Happy parish councillors celebrate survival after boundary review

Parish councillors from across Telford were celebrating the survival of their organisations after a borough council committee confirmed a number of changes to the way residents are represented.

Councillor Bob Wennington, from Dawley Hamlets Parish Council, was particularly happy after earlier rounds of a boundary review consultation had proposed the disappearance of not only the council but the name.

Councillor Wennington said: “Common sense has prevailed and the committee has listened to Dawley Hamlets Parish Council and to the residents.

“When it first started residents thought it was a done deal but they responded and the committee has listened.”

Telford & Wrekin Council’s deputy leader, Councillor Richard Overton, who had earlier in the process told the committee that he did not believe Dawley Hamlets was “a place” conceded the point after residents had “said it was.”

Councillor Overton (Labour, St George’s) said the process had “caused a lot of angst” but “this is a co-operative council and we do listen to people, we are based on listening.”

Councillor Overton said that earlier concerns that the council had wanted to cut the number of parish councils from 27 to 18 had been “fake news” and the final tally will be 26 town and parishes, down by a net one following the creation of two and the merger of others.

Tuesday’s meeting of the boundary review committee was told that Telford & Wrekin Council had received hundreds of representations from the residents of the Horsehay, Lightmoor and Acqueduct area who wanted to keep the name of Dawley Hamlets alive.

The borough had consulted on changing the name to South Telford Villages Parish Council but “the majority of people wanted to keep Dawley Hamlets”, the committee heard. It would also have been costly to change stationery.

One name that would have caused a problem for letterhead printers was of the merger of Wrockwardine Wood and Trench Parish Council with Oakengates Town Council.

The resulting name of Wrockwardine Wood, Trench and Oakengates Town Council will be considered behind the scenes and reported back to a future committee after a last minute request from Oakengates, the committee heard.

Also present to see the committee’s unanimous vote were representatives from Hollinswood & Randlay Parish Council and Stirchley & Brookside Parish Council which have both survived early proposals to split them up.

The committee has decided against creating a new council for Brookside.

Rodington Parish Council and Wrockwardine Parish Councils will also survive as separate entities after fending off merger proposals.

Wrockwardine will be a smaller council however after Admaston and Bratton are taken from it to form a much expanded Wellington Town Council.

Wellington will have 25 councillors when the new organisations are formed in 2027 and represent 20,294 electors and be the biggest elected entity in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and one of the biggest in Shropshire.

One “miffed” councillor was Conservative Nigel Dugmore (Muxton) who had his calls for tweaks to the boundaries of the new Muxton Parish Council rejected.

But his claims of Muxton being “singled out” were rejected by Councillor Richard Overton, who accused his Tory opponent of being negative.

Councillor Overton said members of the public “could have made comments about the boundary but they have not commented.”

Councillor Overton said the three-stage boundary review process has proved that the council has listened to the public.

Now the nitty gritty of having merged councils, changes of council wards and councillor numbers begins in earnest.

Shadow councils will be formed, talks over staffing and assets will begin in advance of the elections to all the new town and parish councils in May 2027.

Overall, the committee heard that there will be 26 full town and parish councils and two unparished areas. That’s one parish council fewer than exist now.