Councils work together to deliver Wellington regeneration
Telford & Wrekin Council is working closely with Wellington Town Council to deliver the next stage of regeneration of the market town’s centre.
The town council approached Telford & Wrekin Council after commissioning a report that set out a vision for Wellington’s future until 2020.
A report to last night’s Telford & Wrekin Council cabinet meeting says this has led to a formal collaboration between the two councils to put some of the ideas to improve Wellington’s future prosperity into action.
Telford & Wrekin Council invested more than £11m in Wellington between 2009 and 2013, including the construction of a new civic building which incorporates a new library, register office and refurbished leisure centre.
That development also included £3.5m of public realm and highways improvements, including resurfacing town centre streets and the creation of a new bus station.
Since then, the council has raised approximately £2.6m through the sale of various property assets in Wellington. Through these disposals, 65 new houses are being delivered and 21,000 sq ft of office space brought back into use.
Now a Project Board has been set up comprising Town Council representatives and Telford & Wrekin Council officers to look at how to make the vision of the Wellington 2020 study a reality.
The study identified:
- Demand and support for more quality independent shops in Wellington Centre
- Residential development should be encouraged in the centre of Wellington
- Leisure and hospitality will be an important part of a revived Wellington
The project board has put together a draft action plan identifying the priorities to be delivered over the next two years. It focuses on land and activities within Wellington town centre and will identify funding options for priority projects.
This will enable a business case and financial model to be developed for each project, with the emphasis on ensuring that plans are focused, viable and deliverable.
To drive the work forward, Wellington Town Council is providing £25,000 over the next 18 months to support delivery which is being matched by Telford & Wrekin Council in officer time.
In order to kick start the redevelopment of the sites identified in the action plan, Cabinet approved spending £180,000 of existing Housing Development capital programme funds.
The two Councils plan to put on an exhibition in early 2015 to share more details of the plans and to seek views from local residents, businesses and stakeholders.
Councillor Charles Smith, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for Housing, Development and Borough Towns, said: “Wellington centre has the potential to reinvent itself as a thriving market town and we need to make sure that it maximises its existing assets.
“We have already invested significant amounts in the infrastructure of Wellington town centre and we are delighted to be working with the town council on making the next stage of its regeneration viable.
“There is a considerable amount of work already going on and the project board that has been set up is meeting quarterly to drive forward delivery of the next stage of Wellington’s regeneration.
“It will focus on delivering outcomes which have an impact within the local community and set the foundations for change and achieving the potential of the town.
“It may also provide a sustainable model through which we can address the regeneration of some of the borough’s other local centres and borough towns.”
Councillor Phil Morris-Jones, deputy mayor of Wellington, said: “Wellington has a fantastic future with the massive developments that will take place in the near future.
“The new residential and leisure proposals, together with the large amount of capital that will be injected into the town, means Wellington is the town where new shops will be welcome.”
