Newsroom Archive

To improve the environment, we have begun working with a range of partners to reduce single use plastics both inside the Council and in the community, building on the great work of community groups across the borough, including those in Newport and Madeley. 

Earlier this month Newport was awarded plastic free community status from Surfers Against Sewage. This is a fantastic achievement which we hope to support to replicate across the borough. 

At the start of this month we launched our food waste household collection service. It’s a service that we recognise divides opinion, but I am delighted to say the initial results show that despite the misgivings most households find this relatively simple, with many, many people telling us this is the right thing to do. The first week’s results showed that residents recycled 87 tonnes of food waste – that’s enough to boil the kettle 370,000 times and make two million cups of tea! Thank you to everyone who embraced it so enthusiastically. 

On the subject of achievements, the new footbridge linking Telford Central railway station with the town centre has been shortlisted for the prestigious international Institution of Civil Engineering awards and is one of only 10 schemes in world shortlisted for this award. The bridge also has a new name now – the “Silver Swallow Bridge”. 

Creating a better borough is not simply about the facilities and infrastructure, it is also about people’s health and well-being. Throughout the summer we worked with a huge range of community groups to help get thousands more people involved in physical activity through our “Let’s Get Telford Active” scheme. From walks, to rounders, cricket to netball, we’ve been encouraging local people to feel the physical and social benefits of being more active. 

We’ve also been helping some of those most in need by running a series of holiday clubs for children whose families struggle with the financial pressures of the long summer holidays, providing activities and a healthy meal for hundreds of children across the borough. 

In so many different ways, we are working to protect, care and invest and will continue to do all we can to create a better borough.

(Article - Telford Journal, 26 September 2019)