3,500 new homes for Telford as blueprint for future unveiled
A blueprint shaping the future of Telford over the next 16 years has been published - and reveals nearly 3,500 new homes will be built in the town.
Seventeen sites have been identified for development as part of the Local Plan, which will go to Telford & Wrekin Council's ruling cabinet next week for approval before then going out to consultation with the public.
The biggest development is at Muxton, where an estate of 750 homes is mooted to support the Ministry of Defence's new logistics hub at Donnington, which is being developed and due to open in 18 months.
There are also plans to build a total of nearly 600 houses on five school sites which have shut or are to close - Sutherland School, the former Madeley Court School site, the former Phoenix Secondary School, Charlton School, and Blessed Robert Johnson.
A statement from the council said: "The Local Plan, consultation on which is due to open on August 3, looks to limit the number of new homes to be built in the borough and reduce these by over 41 per cent from 26,500 agreed by a previous administration in 2010, to 15,555.
"Of these around 80 per cent have either been built or already have planning permission.
"The plan will also enlarge Telford's unique Green Network of linked protected open spaces and establish a Green Network in Newport for the first time.
"In addition to this, the Council will also create a Green Guarantee, protecting community green spaces such as parks, woodlands, recreation areas and local nature reserves in addition to the Green Network policy.
The plan proposes to allocate 149 hectares of new employment land on 28 sites. This could provide for up to 25,000 new jobs in the borough.
"Consultation on the Local Plan runs from 3 August to 25 September and full details of this can be seen at www.telford.gov.uk/localplan"
Read more on this story in tomorrow's Shropshire Star
