£100,000 revamp to include landmark Thomas Telford statue

The money will be used to clean up Telford Square, known locally as The Courts, including improvements to the bronze and iron statue of Thomas Telford.

Water features in the area will be brought back to life, the sculpture will be cleaned, benches and bins will be refurbished and street lighting will be improved.

There will also be general landscaping including weeding and repairs to the pavement.

The work is expected to start later this month and will last for about eight weeks.

Councillor Richard Overton, Telford & Wrekin Council cabinet lead for conservation and heritage, said: “The sculpture is Telford – wherever you see Telford mentioned, you are likely to see the sculpture of Thomas Telford.

"Sadly though, the area around the sculpture is looking a little tired and neglected. We have been talking to the various stakeholders to see if they can chip in with the costs to fund the work that needs doing. We are still in talks with them, but have set aside funding to make a start.

“This is such a great community space with fantastic features that mean a lot to us all. I for one am really happy to see this work being started as part of the Telford 50 celebrations, it will be a fitting birthday gift to the town.”

The work is being done both to mark Telford's 50th anniversary and the 30th anniversary of the 3m high and 8m wide sculpture.

It comes following a public consultation on the anniversary, where almost 1,400 people had their say on what should be done for the celebrations.

Many said they wanted to see Telford Square spruced up as the area was looking tired and the statue a little weather-worn.

The council said part of the issue had been that it has a number of different landowners.

The work on Telford Square is being funded from the council’s £2m Telford 50 Legacy Fund which is supporting a range of schemes across the borough.

The legacy fund supports a mix of physical schemes as well as other projects that help tackle key social issues in the borough and reduce demand on Council services. For more information about Telford 50 visit telford50.co.uk