Transforming Telford

Transforming Telford, the company set up to specifically drive forward economic growth and regeneration in the Telford area, is to undertake a major feasibility study into the regeneration of industrial estates in Telford.

Bromsgove based Thomas Lister, specialist development and regeneration consultants, have been appointed to undertake the work, which is to commence in late November and is due to complete in the early new year.

The retention of existing businesses and the attraction of new businesses into Telford is critical to its ongoing growth. Since its inception as a new town Telford has benefited from significant inward investment and local business has grown and thrived. In order for this to continue, current uses of industrial land must also diversify to allow for changes in manufacturing and future business requirements.

The key industrial estates of Halesfield, Stafford Park and Hortonwood will be considered in detail by the study. The regeneration of other industrial estates like Tweedale, Donnington Park and Newport will also be considered. All require revitalisation to differing extents to re-establish them as key regional employment sites offering a range of good quality industrial accommodation. In addition, the existing Nedge Hill Science and Technology Park near Junction 4 of the M54 and Stafford Park, designated as part of the Wolverhampton Telford Technology Corridor (WTTC), will be firmly re-established as a major opportunity for technology based businesses.

Anne Wolstenholme, Director of Business and Investment at Transforming Telford said, “It is particularly important to assess the potential for the improvement of these important estates, not only for existing businesses but to attract new occupiers and inward
investment. We want to know what problems and constraints businesses are currently facing and how we can help them and how we can look at expanding some properties or develop sites that are currently undeveloped.

“In addition, we are considering the potential to create Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) for each or all of the estates and the benefits this might bring. Estates throughout the borough will also benefit directly from the development of the Donnington Rail Freight Terminal which is currently underway, providing an alternative transport link for manufacturing businesses in Telford and the wider region. Ultimately, this study is about the immediate and long term economic regeneration of the area.”

The Study is also to consider the potential to develop a new Enterprise Centre possibly located on Nedge Hill which will be designed to encourage and nurture new high technology based companies to start up in Telford

Anne Wolstenholme concludes, “The regeneration of the industrial estates together with additional initiatives to be considered by the study will result in improved rents and yields and consequently an improvement in the quality of the building stock itself which will in turn attract more occupiers and inward investment. This can only be good news for Telford now and as we move forward with the vision for the town.”