Latest news with #CarolynHealy
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
New flood walls to be built after £708k cash award
Two permanent flood defence walls are to be installed in Ironbridge to protect vulnerable homes and businesses from the River Severn. Telford and Wrekin Council has been awarded £708,000 by the government to build the walls along Bower's Yard and Ladywood. The funding will also enable flood resilience measures, such as flood doors and non-return valves, to be installed in homes. Councillor Carolyn Healy, of the Labour-run council, said the money would "support the vital efforts" to protect the community from the "misery and devastation" that flooding caused. She added that flooding had become more frequent and the water level had risen higher. The funding is part of a two-year, nationwide government project that will see £2.65bn spent on constructing new flood schemes and maintaining existing defences. The Labour MP for Telford, Shaun Davies, said he was "thrilled" by the investment. A further £16m has also been secured from the nationwide project to improve flood protection across River Severn communities and Shropshire. Telford and Wrekin Council also plans to launch a separate flood management scheme that will use wireless sensors to monitor silt and water levels in gullies. The measurements will be provided in real time and help improve surface flood management. The new flood walls are set to be installed this year. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Repeated flooding puts our future at risk - rowers Town to get new flood defences 'The worst thing is hearing a rainstorm warning' Telford and Wrekin Council
BBC News
06-04-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Ironbridge to get new flood walls after £708k government award
Two permanent flood defence walls are to be installed in Ironbridge to protect vulnerable homes and businesses from the River and Wrekin Council has been awarded £708,000 by the government to build the walls along Bower's Yard and Ladywood. The funding will also enable flood resilience measures, such as flood doors and non-return valves, to be installed in homes. Councillor Carolyn Healy, of the Labour-run council, said the money would "support the vital efforts" to protect the community from the "misery and devastation" that flooding caused. She added that flooding had become more frequent and the water level had risen higher. The funding is part of a two-year, nationwide government project that will see £2.65bn spent on constructing new flood schemes and maintaining existing Labour MP for Telford, Shaun Davies, said he was "thrilled" by the investment. A further £16m has also been secured from the nationwide project to improve flood protection across River Severn communities and and Wrekin Council also plans to launch a separate flood management scheme that will use wireless sensors to monitor silt and water levels in gullies. The measurements will be provided in real time and help improve surface flood new flood walls are set to be installed this year. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
04-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Debate clashes over plans for thousands of Telford homes
Plans to build thousands of new homes in Telford and Wrekin were branded the "pillage" of the countryside during a debate between councillors in which others spoke of the necessity for Carolyn Healy, of Labour-run Telford and Wrekin Council, said the loss of 2.8% of farmland was part of a "balance we need to strike" to meet growing housing needs. Full council approved the step under the Local Plan, which is to go out for public consultation from Monday before being sent to government inspectors for approval. It came after detracting views were lodged, including those of councillor Andrew Eade, from the opposition Conservative group, who made the "pillaging" comment. The proposed strategy, covering a 20-year period, is to expand Telford extensions are planned for north of Bratton, Wappenshall and northeast of Muxton. The authority has also decided to keep green spaces in urban areas while "removing" development sites in some villages. Healy, the cabinet member leading a review of the plan, told Thursday's meeting new homes were needed. "It will involve 2.8 per cent of our farming land and that is a balance we need to strike to meet the needs that we have for our growing population," she said. The proposals include:The Bratton area adopting 2,100 homes and two hectares of employment landA "new sustainable community" of about 2,700 dwellings for MuxtonLand north of A442 Wheat Leasows being developed to become a sustainable community of about 3,100 homes with 68 hectares of employment land Eade said the local authority was co-operating with Black Country councils to cover some of their housing also claimed five in every seven homes would go to meet "uncontrolled immigration", basing this on a comparison between national immigration figures and the government's annual national homes targets. At the meeting, Jenny Urey, an independent councillor representing Muxton, called for the matter to be deferred so members could get more data. "I am fuming that this decision is being made," she said."The housing is not needed, I do not know where these needs are coming from."Liberal Democrat members said they could not support the plan without seeing the proposals for related infrastructure. Conservative group leader Tim Nelson said there were parts of the plan with which he agreed but overall was against it. He also called for a policy of "densification" to protect farming land for food said housing demand was being driven "from without our own population" as people grew older and needed a different type of housing. The Local Plan review was approved, with 33 votes in support, 14 against and one abstention. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Future house building to be discussed by councils
Both Shropshire Council and Telford and Wrekin Council will discuss their respective area's housing needs at separate meetings this week, with the former facing a number of challenges. Shropshire's housing target has increased to almost 2,000 homes a year until 2038, after the government outlined plans in December to build 1.5m homes across Britain over the next five years. The council said the uplift was too high and meant it could not currently identify enough land for development in the five-year period. Parts of the green belt, which is located to the east of the county, may have to be released to help the council find new land on which to build. Shropshire Council was criticised in October for not providing enough homes in its draft Local Plan, which outlines all future development sites from 2016 to 2038. In the document, the authority proposes more than 31,000 homes over that period, working out at 1,423 dwellings a year, and includes 1,500 properties to help address an unmet requirement for new housing in the Black Country. But planning inspectors have put the plan on hold, saying it did "not meet the needs or strategic priorities of the area". Following the government's announcement in December, a housing target which now adds almost 600 further homes a year has left the council in a position of not having a five-year land supply. That will make it harder for the planning authority to refuse planning permission, as it will not have an approved plan to which to refer. Inspectors also raised concern that housing plans for the Black Country were too far from the West Midlands conurbation and recommended that sites further east were included in proposals. It means green belt land around Shifnal and Albrighton will now be considered to be released from stricter planning protection so development sites can be identified closer to Wolverhampton and Dudley. The council has said it would not meet all of the inspectors' concerns within a suggested six-month time frame, but proposed a "positive and pragmatic response" to address some of the concerns. The council's draft Local Plan should have been formally adopted by 2022. Inspectors requested the plan's scope be extended by three years to take into account that delay, but the council rejected the proposal as it would have required even more land to be found for housing. Telford and Wrekin Council leaders will discuss their own Local Plan on Thursday. The council needs to plan for 1,010 homes to be built annually up to the year 2040. New communities are earmarked on land near Bratton, Wappenshall and north east of Muxton. The number of proposed sites initially submitted for development has reduced from 212 plots to 53. Telford and Wrekin Council's cabinet member for planning Carolyn Healy said: "Keeping our Local Plan up to date and having a five-year land supply means we're in control of where developments take place. "This is a sustainable Local Plan and we're really thinking of the environment and climate change. "We're protecting more green spaces and we have policies which will create homes for the future while we decarbonise and change the way we heat our homes." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Housebuilding target 'puts pressure on council' Council surprised as homes plan hearings suspended Revised housing plans for Shropshire produced Local Plans: the examination process
BBC News
11-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Future house building to be discussed by both Shropshire councils
Both Shropshire Council and Telford and Wrekin Council will discuss their respective area's housing needs at separate meetings this week, with the former facing a number of housing target has increased to almost 2,000 homes a year until 2038, after the government outlined plans in December to build 1.5m homes across Britain over the next five council said the uplift was too high and meant it could not currently identify enough land for development in the five-year of the green belt, which is located to the east of the county, may have to be released to help the council find new land on which to build. Shropshire Council was criticised in October for not providing enough homes in its draft Local Plan, which outlines all future development sites from 2016 to the document, the authority proposes more than 31,000 homes over that period, working out at 1,423 dwellings a year, and includes 1,500 properties to help address an unmet requirement for new housing in the Black planning inspectors have put the plan on hold, saying it did "not meet the needs or strategic priorities of the area".Following the government's announcement in December, a housing target which now adds almost 600 further homes a year has left the council in a position of not having a five-year land will make it harder for the planning authority to refuse planning permission, as it will not have an approved plan to which to refer. Green belt Inspectors also raised concern that housing plans for the Black Country were too far from the West Midlands conurbation and recommended that sites further east were included in means green belt land around Shifnal and Albrighton will now be considered to be released from stricter planning protection so development sites can be identified closer to Wolverhampton and council has said it would not meet all of the inspectors' concerns within a suggested six-month time frame, but proposed a "positive and pragmatic response" to address some of the council's draft Local Plan should have been formally adopted by requested the plan's scope be extended by three years to take into account that delay, but the council rejected the proposal as it would have required even more land to be found for housing. Telford and Wrekin Council leaders will discuss their own Local Plan on council needs to plan for 1,010 homes to be built annually up to the year communities are earmarked on land near Bratton, Wappenshall and north east of number of proposed sites initially submitted for development has reduced from 212 plots to and Wrekin Council's cabinet member for planning Carolyn Healy said: "Keeping our Local Plan up to date and having a five-year land supply means we're in control of where developments take place."This is a sustainable Local Plan and we're really thinking of the environment and climate change."We're protecting more green spaces and we have policies which will create homes for the future while we decarbonise and change the way we heat our homes." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
