Agenda item

To receive an update on the Telford Land Deal.

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Highways, Housing and Enforcement, presented a report by the Director for Prosperity and Investment, which set out the achievements of the Telford Land Deal, which, with support from the Council’s Growth Fund and the Invest Telford business pledge, had delivered new and higher skilled local jobs, created growth and security in the local supply chain alongside new homes and had been central to the Council’s Strategy to Protect, Care and Invest into Creating a Better Borough.

Councillor Overton said that he was presenting an update of the Telford Land Deal, an important and successful decision that the Council made, which was a clear strategic choice by the Council to work with Homes England to use public land more intelligently, to unlock homes, jobs and regeneration, while ensuring the benefits were reinvested here for the borough’s residents.

When the deal was agreed, many sites were difficult, stalled or long-term brownfield land and left alone, they would have continued to deliver nothing for local communities. By working in partnership, the Council de-risked sites, accelerated delivery, retained strong local influence over outcomes and reinvested receipts directly back into the borough. Through the land deal, the Council had created 2,493 jobs and 1,583 new homes had been delivered or were in delivery, which included 684 affordable homes. Over 209,000 square metres of new employment floor space had been brought forward.  Also, more than 125 acres of brownfield land had been regenerated and over £500m of private sector investment had been leveraged into Telford and Wrekin.

The deal had also delivered strong financial returns with £15.7m retained by the Council. New homes delivered to the deal generated around £2.6m each year in additional Council Tax. This income strengthened the Council’s financial position and helped protect the front-line services residents relied upon, which included care and community services. 

He remained clear this was exactly what the deal was set up to achieve by tackling difficult sites head on and creating high quality homes and communities for local people. The land deal demonstrated the Council’s values in action, protected public finances by making best use of public land, protected communities by prioritising brownfield regeneration, and protected essential services by generating sustainable income. It showed care through affordable homes and community facilities, and it invested in jobs, skills, and long-term growth.

The deal had delivered real social value, supported local businesses and supply chains, apprenticeships and skills, community organisations, green spaces and increased biodiversity, alongside renewed confidence and pride in the borough’s neighbourhoods. The current land deal was always time limited and was now approaching the end of that term. This was not an end point, but a transition.

Building on a decade of delivery, the Council was engaging with Homes England on future arrangements to ensure the model continued to maximise value for residents. The Council would approach the next stage in a position of strength, with a proven track record, clear values and a stronger understanding of what delivered for the borough. It had delivered homes, jobs, regeneration, income and social value and put the Council in a stronger position to protect services and invest in its future.

As the current deal concluded, the Council did so, proud of what had been delivered, clear about its priorities and confident about the next chapter for Telford and Wrekin. This was a good news story, and it showed exactly how the Council protected, cared and invested to create a better borough for everyone.

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group said that it was remarkable and an excellent job that the Council and partners had done to transform these areas of land into either housing or industry, which they were always intended for, and to retain pockets of this land as green in the midst of all that development to get breathing space for people.

The Leader of the Conservative Group said that it was expensive to bring brownfield sites into use, whether it be employment or housing, and that was being done, which was good given these costs could be very high if land contamination existed.

He noted the potential for continuing with a deal around the MOD land as well, which also had potential, and he was more than happy to acknowledge the benefits and success of the Telford Land deal however, he warned of development outstripping resources in the borough, certainly within the local plan.

RESOLVED – that Cabinet noted the outcomes achieved during the last 10 years since the Land Deal commenced in 2015 including over £500m of private sector investment, nearly 2500 new jobs and over 125 acres of

brownfield land developed.