Help shape the future of Horsehay Pool
Telford & Wrekin Council has been working with local organisations, groups and residents to draft a management plan that will protect and enhance Horsehay Pool, a much loved green space that is popular with locals and a valuable habitat for wildlife.
In 2019, the Council designated Horsehay Pool as one of 200 Green Guarantee sites in the borough that must be protected.
It is located within the Horsehay Conservation Area, a historical site of around 8.5 acres in the village of Horsehay.
The village grew around the ironworks, which were constructed by Abraham Darby II between 1754 and 1757. The pool was created to power the steam engines for the works.
Today, Horsehay Pool is public open space, owned and managed by the Council in partnership with the Friends of Horsehay Pool and Environs, and used mainly for recreation, dog walking and angling.
The draft management plan sets out the vision for protecting and improving the area. Local organisations and residents have been involved in the report, which sets out the history of the site, current usage and aspirations. They are now keen to share this vision and hear what people think about the options for the future.
Cllr Lee Carter, Telford & Wrekin Council cabinet member responsible for neighbourhoods, said: “We are blessed with such wonderful and bio-diverse green spaces and parks, and our Green Guarantee scheme set out to protect these sites as part of our Telford 50 legacy.
“We also promised to look at ways to enhance each site. The draft management plan explains our vision for Horsehay Pool. There are lots of ideas and we’ll need to apply for grants to fund many of them, but we are keen to hear what people think about the options.”
Cllr Raj Mehta, a ward councillor for the area, has been kept updated on the project. He said: “Horsehay Pool is a valued community space, great for fishing and a wonderful wildlife habitat. We must hold sight of the things that are important to people and wildlife as we move forward. There are lots of aspirations and I am excited to see the plan for its future develop.”
Read more and have your say here.
People have until 14 January to have their say. The Council will then prepare a summary report of the results to inform the agreed Management Plan for Horsehay Pool, which it hopes to publish by summer 2021.
