Work to begin on hundreds of private rental homes in Telford
Work was today starting on the first of hundreds of private rental homes being built in Telford.
About 130 homes will be built in Madeley and Randlay – 101 of them on the site of the former Woodlands Primary School in Madeley. It comes after Telford & Wrekin Council launched a private firm – Nuplace – to manage the building of more than 400 private rental homes in the borough on brownfield sites, including those in Madeley and Randlay.
Other schemes, many on a smaller scale, are planned for Malinslee, Madeley Court, Wildwood, Woodside and Newport.
The authority said the 400 homes would be rented out to private tenants, with any profits used to offset council cuts. It said the plans would also help to meet the area's housing targets, encourage inward investment and create jobs.
Councillor Shaun Davies, the authority's cabinet member for business, neighbourhood and customer services, said the properties would provide an important income stream that would "contribute to funding frontline services".
The council has previously said its 15,000-panel solar farm at Wheat Leasows is on course to make a £150,000 profit by the end of the year.
The site went live six months ago and has already produced enough electricity to power hundreds of homes for a year.
