks the latest phase of improvements for the community venue, which was opened in 2019 on the back of a near decade-long campaign by supporters to re-open the now-demolished former Clifton cinema on Wrekin Road as a theatre, cinema and arts centre.

Planning permission was granted for the project at the beginning of April, with work expected to be completed in 2026.