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Telford & Wrekin Council is backing ambitious plans
for a significant regeneration programme that would create a heart
in a new-look Town Centre.
The regeneration of the Town Centre and Southwater area will be
driven in partnership by Telford & Wrekin Council, Transforming
Telford, Advantage West Midlands, national regeneration agency
English Partnerships and the private sector.
The initial phase of the programme of work will involve the
marketing of the 14-acre Civic Offices site in the coming months.
If this is successful it will mean that the present Civic Offices
would be replaced.
In addition to creating a new Civic heart for the Town Centre,
the ambitious multi-million pound regeneration programme would also
see the development of new landmark offices, contemporary
apartments and family housing, alongside a considered mixture of
new retail outlets, leisure facilities, community facilities and
new restaurants to create a night-time economy for the town.
The Civic Quarter Square would be at the heart of the
development with a new High Street connecting it to Southwater
Square and then to Telford International Centre.
Speaking about the town centre regeneration plans, the Leader of
Telford & Wrekin Council, Cllr. Andrew Eade, said:
"This is going to be of massive benefit to the borough. At the
moment there is no heart to the town centre, no high street and no
night-time economy. In partnership we are going to take the town
centre into the modern world and create a centre that is vibrant,
exciting and a place where people will want to live, work, invest
in and visit.
"From the Council's point of view, this compliments our wider
Borough Towns Initiative programme aimed at regenerating the
borough's towns and district centres and I am very excited about
this latest development.
Adding their voice of support for the regeneration plans, Sarah
Raper from Transforming Telford, the economic development company,
said: "This key project is vital to Telford's economic well being.
We are extremely pleased to be reaching a milestone of commitment
with our partners following a lot of work behind the scenes. The
revitalisation will help integrate and improve all major parts of
the existing Town Centre, creating a much needed heart that will
benefit all."
In addition, Mark Foley from Advantage West Midlands said: "It
is well recognised that Telford is in need of some significant
regeneration and the way the partners have come together to work
towards delivering this is an excellent example to the rest of the
region.
"The town centre plans will really be the catalyst for this
wider regeneration as, at the moment, the town ceases to operate
after 6pm - creating a more vibrant centre will help to drive
Telford's transformation."
Paul Spooner, English Partnerships' Regional Director, said:
"The Council's decision to support the redevelopment of the town
centre in this way provides a catalyst for significant new public
and private investment to create new homes and jobs for the town
and wider borough."
Proposals around the regeneration programme will be subject to
full consultation with members of the public and interested parties
and where necessary, aspects of the overall programme of work will
be subject to the usual planning application
process. |