New parish councils created as concerns remain over Telford boundaries review

Boundary review committee made some key decisions and deferred others at meeting on Thursday

Rumblings of disquiet remain as councillors decided to create several new parish councils amid a major re-drawing of local electoral maps across Telford and Wrekin.

Some councils will be merged and made larger, some rural parishes will be retained while the future of some other areas will be the subject of further consultation.

Telford & Wrekin Council’s boundary review committee has decided to go ahead with the creation of two new councils for Muxton, which is being divorced from Donnington; and Priorslee, which will be separated from St Georges.

The council’s director of policy and governance Anthea Lowe said that the “geography is a jigsaw” where officials have had to fit pieces of the map into place.

What’s left of the current St Georges and Priorslee Parish Council will be merged with the remnants of Donnington & Muxton to form a new St Georges and Donnington Parish Council.

A newly merged council that joins Wrockwardine Wood and Trench Parish Council with Oakengates Town Council is set to be called Wrockwardine Wood, Trench & Oakengates Town Council.11

Publican John Ellis, who runs The Crown at Oakengates, said he was not happy with the outcome saying there was ‘no consultation’ on this and locals were taken by surprise.

“There will be a big new council,” he said after watching Thursday’s (September 4) meeting. “There was no consultation event in north Telford and we only found out by accident. Not one councillor even mentioned it at the meeting.”

Another change that has been approved is to put Admaston and Bratton into Wellington Town, removing them from Wrockwardine.

Borough councillor Kim Tonks (Lib Dem, Admaston & Bratton) said: “Residents are questioning that, it has frustrated some people. Admaston and Bratton’s interests would be diluted.”

But committee chairman Councillor Giles Luter (Labour, Ercall), who also sits on Wellington Town Council, said: “No ward is prioritised.”

And Councillor Tonks was told that responses from Admaston and Bratton have been “included and considered” in the proposals.

Councillor Tonks abstained as the rest of the committee voted to approve that amid a host of other changes.

Newport Town Council is also set to expand and take up Station Road from Chetwynd Aston & Woodcote Parish, which in turn is being merged with Church Aston Parish Council to create a new Chetwynd Aston, Woodcote and Church Aston Parish Council.

There was disappointment that Horton and Apley Castle will be staying in Hadley & Leegomery Parish Council. There had been a call for Horton to become a ‘parish meeting’ but Thursday’s committee heard that councils cannot be downgraded in such reviews.

Councillor Nigel Dugmore (Conservative, Muxton) said: “It’s a shame that Horton cannot have its own parish but those are the rules. Apley Castle can’t escape from Hadley & Leegomery but I am sure that will come.”

The borough council’s deputy leader Councillor Richard Overton (Labour, St George’s) held out hope that one of the council areas still to be decided could keep alive the name of Dawley Hamlets Parish Council.

“In my mind I don’t think that Dawley Hamlets exists as a place,” he said. “But a new parish council could be called Dawley Hamlets.”

That suggestion pleased the chairman of the soon-to-be abolished Dawley Hamlets Parish Council, Councillor Bob Wennington, who said: “I am happy with that.”

The committee confirmed that there will be no mergers in some areas including Ercall Magna, Edgmond, Chetwynd, and Waters Upton.

Little Wenlock Parish Council also survives but a proposal to create a new Wrockwardine and Rodington Parish Council has seen some opposition. The committee was told that officials have received “a letter” from Rodington opposing the joining up.

The question of what will happen to the areas of Great Dawley, Lawley & Overdale, Madeley Town Council and The Gorge Parish Council has been put out to further consultation.

Officials say there was a “strength of feeling regarding community identity in Aqueduct, Little Dawley, Horsehay and Lightmoor. They are working on plans for a new Horsehay, Lightmoor and Aqueduct Parish Council”.

These changes are meaning revised proposals for Great Dawley Town Council,  Lawley & Overdale Parish Council, and Madeley Town Council which would have some streets moved in from and out of other areas. The Gorge Parish Council would lose Lightmoor under new plans.

The committee is also going back to the drawing board on plans to create The Nedge Parish Council from merging Stirchley & Brookside Parish Council and the Hollinswood and Randlay Parish Council.

The committee has agreed to consult on four proposals. One would keep both Hollinswood & Randlay Parish Council and Stirchley & Brookside Parish Council.

A second proposal would create two new parish councils; one for Brookside and the second for Stirchley and Hollinswood & Randlay.

Proposal three would 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.

And a fourth proposal would 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.

The final decisions on the third round of consultations could be taken as soon as mid-October, with new councils created in time for the all-out borough elections due in May 2027.