100 homes and boxing club planned for former Telford college

The New College site, in Wellington, was bought by Telford & Wrekin Council in March 2019, and a cabinet report at the time called it a “key site” with “potential to make a significant contribution” to regenerating the area.

The council’s outline plans propose 64 retirement flats, 10 retirement bungalows, 26 market homes and a community sports facility on the six-acre site. The grade II listed former girl’s school building, on the Regent Street side, would remain intact.

Wellington Town Council will be consulted, and the proposal will go to the borough council’s planning committee at a later date.

A design statement, submitted with the application, says: “The site is currently a vacant education institution and has been vacant for some time.

“The existing school accommodation is being demolished to make way for this new development.”

Included

The statement says a multi-use games area and a former gravel pitch, which later served as a temporary car park, lie within the site and “are now proposed to be used as part of the residential area of the development”.

This loss should be mitigated, it adds.

“During the evolution of the plans for the development a request for a replacement boxing academy was made and included in the proposals,” it adds.

“This facility is proposed as a purpose-built sports facility meeting Sport England design guidance.

“The need for the replacement facilities has been identified by the local boxing club, Wellington BA ABC, which is currently located 40 metres from the proposed development in a dilapidated former outbuilding.”

In addition, if the plans are approved, £20,000 will be set aside for tennis and netball facility enhancements in the borough, and £45,000 will be spent upgrading the multi-use games at Millfields, 100 metres away, “to incorporate street cricket, basketball and five-a-side football in a replacement purpose-built facility.”