Council set to launch major Brookside consultation
A major public consultation is to be launched by Telford & Wrekin Council with the community in Brookside to develop a scheme for the regeneration of the estate’s local centre.
Brookside was recently selected as the council’s co-operative pilot ward and the council making a public commitment to working closely with residents to deliver major improvements.
A report to Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet on January 26 says the focus over the next few months will be on developing proposals with the community and stakeholders prior to preparing designs.
“Brookside local centre has been constructed in the form of a dark covered square of inward facing shops and community facilities,” says the report.
“The layout is poor, the public spaces around the centre require investment and the centre is set away from main roads and through routes making access difficult.
“A scheme for the redevelopment of the local centre will be drawn up working with residents and stakeholders that will secure its long term sustainability.”
It adds that the next step will be to discuss and agree with residents how best to consult and closely involve them in the development of the scheme.
Consultation and resident involvement will be discussed initially with the Brookside Co-operative Pilot Steering Group, which is made up of key stakeholders including representatives from the Brookside Improvement Group.
This group of resident volunteers have already taken a proactive lead in a number of regeneration projects across the estate and their role will be key in establishing an effective structure for consultation and engagement.
Councillor Shaun Davies, cabinet member for Environment, Co-operative Council and Partnerships, said: “The local centre regeneration will need to fulfil the requirements and aspirations of the community and will need to be commercially viable.
“However, we will also work with partners to deliver immediate improvements for Brookside so that there is work done to tackle environmental and social issues relating to the local centre.
“Most significantly, allowance has been made for the removal from the centre of a long section of wall, known by residents as “the perch”, which has become a gathering place and a focus for anti social behaviour.
“A number of environmental improvements have already been made and work has started on developing a new range of activities to be delivered from the Community Centre.”
