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Over the last few months, Telford & Wrekin Council has been consulting with residents, Town and Parish Councils and other stakeholders in the borough to see if current governance arrangements of Town and Parish Councils still best represent local communities.

The results of that consultation were reviewed at Telford & Wrekin Council’s cross-party Boundary Review Committee meeting last week, where a series of draft proposals based upon key themes of the feedback were discussed and agreed. Those proposals include suggestions to realign some ward boundaries based on community identity, as well as the need to address electoral imbalances, particularly the numbers of electors per councillor in several existing parish wards.

They also include a number of options and would see a slight reduction in the total number of Town and Parish Councils in the borough, depending on the specific combinations of options chosen.

An eight-week public consultation into those draft proposals opened today (Monday 19 May) and runs until Monday 14 July for residents, Town and Parish Council and other local stakeholders to comment on the proposals.

During the consultation period, Telford & Wrekin Council will be holding several public information sessions, where people can drop-in to find out more about the draft proposals and have their say. These sessions will be held on:

• Wednesday 28 May, 9am to 11am at Southwater Library, Telford Town Centre
• Friday 13 June, 10am to 12pm at Newport Library
• Friday 13 June, 2pm to 4pm at Wellington Library
• Tuesday 1 July, 11am to 1pm at Madeley Library
• Tuesday 1 July 2pm to 4pm at Brookside Community Centre

Councillor Giles Luter, Chair of Telford & Wrekin Council’s Boundary Review Committee, said:

“Telford & Wrekin Council has held an open consultation to find out what people think of the current Town and Parish Council arrangements in the borough, and that feedback has been used to draw up a series of draft proposals and options for people to consider.

“We’ve listened to what’s been said and taken into account the comments made, particularly around the importance of community identity and cohesion, but also accepting that some areas have changed considerably since local Town and Parish Councils were established in the borough.

“These draft proposals are now open for feedback until 14 July. We’ll be approaching all Town and Parish Councils directly but want to hear what people living in these areas think too.”

Full details of the draft proposals are available online and printed copies are also available on request.

Comments and feedback can be given online , by email to reviews@telford.gov.uk or by post to: Community Governance Review, Electoral Services, Darby House, Telford & Wrekin Council, Lawn Central, Telford TF3 4JA

The Community Governance Review consultation closes on Monday 14 July and the outcome of any changes will then come into effect at the next local election in May 2027.