Feature

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.

This year’s theme, Safe Vehicles Save Lives, highlights the importance of vehicle safety in preventing collisions and reducing casualties. In 2024 in Telford and Wrekin there were 150 casualties, of which 37 were seriously injured with three fatalities, a reminder of how vulnerable everyday road users can be.

For the first time, Telford & Wrekin Council has exercised powers newly granted by City of Wolverhampton Council that allow officers to inspect and suspend unroadworthy vehicles licensed by Wolverhampton. Shropshire Council were also in attendance. 

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.

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.

Albrighton Development Action Group (ADAG) is calling on people to get behind its latest fundraising push as it continues its bid to protect 52-hectares of green belt.

A major one-day music festival and a special evening with legendary ex-Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar have been quickly added to the local entertainment calendar, with organisers keen to reach the £20,000 target ahead of a potential first planning meeting decision later this year.

Telford shoppers are getting a brand-new Lidl just in time for Christmas, as the discount supermarket confirms its opening date. The new store on Rock Road will open its doors for the first time on Thursday, 27th November.

It’s good news for the residents of Allscot Meads who are currently without a local shop.

At last weeks  Wrockwardine Parish Council meeting, the chair informed the councillors that the promised One Stop convenience store had cancelled their plans to open a new store.

The Wharfage is closed to vehicles in preparation for the expected peak on Monday afternoon, which could see river levels rise to between 5.0m and 5.6m.

Businesses are open.

A handfull of trees that fell on roads were quickly swept away by council teams, although some that have fallen on the Silkin Way through the town park, have forced organisers to cancel this mornings planned Park Run

At a meeting of Wrockwardine Parish Council this week, members were told by the clerk that the supplier of electricity for street lights had gone out of business. 

During a two-week online poll, more than 4,000 votes were cast, with 9 year old Amelia’s design scooping up the most support.

Amelia’s design will be raised on the flagpole at Southwater Square as part of the Telford Day celebrations on Saturday 29 November.

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.

The £20m development comprises a bistro, bar and an array of other amenities alongside 61 apartments and 16 bungalows.

A second urgent works enforcement notice has been slapped on a dilapidated historic hotel in Newport.

It is the third enforcement notice relating to the Grade II-listed Royal Victoria Hotel, in St Mary’s Street, since a complaint was recorded by Telford & Wrekin Council in January 2020.

Residents living near a Telford rubbish site have been given an early warning of a ‘temporary’ increase in smells later…

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.

Shaun Davies, Member of Parliament for Telford, proudly hosted the launch of the Lingen Davies Sunflower Appeal in Parliament today, featuring a keynote speech from Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

Telford’s new cancer centre will make life-changing treatment and support far more accessible for Telford residents, reducing unnecessary journeys and ensuring patients receive care closer to home, a cause Shaun Davies is passionately championing.

On Saturday afternoon the sight of a bomb disposal truck in a Telford street came as quite a shock to neighbours.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) attended an address in Overdale, Telford following a report made by a resident who discovered what was thought to be an unexploded ordnance.

Wildflower meadow areas are set to increase as part of Telford & Wrekin Council’s ongoing work to improve green spaces for the benefit of wildlife and residents.

A major financial boost for the county’s two main hospitals will help to improve access to urgent and emergency care for patients in Telford and across Shropshire. The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) is investing in Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) to create additional inpatient beds and assessment spaces ahead of the winter period.

A freestanding antenna erected in Telford must be taken down by March next year or a resident could face prosecution.

The enforcement notice published on the council’s website on November 4, 2025, alleges the unauthorised erection of a freestanding antenna. The householder is allowed to lodge an appeal to stop the enforcement process.