Agenda and draft minutes

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Lee Carter, addressed Council.

Councillor Carter said it was with great sadness that the Council announced the passing of former Councillor Malcolm Smith, BEM and Honorary Alderman of the Borough of Telford and Wrekin.  A devoted public servant and respected community leader, Malcolm dedicated nearly five decades to improving the lives of residents and shaping the future of the borough he loved.

Originally from St Georges, Malcolm moved to Hadley over fifty years ago with his wife Christine, where they built a family together. His career began as a miner at the age of 15, later progressing to roles in industry and business before entering public service. Elected as a Parish Councillor in 1970 and to the District Council in 1972, Malcolm went on to serve as Deputy Leader for 13 years and Leader for a further seven years. He held the position of Chair of Wrekin District Council twice and was also the Mayor of Telford and Wrekin three times, most recently in 2014/15.

Before the Mayor invited the Council’s guest this evening to lead it in prayer, Councillor Carter asked all present to stand and join him in a minute’s silence to mark the sad passing of former Councillor and Leader of the Council, Malcolm Smith BEM.

The Reverend Prebendary Jo Farnworth, Team Rector, Central Telford Parish and Associate Archdeacon of Salop, said prayers.

None.

To confirm the minutes of the last meeting of the Council.

RESOLVED – that the minutes of the previous meeting held on 13 November 2025 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

The Leader of the Council may give an oral report on matters of significance to the Borough, comment upon the Cabinet decisions or make any announcements.

The Leader of the Council made the following announcements:

Before making specific announcements, the Leader began by wishing each and every one present in the chamber tonight, a slightly belated but very sincere Happy New Year.

(i)            Malcolm Smith BEM

The Leader said that the Council had opened this evening and this year on a sombre note by lowering the Council flag to half-mast in memory of former Councillor and Alderman Malcolm Smith, a tremendous public servant. Malcolm had dedicated almost five decades of his life to the people of Telford and Wrekin, a community that he loved and served with great distinction. From even before his first election in 1970, Malcolm lived and breathed public service and left a legacy which ran deep in the borough. From an instrumental role in the regeneration of Hadley, by securing an investment to build a vibrant new centre, to a passion for local green spaces that included ensuring Telford Town Park became the first Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Field in the West Midlands, Malcolm left an indelible mark.  As the Council reflected on Malcolm's life, the Leader was reminded of the quote, “one person can make a difference, and everyone should try.”  Malcolm embodied that truth and the Leader believed public service at its best still did.

(ii)          New Year’s Honours’

The Leader said this year's New Year's Honours List reminded everyone of the extraordinary contributions made by others across the borough also.  He was proud to congratulate the following local recipients of MBE's and BEM's.

Traci Dix-Williams of Mayley for her work in Heritage.

Beverley Morris for outstanding public service through the Department for Work and Pensions.

Sally Crawford Angell-James for her commitment to the defibrillator provision.

Katie Foster of Newport for her tireless charitable and heritage work.

Scott Saunders of Telford for his service to the community.

These individuals represented the very best of Telford and Wrekin with compassion, commitment and an unwavering dedication to others.  And already in 2026 public service in action had been seen on an impressive scale.

(iii)         Storm Goretti

The Leader said that Storm Goretti had brought heavy snow and

freezing conditions earlier this month. Once again, residents witnessed what made the borough special.  Council staff, emergency partners and residents working side by side, gritters clearing major routes, snow champions helping neighbours and volunteers across local communities doing what they always did, stepping up. Their response was yet another demonstration of the spirit that helped the local authority earn it the title of Council of the Year.

No matter what noise swirled around nationally or internationally in politics, in Telford, every week, it got on with a job quietly, determinedly and with a shared sense of purpose.  It was noted by other authorities that Telford and Wrekin worked well, acted responsibly and put residents first.

(iv)         Looking Ahead (Government Funding and Pride in Place etc.) and Budget-Setting next month

The Leader reported on the recent national local government funding settlement that finally invested properly  ...  view the full minutes text for item 48.

To note the Mayoral Engagements undertaken since the previous Council meeting.

The Mayor asked Members to note the engagements undertaken since the last Council meeting in November 2025, shown on the list circulated.

She said that as this was the first Full Council meeting of 2026, she would like to begin by wishing everyone a very happy New Year.  She hoped everyone had enjoyed a restful festive break with family and friends.

The Mayor said that since the meeting of the Full Council in November 2025, both she and the Deputy Mayor had had the pleasure of attending numerous festive events across the Borough from Christmas fayres to light switch-ons. A particular highlight for her was the True North Christmas Toy Run, which saw more than 80 bikes and trikes rumble through the streets and towns of Telford, finishing at the children’s ward of the Princess Royal Hospital. It was a truly fantastic sight, and she was still not sure who was more excited, the children, the bikers or her.

Another wonderful moment was the My Options Christmas Fayre, where she had had a brilliant time with her friend Oliver and the whole team.  The borough celebrated Telford and Wrekin’s first-ever Christmas “Carol-Oke”. Sadly, the Mayor could not attend in person, but she understood it was a great success and perhaps just as well, as it spared everyone from her questionable singing.

The Mayor also held a staff raffle, with the winner receiving a family ticket to the pantomime.  She thanked all the staff who took part and so generously donated to her charity.

The Mayor had been challenging herself to face her fears, one on which was spiders and thanks to Scott at the Exotic Zoo she did this by holding Charlotte, the flame legged tarantula, and her next challenge would be announced soon.

Members would be aware that 27 January marked Holocaust Memorial Day a day for all to remember and honour the victims of the Holocaust, as well as the victims of all genocides since, such as in Cambodia, Rwanda and Darfur. She hoped many would be able to attend the commemoration event and take a moment for reflection.  She said that further details have been emailed to you.

Finally, the Mayor asked that Members save the date for her Charity Ball on Friday, 6 March 2026. Invitations would be circulated shortly, and she truly hoped members would join her for an evening of fundraising and celebration in support of her charities, PODS and Hilbrae Dog Rescue.  She asked people to think of it as the perfect opportunity to have fun whilst doing some good for local charities.

To receive any questions from the public which have been submitted under Council Procedure Rules 7.11 and 7.12. The session will last no more than 15 minutes with a maximum of 2 minutes allowed for each question and answer. Questions can be asked of the Leader and Cabinet Members.

The following question to Councillor L D Carter, Leader of the Council, was submitted by Ms Katie Woodland.

"Given the three million-signature petition and rejections by Councils like Cornwall, will the Council table a motion opposing the mandatory digital ID Scheme, citing local digital exclusion risks (10-15% of households)?"

In response, Councillor Carter thanked Ms Woodland for her question and said he fully respected and understood the feelings against the concept of mandatory digital ID. However, he pointed out that it was just a concept which was out to consultation with very few details of what the scheme would entail.

Since then, government ministers had clarified that mandatory elements of the scheme would be dropped, and other ID forms would still be accepted with full details to follow the consultation. Council would consider later an amended motion that welcomed that decision by ministers and opposed the mandatory introduction.

To answer questions received under Council Procedure Rule 6.2.

NB      In accordance with the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 6.2.9 there will be a maximum of 30 minutes allowed for questions and answers.  Any question not answered within the 30 minute time limit will receive a written reply within 5 working days.

The following questions were asked under Council Procedure Rule 6.2.2:-

(a)      Councillor P J Scott to Councillor R A Overton, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Highways, Housing and Environment

"There is much frustration among local residents that there is no easy or direct way for them to contact the Neighbourhood Enforcement Team when they see parking issues. My Telford and Ask Tom are cumbersome and not direct in these situations.  We need to be able to alert the team as these issues are happening such as parking outside schools. Are there any plans to make contact with the NEO's easier and more direct for the public?"

In response, Councillor Overton said that the Council had been successfully working in partnership with town and parish councils as part of the Community Action Team offer and that this partnership, now in its 6th year, continued to go from strength to strength and had enabled this Council to expand its enforcement team to support and respond to local priorities.

While the Council’s enforcement officers were proactive, it was important to note that they were not an emergency service.  He did, however, understand residents’ and ward members frustrations regarding unsafe or inconsiderate parking especially outside schools. Through the Council’s enforcement action plans, it worked hard to tackle problematic parking as well as other issues such as dog fouling and fly tipping.

Safe parking around schools remained a priority. The Team regularly carried out high visibility patrols and worked closely with schools and West Mercia Police, enforcing restrictions where applicable and using engagement where they were not. This approach would continue to go from strength to strength alongside the continued introduction of parking restrictions where they did not currently exist in some areas, including Newport.

In response to a supplementary question from Councillor Scott, Councillor Overton explained that enforcement officers followed planned work schedules across the borough and could not be redirected at short notice. He advised that concerns should be reported through the usual channels so they could be incorporated into local action plans and addressed as part of scheduled activity.

(b)      Councillor N A M England to Councillor S A W Reynolds, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People, Education, Employment and Skills

"Following recent meetings with Council officers to discuss young people's mental health provision in Telford and Wrekin. Recognising both the significant pressures on services and the work this Council is undertaking to support children and families, can the Cabinet Member outline how our current mental health support for children and young people operates across the borough? In particular, could the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People, Education, Employment and Skills, set out how early intervention is being delivered in schools and community settings, how the Council ensures that the voices of young people and parents with lived experience are reflected in service design?"

In response, Councillor Reynolds said that mental health support was delivered through a whole system approach, which involved the local authority, schools, family hubs,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51.

To approve the Council tax base calculated for Telford and Wrekin for the 2026/27 financial year.

Councillor Z Hannington, Cabinet Member for Finance, Governance and Customer Services, presented the report of the Director for Finance, People and IDT, which sought Council’s approval to determine the Council Tax Base for General and Special Fund purposes for the financial year 2026/27. 

The setting of the Council Tax Base was the first stage in the process of setting the Council Tax for 2026/27 and final recommendations on Council Tax levels would be presented to Full Council on 26 February 2026.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 22.5, a recorded vote was taken as follows:-

For (48)

Councillors E Aston, S Bentley, K T Blundell, M Boylan, A J Burford, S P Burrell, E M Callear, L D Carter, C Chikandamina, G H Cook, E Davies, P Davis, F Doran, N A Dugmore, A R H England, N A M England, S Handley, Z Hannington, C Healy, T L B Janke, A S Jhawar, J Jones, J Kaur, L Lewis, G Luter, A D McClements, R Mehta, K Middleton, H Morgan, T J Nelson, R A Overton, N Page, L Parker, I Preece, S A W Reynolds, S J Reynolds, R Sahota, P J Scott, S Syrda, G Thomas, P Thomas, J Thompson, K L Tomlinson, W L Tomlinson, K Tonks, R Tyrrell, O Vickers and D R W White.

No Members voted against the motion or abstained from voting.

RESOLVED unanimously, that:

(a)  The calculation of the tax base for the financial year 2026/27, as detailed in paragraph 4.4 and Appendix A to the report, be approved.

(b)   In accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 2012 (SI 2012:2914), the amount calculated for Telford and Wrekin Council Tax Base for financial year 2026/27 for its Special Fund Area, as per the appropriate parish amounts detailed in Appendix A for the parishes listed in paragraph 4.5, be approved.

To receive the report on the Cabinet decisions made since publication of the last Council meeting agenda. Cabinet Members may speak on these decisions and Members may ask questions about key decisions of the relevant Cabinet Member for the purposes of clarification only.  Members are asked to note the additional delegations to officers granted at those meetings.

Members received the report on the Cabinet decisions made since the last meeting of the Council.

Councillor N Dugmore asked a question of clarity to Councillor Z Hannington, in respect of the meeting of the Cabinet, held on 6 January 2026, and asked why income generation had been included in Appendix 9 to the report since this was a schedule of additional savings proposals and was therefore not a saving, but an income.

In response, Councillor Hannington said she would issue a written response in due course.

(a)      2025/26 Financial Monitoring Report

Councillor Z Hannington, Cabinet Member for Finance, Governance and Customer Services, presented the report of the Director for Finance, People and IDT, which referred to the financial monitoring report to Cabinet on 6 January 2026, that provided an update on the Revenue Budget and progress relating to the Capital Programme. The report included some changes to the Capital Programme, which now required formal approval by Full Council.

RESOLVED, that the changes to the Capital Programme and all associated changes to the Medium-Term Financial Strategy, including Treasury and Prudential Indicators, be approved (details of the Capital Programme changes were included in Appendix A and Treasury Management and Prudential Indicators were included in Appendix B to the report).

(a)      Statement of Licensing Policy

Councillor J Thompson, Chair to the Council’s Licensing Committee, presented the report of the Director of Policy and Governance, which sought the Council’s approval of the statutory five-yearly review of the Council’s Statement of Licensing Policy, made under the Licensing Act 2003.

The Statement, which had been completed following a public consultation, led to an amended policy being produced by officers and considered by the Licensing Committee at its meeting held on 13 January 2026.

RESOLVED, that the revised Statement of Licensing Policy, as set out at Appendix A to the report, to be implemented on 26 January 2026, be approved and adopted.

(b)   Constitution Update

Councillor L Lewis, Chair to the Council’s Governance Committee presented the report of the Director of Policy and Governance, which updated Members on proposed changes to the Constitution following the review undertaken last year and to seek approval for the adoption of the revised Constitution.

During the debate, several Members expressed concerns about the proposed changes to meeting duration. Points raised included the potential impact on opportunities for discussion, the ability for Members to raise matters in a public forum, and the importance of Full Council as a venue for open debate on issues affecting local communities. Some Members also suggested that meeting frequency could be reviewed as an alternative approach.

In response, several Members noted that Full Council was one of several forums through which Council business was conducted, highlighting the role of committees and scrutiny in enabling detailed discussion and decision?making. It was also noted that Members had opportunities to engage with residents and address local issues outside of formal meeting arrangements. Members emphasised the importance of effective use of time and resources across all committees and working groups.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 22.3, a recorded vote was taken as follows:-

For (32)

Councillors E Aston, S Bentley, K T Blundell, M Boylan, A J Burford, S P Burrell, E M Callear, L D Carter, C Chikandamina, G H Cook, E Davies, P Davis, F Doran, N A Dugmore, A R H England, N A M England, S Handley, Z Hannington, C Healy, T L B Janke, A S Jhawar, J Jones, J Kaur, L Lewis, G Luter, A D McClements, R Mehta, K Middleton, H Morgan, T J Nelson, L Parker, I Preece, S J Reynolds, S A W Reynolds, R Sahota, P J Scott, S Syrda, G Thomas, P Thomas, J Thompson, K L Tomlinson, W L Tomlinson, K Tonks, R Tyrrell, O Vickers and D R W White.

Against (13)

Councillors S Bentley, K T Blundell, S P Burrell, N A Dugmore, T Janke, T J Nelson, S Syrda, G Thomas, P Thomas, K Tomlinson, B Tomlinson, K Tonks and R Tyrrell.

Abstained (1)

Councillor P J Scott.

RESOLVED, that the revised and updated Constitution, as detailed at Appendix A to the report, to take effect immediately, be adopted.

As a result of the last vote,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 55.

The following motions were submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10:

(a)      Councillor Richard Overton

"This Council celebrates the achievements of the Council's Building Safer and Stronger Communities Programme delivered with local partners, and the positive impact it has had across Telford and Wrekin. This has included many extracurricular activities for young people, funding to tackle antisocial behaviour across our borough, as well as enhanced CCTV coverage to keep our communities safe. This Council notes the Cabinet's determination to ensure a funding commitment to sustaining the programme as set out in the Medium-Term Financial Strategy. This Council notes with concern the decision by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) to stop financial support for the initiative and calls upon him to reverse the decision."

Councillor Ollie Vickers seconded the motion.

Following a robust debate, the motion was carried.

RESOLVED – that the motion be approved.

(b)   Councillor Nigel Dugmore

"This Council has serious concerns regarding the current consultation regarding proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework which will severely restrict the ability of local planning authorities to control and influence development in their areas.

Such changes will have significant impact especially in rural areas and on developer contributions which are vital in ensuring that local infrastructure is in place to mitigate the impact on local communities of significant new developments. Consequently, this Council resolves to respond to the Labour Government’s current consultation and reject the disastrous proposed changes to the NPPF in order to protect our Borough from unwanted and inappropriate building."

Councillor Stephen Bentley seconded the motion.

By way of an amendment, with additional words shown in bold and underlined, Councillor Carolyn Healy, seconded by Councillor Stephen Reynolds, moved that the summary of the motion above, be amended as follows:

"This Council notes the current consultation regarding proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework which includes changes to the way local planning authorities control and influence development in their areas.
Such changes may have significant impact especially in rural areas and on developer contributions which are vital in ensuring that local infrastructure is in place to mitigate the impact on local communities of significant new developments.
Consequently, this Council resolves to create a cross party working group to develop the response to the Labour Government’s current consultation to show which aspects this Council supports and which is it rejects in order to protect our Borough from unwanted and inappropriate building and ensure plan led development that meets our borough’s needs."

Following debate and being put to the vote, the amendment was declared carried and became the substantive motion.

Following a robust debate, the substantive motion was carried unanimously.

RESOLVED – that the motion, as amended, be approved.

(c)    Councillor Rachael Tyrrell

“This Council wishes to convey to the Government that the introduction of Digital IDs is an egregious waste of public money at a time when resources are scarce and should be directed to frontline services, such as Defence and Education. It is also a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 56.