Earlier this month Telford’s Town Deal Board wrote to government to formally accept their funding offer of £22.3m, despite their original submission totalling £25m.  This meant the board having to review their proposals and scale back the investment plans.

However, the council has now stepped in to top up the government funding, ensuring that Wellington town centre will still get the full £3m that was proposed.

The funding which will build on the success of the Pride in Our High Street programme will support revitalising the centre of Wellington with a focus on the market square encouraging more opportunities for new businesses and residential development making improvements to the public realm and supporting continued investment into the historic market. The next step is to develop the details of the programme over the coming months.  This will include talking to local people, businesses, and organisations in Wellington.

Councillor Shaun Davies, leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, said: “Whilst we were incredibly pleased to receive government funding for our Towns Fund plans, we were also frustrated by not getting the full amount for our ambitious projects.

“As a local authority we are totally committed to investing in Telford and maximising support for our communities.  So, we have been working behind the scenes to find a way to plug the funding gap and I’m really delighted to say that we will be directing additional council funds to make our plans for Wellington become a reality.”

Councillor Graham Cook and Councillor John Thompson, said: “This is very positive news for Wellington and builds on the success we have seen through Pride in Our High Street supporting investment by new and existing businesses which has seen initiatives like the Market Food Court attract more residents and visitors back to our High Street.”

Stephen de Launey, chair of the Wellington Regeneration Partnership, said: “I’m delighted to hear Telford & Wrekin Council is stepping in with this additional funding to regenerate Wellington town centre.  This is very good news and I look forward to being part of the plans moving forward.”

Paul Davis, Mayor of Wellington Town Council, added: “This is a very welcome announcement and will provide a real boost to the revitalisation of Wellington town centre.  This extra investment will make a significant difference to our residents and businesses.”