Feature

Telford & Wrekin Council is considering making £20 million in cuts next year even if it maxes out the amount it can raise in council tax.

The local authority expects to set a revenue budget of £233.453 million for 2026-27 to cope with the rising cost of social care.

Finance officers report that approximately 70 per cent of the total net budget is now dedicated to protecting the most vulnerable residents.

Above and Beyond Travel based in Telford are usually dropping people off at airports, or taking children to school, but tomorrow, they are pulling out all the stops for health workers if it snows.

Director Kayleigh Parsons is offering lifts to health workers in one of the 4x4s in her fleet if Telford gets a covering of snow on Friday.

Emergency services were called to the Coopers Mill traffic island in Wellington following a collision involving a single vehicle this morning.

Police have appealed for witnesses following a fatal collision yesterday (Saturday 27 December) after two people died.

The collision happened around 3:30pm on the B4380 and involved a silver Volvo XC60.

If you’ve had enough of people this Christmas, how about getting out on your own by securing a little piece of Telford countryside for just £78,000?

Carol McInnes, Director of Planning and Transformation at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), has been named ‘Finance Champion of the Year’ at the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) Awards.

The award recognises and celebrates someone who stands out for demonstrating exceptional dedication and initiatives within their organisation.

Three Telford town centre car parks – one disused and the other two currently active – could be turned over for development if major issues can be overcome.

Some 158 houses could take the land at the Blue Willow car park while another 138 could be built on the next door Lime Green Car Park (Odeon cinema).

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) says it is “continuing to make steady progress” and is on schedule to complete a number of improvements highlighted in an inspector’s report.

Last year His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said the service “requires improvement” in six key areas, and is “inadequate” at managing its resources.

New powers are being handed to councils to tackle rogue landlords, with Telford & Wrekin among the 38 areas selected for the scheme. The move allows the local authority to access Universal Credit data to force bad landlords to repay up to two years of rent.

A decision-making committee meeting in Telford was halted when only two out of its 10 members managed to make it to the council chamber.

The rules require three councillors to be present to make decisions. 

Nearly 60 homes are to be built in Shifnal, despite many people being against it.

The proposal by Taylor Wimpey will see 57 properties built on land southeast of Windmill View. The development will consist of two, three, and four-bedroom houses, with 20 per cent designated for rent or shared ownership.

Potential developers of a vacant site close to Newport town centre have withdrawn plans to build nine homes to consider options following council feedback.

Staffordshire-based MAG Developments Ltd has told Telford & Wrekin Council planners that it is “disappointed and perplexed” by the council’s feedback about requirements for the site.

Residents across Telford and Wrekin will see a fresh wave of road improvements as the council sets out its transport plans for 2026. Following a year of resurfacing work, the focus is now shifting to new pedestrian crossings and major roundabout upgrades.

Hilbrae Dog Rehoming Centre has launched its Build a Better Bark appeal to fund the replacement of outdated kennel blocks and re-fence its exercise paddock, saying the work is vital to ensure dogs arriving at the centre who have lost everything have the facilities that they need whilst they wait for their second chance.

Anyone wishing to support the Build a Better Bark campaign, through donations or practical help, can contact Hilbrae Dog Rehoming Centre for more information or use the link here to donate: https://www.justgiving.com/page/jo-wrate-1?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

Essential services across Telford and Wrekin are set for a multi-million pound boost following a landmark government funding deal. The provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, announced this week, will see the council receive an extra £67 million over the next four years.

Six fire appliances, including the Incident Command Unit and the Light Pumping Unit, were mobilised from Albrighton, Telford, Tweedale, and Wellington.

Trading Standards officers caught two retailers selling vapes to a 16-year-old during a sting operation on Telford high streets this week. The undercover exercise used a teenage volunteer to check if local businesses were following the law regarding age-restricted products.

Planners have refused permission for a high-tech BT Street Hub in Telford town centre, saying it would have an “unacceptable impact on highway and pedestrian safety”.

The street hub would have been on land next to Coffee #1 in Northfield Street, near the southern entrance to Telford Centre.

Barratt Homes invited Councillor Eileen Callear to visit its Scarlet View and Silkin Meadows developments.

Cllr Eileen Callear said: “I am delighted to see Barratt Homes investing in Telford with new affordable housing.”