Author: David Tooley - Local Democracy Reporter

‘Elf and Safety puts paid to Hadley’s Merry Christmas

FeatureTelford News

Health and safety rules are proving to be an insurmountable obstacle when it comes to hanging a ‘Merry Christmas’ sign from a bridge in Telford, a meeting heard.

The sign at a pedestrian and cycle bridge over Britannia Way in Hadley had been a feature of the festive season and its absence has prompted comments and speculation on social media.

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Telford leader’s ‘send you to Llandudno’ joke brings the pre-Christmas house down

HighlightsTelford News

A council leader’s pre-Christmas joke about finding the money to send his opposite number permanently to Llandudno brought the house down at a meeting this week.

Councillors were discussing making a commitment to their £5,000-each Pride Fund which has been used to support community projects when Telford & Wrekin Council’s leader and opposition chief entered a light-hearted tangle.

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Tighter rules for HMOs on cards as Telford cabinet triggers consultation

FeatureTelford NewsTelford Talking Shop

Landlords of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in Telford will face paying for stricter rules under council plans to tighten planning and licensing regimes.

Telford & Wrekin Council’s ruling cabinet has decided that now is the right time to go for a range of measures because of the impact that concentrations of HMOs are having on parts of the borough.

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Two controversial Telford children’s home plans set to be decided next week

FeatureTelford News

One of the proposals, for a property in Donnington, will return to Telford & Wrekin Council’s planning committee for a second time after councillors deferred a decision to go on a site visit.

The other plan for a home for up to three children in Dothill saw 57 objections, including from Wellington Town Council, and was called in to be decided at Wednesday’s meeting by councillor Karen Tomlinson (Liberal Democrats, Shawbirch & Dothill).

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‘Major distress’ over village flooding

Telford News

Homeowners in a village near Newport are in ‘major distress’ over back garden flooding caused by a ‘brick and tree stumps’ blocking a pipe which has been going on for a year, says a councillor.

Councillor Eade says it severely floods gardens to a ‘considerable depth when it overflows due to the blockage.’ and urged Severn Trent to get on with the job.

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New primary schools trust looks to ‘strengthen links’ with Telford parish council

Telford News

Ann Lombardi, who chairs the trustees at Four Hills Education Trust, told councillors at Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council that Millbrook Primary School and Nursery is a part of the trust which held a launch event recently.

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‘No pollution found’: Environment Agency response

FeatureTelford News

The water tests recorded that for the “chemical parameters analysed, no pollution was identified”.

A spokesperson for the EA said: “We understand local concerns and our officers have responded by testing the water in July and September which showed there was no pollution in the brook.

“The Hurley Brook is not a designated bathing water and is unlikely to become one due to its location being within the urban area of Telford.”

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Telford bungalows built 10 inches higher than allowed given permission to stay

FeatureTelford News

Developers who built two bungalows in Telford nearly 10 inches higher than approved have been allowed to keep the ground level changes, despite objections.

Residents and St George’s and Priorslee Parish Council objected to the retrospective application from Ashlee Homes for the properties in Freeston Avenue, St Georges.

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Care company applies to use Telford house for supported living

Telford News

A Telford-based care company has applied to the council to change the use of a house in Leegomery to use it for supported living for young people.

Everready Health and Social Care Solutions plans to use the two storey mid-terrace property for up to three residents, aged 16-25, ‘when they are ready to live independently in the community.’

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First successes for new scheme to get disabled people into work

Jobs in TelfordTelford BusinessTelford News

The Connect to Work programme has had its first three successes in breaking down barriers to employment in its first month of operation, out of a total of 28 referrals.

An official for the programme told Telford and Wrekin’s Health & Wellbeing Board that he had seen some of the ‘heartfelt’ emails sent in from people wanting to be a part of the programme that is paid for by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

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Shropshire hospitals’ chief gives update on winter preparations

FeatureTelford News

A Shropshire hospitals chief has told other county health leaders that everything is “on track” for their winter preparations.

The board of NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin heard that a key date is Monday, December 1, when new beds and arrangements at the acute hospitals in Shrewsbury and Telford start to become available.

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“Golden hellos” offered to NHS Dental specialists

HighlightsTelford News

Health officials are ‘hopeful’ that they will find dentists to fill a longstanding gap in NHS provision in southeast Telford.

A meeting was told that ‘golden hello’ payments are being offered to dentists and support staff as well as an increase in the amount that they can get paid for carrying out work for the NHS.

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Decision made on border quarry extension plan near Newport

Telford News

Woodcote Quarry, at Woodcote, straddles the border of Telford & Wrekin Council’s and Shropshire Council’s areas and operator NRS Aggregates Limited has applied to both planning authorities to extend its life by 10 years to 2045.

A decision from Shropshire Council, the lead authority, is awaited but Telford & Wrekin Council has set down 28 conditions to deal with dust, protection of water from pollution and other matters.

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Housing unit for care leavers approved on second attempt

FeatureTelford NewsTelford People

Planners at Telford & Wrekin Council have told Elpis Children Services Limited that they accept that four young adults and carers can form a household meaning that there is no technical change of use of a property in Great Dawley.

The decision means that the company does not have to go through the full planning application process for the move.

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£50k plan for supervised toothbrushing in Telford

FeatureTelford NewsTelford People

Earlier this year Telford & Wrekin Council was given £50,984 to after the Government announced plans to implement a national targeted supervised toothbrushing programme for children aged three, four and 5 years in the most deprived communities.

This week the council’s health and wellbeing board will be updated on how the Brilliant Brushers scheme is doing.

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Change to change the way prescriptions are ordered

FeatureTelford News

The Prescription Ordering Direct (POD) service is being decommissioned and phased out by the end of November. The phone- and email-based system was introduced in 2016/17 to help reduce medicine waste.

But a review found that it duplicated what some GP practices and the NHS app was already doing. Its cost on the local health and care system was put at more than £1 million each year.

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Time to replace historic Telford museum’s leaky roof, planners told

HighlightsTelford News

Architects have told Telford & Wrekin Council that the ground floor of the Long Warehouse at Coalport China Museum has been subjected to regular flooding.

This, says Stephen Oliver of Oliver Architecture in Birmingham, means “the high humidity left within the building contributes to the failing of internal decorations”.

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£400k Rates rise at new fire HQ ” was not anticipated”

FeatureTelford News

Shropshire’s fire service has been hit by an un-anticipated £400,000 increase in its rates bill after work at Telford’s fire station increased the value of the property, a meeting was told.

“That figure is currently with a consultant who is working on an appeal on that number to verify that that number is in fact correct.” said Joanne Coadey, the head of finance at the fire authority.

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Fire chiefs set aside more cash as national pay talks loom

HighlightsTelford News

Last year the Shropshire and Wrekin Fire and Rescue Authority estimated that a national agreement would lead to a pay award of two per cent – but staff were given a 3.2 per cent increase instead.

A meeting was told this week that the authority dug into ‘contingencies’ to be able to find the extra £150,000 for this year.

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Green party hits out after Telford & Wrekin Council ‘refuses to accept’ Israel question

Telford NewsTelford Talking Shop

The question, submitted by the party’s co-ordinator Pat McCarthy, asked: “Will this council recognise the genocide in Gaza, as concluded by the UN, and end our financial complicity?

“The situation demands that you halt all spending on Israeli goods and divest our pension funds from Israeli assets. To do otherwise is to make our community complicit in these atrocities.”

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New Reform UK Councillor to ‘lead the way’

HighlightsTelford NewsTelford People

Labour held on to the third of the seats – in Wellington’s Haygate ward – where the party did not face a Reform UK challenge but saw off the Conservatives, the Green Party and the Lib Dems.

Alan Adams, a former Navy submariner who finished in second place in Telford in last year’s general election, swept to victory in Oakengates Town Council’s Oakengates and Wombridge Ward.

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‘Dig in and fight’ – Opponents rally against Newport housing plan

FeatureTelford NewsTelford People

An estimated 100 residents flocked to the village hall in Church Aston on freezing Thursday evening to hear that Councillor Eade, the Conservative group leader at Telford & Wrekin Council and representative for Church Aston & Lilleshall, has “called in” the application for a decision by the planning committee.

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Ask Tom customer AI system ‘knows what Ab-Dab means’ meeting in Telford told

Telford News

A council’s automatic Ask Tom phone answering system is learning the local language in Telford, councillors have been told.

After the artificial intelligence system was launched as a trial in August 2024 it was condemned by one councillor as “universally awful”.

But clever young Tom is getting better, a report to the audit committee noted.

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Telford children’s home plan withdrawn

HighlightsTelford News

A care company has withdrawn an application to use a terraced house in Telford as a children’s home after council planners raised concerns, the council has confirmed

Agents for Lovemark Care Ltd have responded after Telford & Wrekin Council officials raised issues of parking arrangements at the property in Hadley and over engagement with its care commissioning team.

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Parish council cuts carbon footprint by 85 per cent

FeatureTelford News

A parish council’s achievement in cutting its carbon footprint by 85 per cent drew a “sharp intake of breath” at a recent conference in Telford, a meeting was told.

Hollinswood & Randlay Parish Council has invested more than £120,000 in the last few years on replacing gas with air source heat pumps and solar panels on community buildings.

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Conflict over new parking rules

FeatureTelford NewsTelford People

New parking rules have been brought in across Hollinswood & Randlay in recent weeks to deal with town centre workers and shoppers who have been leaving their cars all day in residential areas, especially on Deercote.

Councillors reported that residents have been “really upset” after challenging people over parking who then became “abusive.”

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Parish council in Telford celebrates receiving cancer charity’s Founding Member status

FeatureTelford News

A parish council in Telford celebrated achieving Founding Member status with a regional cancer charity’s £5m appeal.

Hollinswood & Randlay Parish Council has set about raising at least £2,000 for the Lingen Davies Cancer Support’s Sunflower Appeal.

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Opponents plotting big push against plan for 166 homes near Newport

HighlightsTelford News

Opponents of plans to build 166 homes south of Newport are set to marshal their forces for a big push in advance of a looming public consultation deadline.

Church Aston Parish Council and Telford & Wrekin Councillor Andrew Eade will be hosting a ‘drop-in session’ at the village hall on Thursday evening (November 20) for objectors to the Bellway Homes plan at Church Aston.

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Would you like to see tighter controls on HMOs?

HighlightsTelford News

Now the council has set a date of December 4 this year, when its ruling Labour cabinet is set to make what it calls key decisions on both the housing strategy and on new moves in the market for HMOs.

In other council areas, such as Walsall and Birmingham, Article 4 directions (A4D) mean that homeowners who want to convert houses into HMOs for up to six tenants lose permitted development rights and have to apply for planning permission.

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Ten to eight: new plans for smaller HMO submitted

HighlightsTelford News

Previous plans to convert The Poplars at Wellington Road, Donnington, into a 10-bed HMO were withdrawn to be replaced by a new proposal with two fewer beds.

Two residents in Wellington Road have already objected to the new plan which is out for a period of public consultation by Telford & Wrekin Council.

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Telford community club’s bid to help create next generation of Ashes heroes

Telford NewsTelford Sport

Volunteers with Allscott Sports and Social Club have applied to Telford & Wrekin Council to install a three-lane cricket training facility and a non-turf cricket pitch at its site in Shawbirch Road.

The application said that a range of sporting and social activities take place at the club including football, bowls and cricket.

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Council rejects second proposal for ‘small’ nuclear reactors

HighlightsTelford News

Great British Energy this week announced that Wylfa on Anglesey has been selected as the site for the UK’s first Small Modular Reactor.

Councillor Bentley told the full council on Thursday that SMR’s take up 18 times less space than solar panels.

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Telford councillors support tougher action against ‘irresponsible’ dog owners

Telford NewsTelford Talking Shop

Councillors have had enough of irresponsible dog owners in Telford & Wrekin but there is concern that there aren’t enough people to enforce the rules.

The full Telford & Wrekin Council got behind a motion calling for the enforcement of a ‘dogs on leads’ policy on agreed designated public areas and highways.

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Agreement to stop ‘danger to society’ being released from prison early

FeatureTelford CrimeTelford News

The council leader has written to the Justice Secretary and the Parole Board to oppose the early release of notorious Telford Grooming Gang member, Ahdel Ali.

Councillors voted cross party to support the final motion during a debate at the full Telford & Wrekin Council on Thursday.

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‘Affordable’ bungalows plan for ‘redundant’ Veolia site in Little Wenlock

HighlightsTelford News

Veolia proposes the development of four affordable self-build bungalows which would ‘benefit both the company and the local community’.

The site is recorded as a former open cast coal and clay site which was given permission to be used as a tip for waste materials in 1979.

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Churches, community centres and offices set to be polling stations on by-election Super Thursday

FeatureTelford News

The separate by-elections in St Georges, Wellington and Oakengates will be held on November 20, with Labour, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats fielding candidates in all three seats.

Reform UK and the Green Party will be standing in two of the three seats while an ‘Oakengates Independent Resident’ is also in the running.

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Care company responds to council over parking for new children’s home

Telford News

Telford-based Lovemark Care Ltd has lodged a planning application with Telford & Wrekin Council to be able to use the property in Hadley as a residential institution for up to two young people aged 16 to 25.

Planning agent Malm Consulting has provided information about parking arrangements following a request from the council for more information about use of the three-bedroom terraced house in Marlborough Road.

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Parish council clerk hits back at keyboard warriors

FeatureTelford News

The ‘last straw’ for the top official at Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council happened after her council’s chairman was accused on Facebook of being on her phone at a Remembrance cenotaph.

The councillor has said she was ‘misrepresented’ while putting her phone away and turning it off in preparation for the service.

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Lilleshall parking issues revealed by report

HighlightsTelford NewsTelford Sport

A lack of formal parking at a new £3.6million national archery centre in Shropshire is causing a ‘danger’ to its users, according to a planning agent.

A planning application lodged with Shropshire Council proposes improvements to the unlit access road to the Performance Archery Centre (PAC) at Lilleshall National Sports Centre, including the creation of 49 new formal parking spaces.

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£3.8m Lawley community centre plans submitted

FeatureTelford NewsTelford People

The resident consultation received 199 responses from inside the parish area with 60.3 per cent in support.

Lawley and Overdale Parish Council has plans to increase its share of the council tax by around 44p per week on a Band D property to pay back Telford & Wrekin Council for a proposed 40-year loan at an annual fixed rate of £263,113 per annum.

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Telford children’s home recommended for approval despite residents’ concerns

Telford NewsTelford Talking Shop

A controversial plan for a children’s home in Telford has been recommended for approval by planning officials.

The proposal for a change of use of a house in Bridle Walk, Donnington, saw a parish council face a backlash from residents after it criticised locals for not turning up to a meeting to discuss it.

At a later meeting the parish council decided to oppose the change of use after residents turned out.

Now, councillors at Telford & Wrekin Council’s planning committee are set to decide the matter at a meeting to be held in public this Wednesday

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Telford neighbour land dispute set to go public this week

Telford News

The applicant wants to change 1,200 square metres of land next to a property in Middle Lane, Cold Hatton Heath, from agricultural use into a private garden.

But her neighbour has objected, saying that if the garden goes up to his hedge people will be able to look through it. They will also make “additional noise” resulting in “an insurmountable loss of privacy, disturbance, and reduced enjoyment of our property.”

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