Link-up aims to smarten streets of Telford parish
The streets of a Telford parish should be spick and span thanks to a link-up between local councils.
A new parish environmental team has started work in Hadley and Leegomery, creating two jobs, under a partnership agreement between Telford & Wrekin Council and Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council.
The parish is putting in £25,000 a year, while the borough council is spending £12,500 a year for five years.
The money will pay for an environmental maintenance worker and an apprentice to carry out cleaning and repair work not included in Telford & Wrekin's routine programme.
The apprentice will work towards an NVQ Level Two in cleaning and environmental services.
Councillor John Smart, chairman of Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council, said: "Our residents are very proud of where they live and having a good clean local environment is very important to them. There will be ongoing monitoring of the project to ensure we obtain value for money.
"This partnership is a great way for us to ensure that our efforts are focused in the parish on the areas that are a priority for us and we are making the most of the combined resources of both councils."
Councillor Shaun Davies, cabinet member for neighbourhood services and co-operative council, said: "This is another great example of how willing an ever-growing range of partners are to come together to give better local services.
"We are encouraging all parish and town councils to look at this approach and are confident that many more will follow Hadley and Leegomery's approach.
"At a time when we face unprecedented cuts in Government funding, we have to find new ways of delivering the services people want that will help make the borough cleaner and greener.
"This scheme also has the added advantage of creating new training opportunities for young people and will support our wider drive for apprenticeships across the borough."
Five parishes have signed up to the scheme providing extra litter picking, clearing leaves, repairs to street furniture, conservation in Apley Woods and improvements to landscaped areas such as additional planting and replacing worn out shrub beds.
