Race on to spend £4m EU windfall

Telford & Wrekin Council has announced a giant £4 million spending bonanza on a string of projects across the borough - and the race is now on to complete them by the end of the year.

Councillors have been warned that the windfall, which comes from the European Union, will have to be returned to Brussels chiefs unless the money is spent by the end of December, last night's cabinet meeting heard.

See also - Enterprise project part of £4m plans

They have cherry-picked a raft of shelved, delayed or half-finished projects which can be completed on time in the hope that the extra cash does not go to waste.

It follows a successful last-minute bid from the council to the European Regional Development Fund, which closes down at the end of the year. In all, Telford & Wrekin Council has been handed £4,042,195 from the fund, which backs projects across the EU.

Councillors also welcomed the news as it frees up council money already committed to some of the projects on the list.

About £1.2 million is earmarked for an extension and improvements to Telford's new railfreight terminal project, which is being built in Donnington.

A damaged footpath in the historic heart of Shropshire's World Heritage Site - Chapel Road, Ironbridge - is also set to benefit from repair work costing £96,500.

Start-up businesses are also set to benefit with £500,000 being ploughed into a new project called Enterprise HQ, which aims to help home-based businesses expand and move into bigger premises.

Councillor Andrew Eade, council leader, said: "Some of these projects are quite critical to us and we have put a tremendous amount of work into Ironbridge."

More netting to help stabilise rocks on Jiggers Bank will also receive a cash boost worth £85,000 under the ERDF package.

New signage for pedestrians and cyclists will also spring up across the borough at a cost of £150,000.

Up to £400,000 is set to be spent on buying the west stand at AFC Telford's New Bucks Head ground, which includes a restaurant.

Projects to benefit from the ERDF fund include:

• Re-instatement of Chapel Road footpath in Ironbridge - £96,500.

• Maintenance of Gorge Connect bus route - £60,000.

• Branding strategy for Ironbridge World Heritage Site - £157,500.

• New signage and fingerposts in World Heritage Site - £30,250.

• Ironbridge access study to include feasibility of a footbridge at Dale End Park - £100,000.

• Rights of way improvements across borough - £140,000.

• Ironbridge Cultural Olympiad - £11,000.

• Telford and Ironbridge autumn marketing campaign - £135,000.

• Cycle access ramp at Haybridge Roundabout - £117,000.

• New crossing for national cycle route at Coalport Road, Severn Gorge - £50,930.

• Ironbridge World Heritage Site new pedestrian and cycle signage - £150,000.

• Stabilisation work and repairs to Wynd Landslip - £200,000.

• Repairs to New Road, Ironbridge Gorge - £75,000.

• Iron Bridge ground investigation to determine ground conditions at each side of the bridge - £100,000.

• Geomorphological mapping study of Ironbridge Gorge - £100,000.

• Upgrade to accommodation and marketing of the Greenwood Trust Centre, Coalbrookdale - £70,800.

• Extension to the Lloyds Land Stability Project at Lloyd's Cottage, Ironbridge Gorge - £40,000.

• Jiggers Bank reinforcements - £85,000.

• Funding for the Jackfield Connect bus service due to run during Severn Gorge stabilisation works - £20,000.

• Telford Rail Station to Central park cycle track - £70,000.

• New town centre pedestrian footbridge appraisal - £100,000.

• Lighting for Telford Rail Station to Stafford Park cycle track - £30,000.

• Extension to Donnington rail freight terminal - £1,201,000.

• Package to create Enterprise HQ to nurture start-up businesses - £502,215.

• Telford Sports Leisure and Enterprise Community (to include purchase of New Bucks Head west stand) - £400,000 approx.

By Tom Johannsen