Work starts on the heart of Southwater development

Work on the flagship £250m development to kick start the regeneration of Telford Town Centre will start in earnest in the heart of Southwater next week.

Contractors will undertake tree works in areas around the edge of Southwater Lake and outside Meeting Point House to clear the site prior to the start of earthworks which will prepare the site for building works.

Tree works are being undertaken now following consultation with ecological experts who advised that works should start as soon as possible after the bird nesting season and before the bat roosting season to minimise the impact of these works.

Starting the clearance works now will also speed up the mobilisation of the enabling works contractor and allow them to get to work, remodelling the site and bringing in new services.

Telford & Wrekin Council has undertaken a number of measures to reduce the environmental impact of these works.

Measures include assessment of all trees for their bat roosting potential, installation of bat and bird boxes in the Town Park and a commitment to planting additional specimen tree species both in the Southwater development and in the Town Park.

The Southwater scheme will transform an area of the town centre, running from the shopping centre to The International Centre, with the aim of creating a major regional leisure and business attraction.

The new Southwater will include office space, a new learning and media centre, two new hotels, bars, restaurants, cafes and shops, a leisure hub with a space for a leisure pool and multi screen cinema creating a vibrant night time economy around a pedestrianised Main Street.

There will also be hundreds of homes including apartments and town houses, a community medical facility and a new Meeting Point House.

Telford & Wrekin Council leader Andrew Eade said: "The work starting this week is a statement: Southwater is starting just like we promised it would.

"It is a massive scheme for the centre of Telford and will provide the town with a vibrant, beating heart and something that everyone can be very proud of.

"In order to prepare the site for the building work to take place, we need to carry out environmental clearance works as approved by the council's Plans Board on October 26.

"We are taking advice from ecologists at every stage to ensure the impact on the environment is minimal and there will be extensive landscaping and new trees and shrubs planted around the new buildings once they are completed."

The Southwater development is a partnership between Telford & Wrekin Council, the Southwater Event Group and the Homes and Communities Agency.