And the winner is....Telford Land Deal
Telford & Wrekin Council has won national recognition for its Telford Land Deal at the national Association of Public Sector Excellence annual awards.
The Land Deal, which has attracted £236 million of private sector investment into the borough since April 2015, was named as the winner of the Best Collaborative Working Initiative for 2018. The award recognises the innovative partnership between the Council and Homes England and the support of the Marches LEP.
The APSE awards recognise the best and most innovative councils in the UK, focusing on frontline services and councils who are achieving excellent results.
The Telford Land Deal has seen the disposal of over 200 acres of land worth £23 million in deals that are set to create 988 new jobs and 600 new homes as well stimulating the construction of over 86,000 sq m of commercial floor space.
The Land Deal has also played a key part in helping the borough to secure record levels of foreign investment, including the opening of Magna Cosma – international aluminium castings suppliers to nearby Jaguar Land Rover at the Borough’s flagship employment site T54This is one of the biggest foreign investments into the UK in the last ten years and will create almost 300 new jobs.
The Land Deal has also helped to attract Austrian reinforced plastics supplier Polytech as well as helping existing businesses to expand including plastics manufacturer Craemer. In the next few months the Deal will also enable the delivery of a number of starter units to attract and support new businesses to establish and grow in the Borough.
Cllr Lee Carter, cabinet lead for economic development, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for everyone involved in the Telford Land Deal. It is helps our borough punch well above its weight, showing how we are winning and bring investment here because Telford is such a good place to do business in.
“The award is the result of tireless work by the Council and partners that continues every day to help bring more investment, business, jobs and growth here – it’s a great endorsement of the excellent work our teams are doing.
“We are confident that the Land Deal together with other initiatives such as our £50m Growth Fund will continue to bring in spectacular results for our borough.”
Council leader Shaun Davies added; “This award is down to the hard work of our officers and cabinet members who together with a range of partners have made the Land Deal the success story it is. Together, we share the same vision for and confidence in our borough and the determination to win business and investment.”
Karl Tupling, General Manager for Homes England in the Midlands, said: “The deal is already offering new jobs for local people as well as the opportunity to develop new homes to help more local people in Telford have access to a home of their own.
The Council was also a finalist in six other categories at the APSE awards, competing with more than 100 organisations for the awards.
APSE work with over 300 councils throughout the UK in areas such as waste and refuse collection, parks and environmental services, environmental health, leisure, school meals, cleaning, housing and building maintenance.
