Reaction to the Spring Budget from Shaun Davies, Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council
Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, Shaun Davies (Labour) said: “The big news for us is that we’ve secured nearly £10 million to support the regeneration of Wellington Town Centre. As a council we worked hard alongside our local partners to put forward a compelling bid and we’re now eagerly awaiting the detail of when the money can be released.
“Right now though, people across Telford & Wrekin are struggling with daily bills and the sky-high cost of living. The government’s u-turn on ending energy support payments is a welcome one, but just a sticking plaster for the next few months when the average energy bill has doubled.
“Extra support for families who are paying some of the highest childcare costs in the world will also help people to make ends meet, but as always, the devil is in the detail and local authorities like ours will now need to work hard with childcare providers to see whether they can realistically meet the need for extra places. It’s not something that can be accommodated overnight.
“As a council on the side of our residents, we’re laser focussed on supporting people with what they need to get through this tough time - keeping hundreds of pounds in people’s pockets by maintaining the lowest council tax in the midlands for the sixth year running for the services this council provides and investing £12 million into essential help such as local food banks and warm community spaces.
“We’ve already committed £7 million into leisure, culture and community events – over 500 children have signed up to our free swimming lessons and all people in the borough under 25 can swim for free. The government’s overdue recognition of the importance of this for people’s wellbeing means that we can now look at extra investment across the borough.”
