Leading councillors, Telford MP David Wright and Marches Local Enterprise Partnership chairman Graham Wynn today hosted Mr Pickles’ tour of the £250m Southwater development.
Mr Pickles’ visit followed a direct invitation made to him earlier this year in the House of Commons by Telford MP David Wright.
Telford & Wrekin Council used the opportunity to highlight how it is attracting inward investment, creating jobs, building new homes and supporting existing businesses to expand.
Telford & Wrekin Council is asking Mr Pickles for a percentage of the Homes and Communities Agency’s capital receipts for land it sells and also for a greater retention of business rates via the Local Enterprise Partnership.
The council would use this funding to further invest in encouraging businesses to come to Telford and in maintaining the borough’s infrastructure to ensure it continues to be an attract place to invest.
Telford & Wrekin Council leader Councillor Kuldip Sahota said: ““Our pitch to the Secretary of State today was simple – this is about jobs, jobs and jobs.
“We are being urged to find new solutions to the financial challenges we face and we are doing something about this. Our focus on growth is part of a radical solution that will help both the borough and the Government by generating extra income for both.
“We demonstrated to the Secretary of State that we are a forward-thinking authority that is not dwelling on the need for cuts but instead we are concentrating on stimulating investment, growth and creating jobs.
“The perfect way to illustrate all that was to take Mr Pickles around the £250m Southwater development, which is transforming the skyline of the town centre and will create a new night time economy in the centre.”
Mr Pickles toured the Southwater development with leading councillors and heard about how the Council is working closely with the private sector to deliver growth.
Southwater is scheduled to open to the public in spring 2014 and will include an 11 screen IMAX Cineworld, a hotel, restaurants and bars. There will also be a new multi storey car park, library and the Southwater One community building.
As part of its drive to focus on growth, the Council also plans to set up the Telford Growth Fund – dedicated to improving housing and the fabric and infrastructure of business parks and roads to make the borough a more attractive place for investors.
It also aims to create a new community budget to pool training and employment opportunities for people in the borough. This would guarantee training or employment opportunities for young people in the borough through a partnership Youth Unemployment Agency.
Graham Wynn OBE, chairman of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “I was delighted to jointly host Mr Pickles in Telford following his visit last year to both Shropshire and Herefordshire.
“There are tremendous opportunities for growth across the Marches region and Telford & Wrekin Council has put an emphasis on creating the right environment to make Telford the place where businesses can invest and flourish.
“The council was keen to demonstrate to Mr Pickles how a number of options including the creation of a growth fund and incentives such as business rate discounts can help underline Telford’s position as the fastest growing town in the Midlands and a competitive location for businesses.”
Telford MP David Wright said: “We are making a clear statement about where we are going and what we want to achieve.
“This is a win win for the Government – it’s about an area grasping the nettle to stimulate growth and jobs, which will in turn will generate much needed extra income for the Treasury.”