Further delay on MoD Donnington decision
A decision on whether MoD Donnington will become the base of the Ministry of Defence's logistics operation has been delayed again.
Bosses at the base in Telford will have to wait until February to find out whether its bid has beaten a rival proposal from Bicester in Oxfordshire.
If successful, 750 jobs in Telford would be safeguarded and 450 new posts could be created.
It had been hoped the MoD would make an announcement revealing the decision imminently.
Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard said he remained "confident" about Donnington's chances.
"Delays always happen with these big decisions. However, I am confident that Shropshire will gain hugely from the eventual decision," he said.
Plans aimed at putting Telford in the best possible position to attract the Ministry of Defence's logistics operation were given the go-ahead last year.
Telford & Wrekin Council's planning committee unanimously approved an application for the expansion of the MoD Donnington site, including a 675,000 sq ft fulfilment centre, a 200,000 sq ft warehouse and a 30,000 sq ft three-storey office building.
The council's aim was to persuade the MoD to make Donnington a main centre for the National Defence Logistics Gateway and the grant of planning permission was deemed necessary to make sure Telford gets the go-ahead.
Councillor Kuldip Sahota, leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, said: "Of course the big thing we are looking at now is MoD Donnington which we are going to find out in the next two to three weeks whether or not we are going to get that big contract or not, would mean hundreds of new jobs created and £60 million to local economy.
"We have said to the MoD what is it we can do extra to bring that logistics hub to Donnington? We have prepared our bid and now we are one of the front runners, we are really fired up for that and then we need to concentrate on the bread and butter issues of filling potholes, looking after roads and pavements."
