Bouncing back from Covid is key aim for Telford's council in 2022

As his administration prepares for the third year impacted by the Covid crisis, Telford & Wrekin Council leader, Shaun Davies said the authority would be looking to help communities and businesses recover.

Councillor Davies, who had led the Labour authority since 2016, said effects of the pandemic pose a major challenge, but that significant investment projects could help spark confidence from businesses and the public.

He said: "The overarching idea for the coming year is hopefully really meaningfully bouncing back from Covid, putting it behind us and spending a lot of time and effort supporting residents and businesses to bounce back.

"We are acutely aware that the statement has been made a number of times and there have been new variants but I am hoping this year we can begin to build back in a meaningful way."

He added: "There will be a huge legacy around Covid, with mental health and education and we are looking at how we deal with that and provide all the support we can."

Councillor Davies pointed to a number of projects in boroughs across Telford & Wrekin, as well as the ambitious 'Station Quarter' plans, which will see more major investment in Telford's Town Centre.

The multi-million pound 'Station Quarter' plans will re-shape the area between the town centre and Telford Central Railway Station, with the creation of a 'digital skills and enterprise hub', new homes, and leisure facilities.

Councillor Davies said: "Station Quarter will start to happen. We have received £23m from the government and the council has secured £100m from other private sources and partners.

"This is about securing the town centre's future. We have literally thousands of jobs dependent on businesses there and it also attracts a lot of people into our borough to spend money there.

"The Station Quarter is transformational for what is a tired area and it really has the ability to take us to the next level in terms of skills through the digital and skills centre where we are looking to work with Telford College and Wolverhampton University.

"It will transform that area of town and will provide great opportunities for jobs."

He added: "The Station Quarter is really important but at the same time we are spending significantly in all our borough towns because we see the added investment for all those areas helping to complement all of Telford & Wrekin."

The council leader said the authority would also be dealing with two significant developments for the borough in the early part of the New Year.

The first is expected to see progress in the Future Fit hospital programme – as he again calls for the project to be paused and reconsidered.

Councillor Davies spoke at the start of the year about the need to re-think the proposals for Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, but has reiterated his call as the project continues.

The next stage will see the government expected to respond to the business case submitted by Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust for the controversial plans – potentially paving the way for them to go ahead.

Councillor Davies said: "In January or February with the hospital reconfiguration we are expecting the next steps and whether the outline business case is approved. We will be looking eagerly at that and what options we have as a council."

Councillor Davies said the authority would also be looking to make good on implementing any recommendations from the independent inquiry looking at Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) in the borough.

The inquiry, which was sparked by reports in the national media identifying that there had been as many as 1,000 victims of CSE in the borough in the previous 20 years, is expected to publish its report during spring 2022.

Councillor Davies said he was frustrated at comments from the chair of the inquiry, which revealed that some former police officers and council staff had declined to be interviewed as witnesses.

He said: "We have a manifesto commitment to implement any recommendations as quickly as we can when they come forward and to ensure that investments are made.

"But it is critical we make sure the community stays together and we do not allow any extreme right-wing hatred to seep in."

He added: "Telford & Wrekin Council has provided over a million pieces of evidence to the inquiry. When you compare it to the thousands of documents provided by other organisations it just does not marry up.

"We are also acutely aware people have been asked to attend the inquiry and have not and the inquiry has lacked the power to compel their attendance.

"Our view is it should have been a statutory inquiry with the ability to call people in front of it but the government did not want to.

“There is the opportunity for blind spots and that would be a missed opportunity for victims and survivors.

"Quite rightly we have not seen the report so we have to wait and see what it says, I am just concerned that based on the information released so far, one organisation, Telford & Wrekin Council, has been transparent and based on information other organisations have been less forthcoming.”