Official opening for Telford's revamped square - with pictures
The official opening of the refurbished Telford Square and Thomas Telford statue today was marked with the switching on of a fountain and the unveiling of a new stone carving.
Work to spruce up the square and statue was part of Telford’s birthday celebrations.
It has been carried out thanks to investment from Telford & Wrekin Council’s Telford50 Legacy Fund, which has supported a range of improvement projects and schemes across the borough.
Over the past few months, the iconic statue of Thomas Telford has been given a much-needed wash and brush up, benches and bins have been refurbished, lighting improved, brick paving repointed and trees and bushes tidied up.
The clock tower has been given a new mechanism and new clock faces and the fountains have been brought back to life.
Today, landscape architect Allan Howard, who from 1973 worked at Telford Development Corporation which designed the square, switched on the fountains to officially mark the completion of the project.
The 84-year-old, of Harley, near Much Wenlock, said: "It's been nice to be able to do this. It's looking like new."
In a speech beforehand, Councillor Richard Overton, Telford & Wrekin Council's deputy leader, said: "This refurbishment started in May thanks to our Telford50 Legacy Fund, which I am proud to say has supported a range of projects and schemes across our borough.
"Over the past few months we have had seven different contractors working on this square and this statue – all of them local businesses.
"I understand more than 2,000 man hours have been spent working on the scheme, over 15,000 bricks have been flipped and relaid, over one-and-a-half kilometres of paving blocks have been repointed and over one kilometre of handrails and fencing have been painted.
"The lighting has been improved, the water features have been refurbished and reinstated, and the statue of Thomas Telford – who our great town is named after – has been restored to its original glory.
"It is now how it was when it was unveiled in 1988."
Grandmother-of-three Louise Lomax, whose late husband John helped design the square as a landscape architect, was also at the event.
The 67-year-old, of Coalbrookdale, said: "It's just brilliant. It's really great that the council has made it part of their 50th birthday celebrations.
"The statue has stood the test of time and it is now iconic.
"I remember that John had to redesign the pool in the space of a weekend. They discovered granite so he had to redesign it so it was raised.
"He did have sleepless nights. They were going to use a crane to take the covering off the statue to unveil it and he was worrying that it was going to be windy."
Mark Hickman, managing director of Oswestry-based Enviroblast Shropshire Ltd, was part of the team which worked on the refurbishment.
He said: "We did all the sandblasting of the steps, handrails and the Telford sign. We also did the painting of the sign.
"I moved to Telford in 1983 and I've watched it grow and develop.
"To see the square like this now is marvellous."
Telford & Wrekin Council leader Shaun Davies also welcomed the improvements.
He said: "When Telford is on the news the statue is what is broadcast.
"It was a bit tired. It wasn't really fitting for Thomas Telford.
"What we have now is a real positive sign of Telford as we look forward to the next 50 years."
