Council leader welcomes shelving of plans to sell off Land Registry

The leader of Telford & Wrekin Council has welcomed the Government’s decision to shelve plans to sell off the Land Registry, an issue the Council has been campaigning against.

Earlier this year, Shaun Davies wrote to the Government’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills as part of its consultation on plans to privatise the operation which employs about 300 people in Hall Park Way.

Under the plans, a private operator would have taken over the registering of ownership of land and property in England and Wales.

Today, a decision on its future was postponed.

Councillor Davies said: “In the Council’s response to the consultation we argued that the Land Registry should remain in Government, that it is providing good customer service and is making money; a £100 million surplus for the country in the last year.

“I am pleased that my argument has contributed to the Government looking at this again. With the help of the Public and Commercial Services union and Land Registry staff we campaigned to keep the Land Registry in Telford and out of the public sector. We believe that that this will help ensure that these jobs can stay here and continue to play an important part in the borough’s economy.

“This isn’t a final decision and the future of the Land Registry and its staff in Telford is still uncertain. Our focus now is on keeping those jobs in Telford and Wrekin and making sure the sell-off plans don’t see the light of day.”