Media statements - what we really said

Last week the Council were asked by the press to respond to a resignation letter sent to Ketley Parish Council by Councillor Martin Young, the then Chair of Ketley Parish Council. The letter made reference to what Councillor Young felt were promises from the Council for work at the Millennium project.

A story in the Telford Journal on Thursday 9 February claimed that no one from the Council was available for comment.  However, the Council had provided a statement on 3 February and this full statement can be seen below.

What we said
Michael Barker, Telford & Wrekin Council's Head of Housing & Planning, said: "The council is aware of Martin Young's concerns regarding what he feels were promises for the community.

"The council's Managing Director, Richard Partington, has recently written to Cllr Young setting out a detailed response to each of his concerns.

"These concerns have also been forwarded to the Homes & Communities Agency (HCA), the Government body responsible for the Millennium Community project and the owner of most of the land that makes up the development area.

"With regard to the time that it has taken to respond to his concerns, Cllr Young is aware that the implementation of the Millennium Community development is a complex matter involving the HCA, the developer Taylor Wimpey and Telford & Wrekin Council as Local Planning Authority, as well as the Parish Council.

"Since the development started in 2007 the economic world has experienced a severe recession and both the public and private funding for the development is limited.

"The development partners are currently considering how to keep up progress on implementing the development and achieve the benefits for the local community that were envisaged at the beginning of the project."