Letter: Job creation must be a priority

It was not without a little pleasure that I read the report by the 60 members of the co-operative council that said Telford's primary need is to create jobs and encourage businesses to base themselves here.

I have advocated this idea in your columns for years to little effect.

I had thought that the previous Conservative administration was beginning to come on board with my ideas but, sadly for Telford, an embittered Labour administration was returned last year.

The first thing they did was to stop the new civic centre development, giving out the message to any entrepreneur thinking of coming to Telford to look elsewhere if they want co-operation.

Falling out with major investors Hark Apollo and duplicating their plans for the town centre in the revised Southwater development will, in my opinion, be a disaster.

And while we are on the subject I think the pictures of the new proposals look like a new Alcatraz.

If the council wants to build a prison why not take up my suggestion and build it on the redundant sugar factory site. It would create more than a thousand jobs and provide prosperity for local suppliers of goods and services.

Keep up the good work co-operative members – if you can get this inexperienced council to understand the importance of what you are saying and take on board the ideas.

Adrian Williams

Bratton