Wellington Orbit celebrates opening of new community spaces

The first floor of the cinema at 1 Station Road has been brought back into active use to create additional spaces for the community, including a dance studio, as part of a programme funded and project managed by Telford & Wrekin Council.

An unveiling which took place at the weekend marked the next major chapter in a historic community journey for Wellington Orbit that began in 2012 and saw the completion of phase one of the project – a 63-seat ground floor cinema and cafe in 2019.

It is a significant step to delivering Wellington Orbit’s long-term vision to enhance its facilities and deliver even greater value to the local community.

Wellington Orbit is also exploring ways to involve the community, particularly apprentices and students who have decorated the new spaces giving them the opportunity to get involved in creating history, whilst adding value to the project.

The Phase Two works were enabled by the Council through the securing of government grant funding and have been delivered by local contractor Pave Aways, with the Council procuring and overseeing the project.

Councillor Angela McClements, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Tourism and Leisure, said: “We are delighted to see this milestone reached.

"Investing in the Orbit is a key part of our strategy to revitalise Wellington. We’ve project managed this regeneration programme, working closely with the Wellington Orbit team, and are delighted to see it come to fruition.

“The refurbishment has more than doubled the size of Wellington Orbit’s current facilities, creating multi-functional community spaces for exhibitions, performing arts and community outreach services.

“Creating a vibrant, cultural hub in the centre of Wellington will drive more footfall to the town’s high street and complements the public realm works and the transformation of the historic Wellington Market which is well underway.”