Telford

[Telfordboy]

I think that they think that making her bigger will make her more attractive to investors etc and because of that there will be more opportunities to regenerate the town.
I have to admit I'm in favour of making Telford bigger, at least a quarter of a million people but they should definately keep as much of the green stuff as possible.

And remember if the houses didn't go in Telford, they would be scatered across the rest of Shropshire and I think that would be far more damaging to the environment.

I quite liked the pictures too, no tower blocks though unfortunately.

[Butterfield]

True, but I can't help but think there's already enough metropolis(plural) in this country and a lot of those need regeneration. Of course you'll be in favour of the expansion of Telford, after all we're on an urban forum (sometimes I wonder why I'm here )

[Telfordboy]

Look at this
http://www.shropshirestar.co.uk/2007...370m-building/
Its the Hadley learning community, Its far more impressive than the school that I went to.

[Butterfield]

Woah/yikes!! It looks like it will launch into space or something!

[Erebus555]

That's impressive, very impressive.

[Biosonic]

Pretty stunning

[Telfordboy]

I know, its ace. Once when it was under construction i was on a train (the railway goes right past) and there was this old couple (probably middle aged actually) talking about how great it looked they thought it were gonna be a shopping centre , they couldn't believe it was a school and they were still talking about it when i got off at Telford Central.
I seem to remember reading that all of the schools in Telford & Wrekin are going to be rebuilt I hope most of them are as interesting as this one.

[Erebus555]

Same for Birmingham schools. Well, most are going to have a lot of work done to them. As a matter of fact, I have the magazine outlining the plans for the schools someone on my desk here. I'll need to excavate it out some time!

[Telfordboy]

Yeah, I remember reading about Brums schools, I bet you get some pretty special ones

[Biosonic]

There are 90 secondary schools being done in Brum, about half are complete re-builds

[Telfordboy]

Whoa, thats a lot of schools its gonna cost loads. Its good though almost all the schools in the country look pretty similar IMO with thse wooden panels under the windows it'll be nice to have some variety.

[Erebus555]

Originally Posted by Telfordboy

Whoa, thats a lot of schools its gonna cost loads. Its good though almost all the schools in the country look pretty similar IMO with thse wooden panels under the windows it'll be nice to have some variety.

The council are investing £1 billion over the next 15 years to refurbish or rebuild all Birmingham secondary schools.

[Telfordboy]

Could someone do me a favou and look at page 57 of this report, http://www.ticuk.com/Downloads/downl...l%20Report.pdf
I may be blinded by optimism but does it make a tiny reference to a proposed metro for Telford.
Its from 04 so it was back in the days when everyone was proposing them but if its been looked at once, well one can hope I guess.

[Erebus555]

It certainly mentions a metro system! That could only be good news for Telford!

[Gherkin]

Has Telford got room for a metro?

[Telfordboy]

We've got room for everything thats the problem. In all honesty I don't think we're built up enough to sustain one, we're too low density.
It would be so ace though.

[Telfordboy]

KGB” block set for revamp
Developers look likely to be granted planning permission second time round for a £20 million Telford apartment block which had been likened to a “KGB headquarters” when the proposal was first unveiled last summer.

Architects have gone back to the drawing board to lessen the impact of the scheme for a site next to the M54 at Shifnal Road, Priorslee.

And Telford & Wrekin borough planning officers are recommending approval - as long as developers stump up more than £200,000 towards educational, recreation and road improvements, and provide 22 shared ownership homes.

The proposal was first unveiled last summer by Clutton Homes Ltd. The flagship building is envisaged to be a huge apartment block, eight storeys high and designed by WS Atkins, which created the seven-star Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai.

Many of the flats would have balconies and some would have roof terraces and conservatories. There would also be 185 basement car parking spaces.

The developers claimed the scheme would transform the skyline, creating an “iconic gateway to Telford”.

But the design did not go down well with Telford & Wrekin Council’s plans board last month.

Members rejected the application after claiming the block would be too intrusive and expressing concerns about the distance people would have to walk from the site to the nearest bus stop.

Critics included Councillor Kuldip Singh Sahota who said the proposed design looked “like a KGB headquarters”.

A second application has now been made by Clutton Homes, taking on board councillors’ comments. And it is being recommended for approval when it is discussed by plans board on April 25.

Planning officers say in a report to the meeting: “The revised application now proposes a beige sandstone type render on both sides of the building to reflect the colour of local stone and provide a more cohesive building.

“In addition, a bus stop is now proposed immediately adjacent to the site on Shifnal Road to promote the use of public transport.”

They add: “This would be a landmark building of distinction and quality that would appear imposing and dominant to drivers on the M54, yet at the same time appears intimate and human in scale on the Shifnal Road side.”

[Telfordboy]

Sorry about the poor quaility, some of them feature a good bit of urban sprawl though .

[Butterfield]

Thanks for your photos Telfordboy! It's mighty busy on the path up to the top of the Wrekin by the looks of it.

I can see a tower block in some of the photos - do you know which one that it? Reynolds House?

And is that a quarry on one of the pictures?

I've only been up the Wrekin once before, and that was just in the car. I really should get out and walk next time!

[Telfordboy]

Both of them, they look very similar. The one nearest the top and furthest away is Reynolds and the other two are Manor Heights.

There were loads of people up there that day, it was Easter Monday its a bit of a family tradition to climb the Wrekin at Easter.

I think that bit was quarried to build the M54 and hasn't recovered yet, there are plans for an Opencast Coal Mine near the foot of the Wrekin at the moment as well