Council confirms controversial sale of Telford cemetery lodge building at centre of huge row
A parish council has confirmed that the sale has been agreed for a much-loved Telford building that was at the centre of a huge row.
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Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council put Cemetery Lodge on the market last year amid a huge row with angry residents over a ‘lack of consultation’.
In a statement on Facebook Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council has now confirmed that a sale has been agreed. It had been on the market with the Telford office of county estate agency DB Roberts.
A spokesperson for the parish council said: “Sale agreed on cemetery lodge.
"Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council are pleased to confirm that a sale has now been agreed on the Cemetery Lodge, on Hadley Park Road.
“The process is currently underway to complete all of the legal and contractual requirements for the sale, but we wanted to ensure that the public is kept informed. As soon as the sale is completed, the council will issue a formal announcement.”
A petition has been launched on the Change.org website in opposition to the move and has been signed by more than 1,100 people.
The building sits at the front of Hadley Cemetery in Telford which the council runs. The parish council said the move would raise hundreds of thousands of pounds, which it intends to spend on community improvements. It intends to consult with the public over what the money is to be spent on.
In the statement the council said that the building’s maintenance had been neglected over the long-term, meaning the ‘new administration’ was required to carry out repairs when it took over in 2019.
The issue of the sale has been raised at a number of meetings of the parish council, including on July 23, 2024, when the minutes record a series of questions and answers between members of the public and councillors.
The minutes read: “A member of the public noted the sale of the lodge was discussed in private, can the council confirm any further sale of assets will be discussed in public?”
Council leader Eileen Callear (Labour) was recorded as stating that “the council are not intending to sell further assets at this time, however consulting is not always possible".
“Councils make decisions and whenever possible will consult, however councillors are elected to make decisions and that is how all councils work.”
The minutes also recorded that a member of the public asked why the revenue from the sale of the lodge was been included in this year’s budget, and what the money was to be used for.
“The clerk responded that the budget can only be drawn up with existing funds, it would be irresponsible to draw up a budget with funding we do not have, and it may take some time to sell the lodge, therefore that money is not yet available for spending.
“Councillor Callear replied there are projects in all wards that the council would like to complete, and the Castle Farm Community Centre needs a lot of work done to improve and maintain it.
“The council are applying for grants for much of this.”
Another member of the public asked why the council did not consult on the sale of the lodge.
Councillor Callear replied that the discussion on the lodge was connected to an employment issue which is "confidential".
“The cemetery manager role is no longer in place, which means the council can make a considerable saving.
“If this matter comes to council again in public session, consultation still may not be possible.”
