Telford & Wrekin Council’s vision of regenerating the centre of Dawley takes a major step forward on August 23 when earthworks start on the site of the planned new Sports and Learning Community and retail units at Paddock Mount.

The work to level the site is expected to last a number of months with the next phase of the programme to deliver the Sports and Learning Community due to start in October 2011.

The Sports and Learning Community is a central part of the regeneration of Dawley and will replace the existing outdated Phoenix School.

Council leader Andrew Eade said: “This is a very exciting time for everyone in Telford and Wrekin and we will soon reach a stage where a number of different major projects are under construction to bring about an extensive social and economic regeneration of the borough.

“In Dawley, the earthworks to create a site at Paddock Mount for the new Sports and Learning Community will help to kick start the regeneration of Dawley’s historic centre. I think it is fantastic that the Sports and Learning Community will be at the heart of our wider plans for the town.”

Telford & Wrekin Council is carrying out a £240m programme to transform the borough’s educational estate, which will see 15 secondary schools rebuilt or remodelled as Sports and Learning Communities.

Work is already under way on the construction of the first of these, the Abraham Darby Sports and Learning Community in Madeley which is being built by Kier Moss. The new site in Dawley is the next in line to be built.

Sports and Learning Communities will not only be centres for learning for young people of all ages but will also provide sports, health, leisure and other facilities that can be used by both pupils and the community.

The earthworks at Paddock Mount will be carried out by Birse Civils Ltd and will create a level site to enable work on the new Sports and Learning Community and a 15,000 square foot supermarket and three smaller retail units to start.

Telford & Wrekin Council was told last month by central government that it was just one of 13 local authorities nationwide that would be allowed to proceed in full with a scheme to upgrade secondary schools.

The scheme is part of the council’s Borough Towns Initiative to regenerate key historic centres in the borough of Telford and Wrekin, with Dawley already seeing significant improvements in the High St with the re-paving works that are currently on site and are due for completion in September.

the centre of  Dawley is set to be blooming next year with the parish and borough councils funding hanging baskets at a cost of up to £18,500.

Members of Dawley Parish Council last night agreed to pay for baskets which will be sited in the High Street. Members heard Telford and Wrekin Council will pay for the stands on which the baskets will be mounted.

A total of 12 stands each with two hanging baskets, will be distributed along the length of the street.

Councillor Adrian Williams, Dawley Magna Ward Borough Councillor, said the cost of the baskets and ensuring they were regularily watered would be about £2500.

He said the corough council was believed to be looking at two different kinds of stands, either permemnant which would cost £13,000 or ones which could be dismantled and removed at a cost of £16,000.

Councillor Williams said: “The borough council had already offered to pay for the stands but the offer would be withdrawn if they were not prepared to pay for the baskets themselves.

“By the parish council agreeing to fund the baskets we do not lose the offer from the borough.

“Next year we will have baskets again with both councils contributing to the cost.

“I actually paid for baskets two years ago.”

Councillor Williams from Bratton, collected all the items needed to create the floral baskets from scratch in his greenhouse in 2008.

His action came after Great Dawley Parish Council members voted against funding hanging baskets from the authorities budget.

Councillor Williams and fellow Telford and Wrekin People’s Association, contacted local businesses for help as a result.

Two part funded scheme. TAWPAS representatives on the parish council dinated some of their annual councillors allowences towards the £1,000 project.

A two million project to breathe new life into Dawley High Street began last summer as part of a massive redevelopment of the town.

Campaigners fighting to keep bowls alive in an area of Telford are to host a public meeting later this year to gauge the strength of support for their casue.

Organisers want to hear from people who bowl in Dawley Park about whether they would like facilities there upgraded and expanded. Councillor Vic Tonks said the town has already lost one bowling green.

That was the Dun  Cow pub, which was sold recently and demolished for redevelopment.

Councillor Tonks said the White Horse pub in Heath Hill, Dawley, was up for sale and could also be redeveloped which, Dawley Park aside , would leave the nearest club as Horsehay.

He said, as Dawley Park had just a green, he feared the town would soon not have an established club with associated facilities.

Talks are already underway with people who bowl in Dawley Park in the investment needed to bring it up to scratch.

The moves resulted in a meeting at the Towyal British Legion club in Station road last week at which bowlers were asked to air ideas to revitalise the green in Dawley Park.

Councillor Vic Tonks said ” We are seeking, with the backing of Dawley Bowlers, to upgrade the bowling green and potentially add lights, a clubhouse and fences.

“We need the feedback from Dawley bowlers in order to take this further and start work before we loose yet another Dawley bowling green club.

“Last week’s meeting was very useful but now we want to meet again to gauge the strength of support amoung Dawley bowlers for the possible revamp.

“If we get sufficient support at that meeting then we will press ahead with getting funding from those who have redeveleoped or plan to redevelop the pub green to pay for the upgrades in Dawley Park.

Telford and Wrekin Council spokesman Russell Griffin said the meeting would be at the Royal British Legion Club on October 13th.

A major celebration event is being planned to mark the end of the first phase of Telford & Wrekin Council’s regeneration of Dawley.

The regeneration of the town centre, part of the Council’s Borough Towns Initiative, has included repaving of the High St, a new bandstand depicting the history of the town, new benches, lighting, CCTV and improved car parking facilities.

To celebrate the end of the work, due in the early Autumn, and by way of a thank you to the people of Dawley for their patience while the work has gone on, there will be a community celebration event.

The Council will announce the precise date soon.  As part of the event, Birse, the contractor delivering the works, have offered to support the celebration

Cllr Helen Williams, ward member who is working with Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet on the town’s regeneration, said: “It will be a great way for everyone to come together and celebrate the transformation that is underway in Dawley.

“This work set out to revitalise Dawley’s centre and make it much more attractive place for people to visit, shop and do business, I think everyone will agree that it has more than achieved this.

“People here have always been proud of Dawley and now we have even more reason to be.

“With the news that the regeneration will continue with the building of the new Sports & Learning Community to replace the Phoenix School, a new supermarket and other new retail facilities, it can only mean that things continue to look up for Dawley.”

Bowlers in Telford are being urged to make their views known as part of a campaign to invest in bowling green facilities in part of the town.

One bowling green has already been lost in Dawley with the demolition for redevelopment of the Dun Cow Pub.

And another pub, the White Horse pub in Heath Hill, Dawley and a neighbouring bowling green has outline permission for housing.

Now Telford and Wrekin councillors are in talks over ploughing funds into one the few bowling greens in the area, Dawley Park, which currently has no club house.

And they are urging bowlers to attend a meeting later this month to discuss its future.

Talks have already started with bowlers over the investment needed to make improvements in Dawley Park.

Site visits have been made with bowlers, ward councillors and Telford and Wrekin council officers.

Councillor Vic Tonks said: ‘We now need to take it to the next stage. We would like to call on all Dawley Green Bowlers interested in talking to Telford and Wrekin Council in order to take forward any ideas to improve and ultimately revitalise the bowling green in Dawley Park.

“We have already lost one bowling green and club and are possibly going to loose another one in Dawley in the future.”

“We need feedback from Dawley bowlers in order to take this further and start work before we lose yet another club.”

The meeting will be held at The Royal British Legion, Station road, Dawley, on July 20th from 7.30pm.

All are welcome.

http://spendingchallenge.hm-treasury.gov.uk/

Therefore Dawley will in the future may not have a bowling green and club in its current format. Currently Dawley Park has a bowling green with no club house or extra facilities.

Talks have already started with Dawley Bowlers regarding the investment needed to bring this into a reality and site visits have been made with bowlers, ward councillors and Telford and Wrekin Council officers, we now need to take to the next stage.

We would like to call on all Dawley Green bowlers interested in talking to Telford and Wrekin Council in order to take forward any ideas to improve and ultimately revitalize the bowling green in Dawley Park.

Cllr Vic Tonks said, “We have already lost one bowling green and club and are possibly going to lose another one in Dawley in the future. We want to speak to the Dawley bowlers to discuss what they would like from investment into the Dawley Park bowling green. We are seeking to with the backing of Dawley bowlers to upgrade the bowling green, potentially add lights and a club and fences etc. We need the feedback from Dawley Bowlers in order to take this further and start work before we lose yet another Dawley bowling green club.”

The meeting will be held at The Royal British Legion, Station Road, Dawley on 20th July from 1930 onwards, all are welcome.

Cllr Adrian Williams said, ”This would be a wonderful asset and we now have a real chance to reinstate the bowling green in Dawley park to a top notch standard with facilities to match, we would love to talk to the bowlers in order to take it further and hopefully make it a reality.”

http://www.telford.gov.uk/site/scripts/news_article.aspx?newsID=12

Telford & Wrekin Council has been carrying out improvement works in Meadow Road, George Street and Burton Street car parks as part of its major regeneration of Dawley.

Meadow Road and George Street opened earlier this year after undergoing a revamp under the Council’s Borough Towns Initiative, which saw them both tidied up and the addition of a number of spaces and disabled spaces.

Burton Street has been the last car park to undergo its makeover and is now also substantially open to traffic with some small areas remaining cordoned off while work is completed.

Local ward member Cllr Helen Williams who is working with Cllr Eric Carter, Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Prosperity, said the car parks were the first phase to be completed of an exciting period of change for Dawley.

“The car parks have undergone a lot of work and are now in a much better position to attract more people into Dawley to do their shopping,” she said.

“They are just the first part of the bigger regeneration of Dawley, which can also be seen elsewhere in the town with work already ongoing on the High Street and Paddock Mount.

“As well as being smartened up and providing better facilities, they will provide the capacity we need to welcome more people to shop and live in Dawley, which is starting to take shape as the exciting borough town we all remember.”

Department of Education press release ref decision on the BSF programme

All the schools below are unaffected…………..

Abraham Darby Academy

Madeley Academy expansion

Thomas Telford CTC

Adams Grammer School

Blessed Robert Johnson RC College

Burton Borough School

Charlton School

Ercall Wood Tech College

Hadley

Lord Silkin School

Mount Gilbert Special School

Newport Girls High School

Phoenix School

Southall Special School

Sutherland School

The Bridge Special School

Wrockwardine Wood School