Inside the £80m project transforming Telford

The land between Telford's railway station and busy town centre is in the closing stages of a massive transformation.

Old office blocks have been either repurposed or knocked down, and acres of derelict land are being turned into a modern housing estate, with an adjoining apartment block and hotel.

Once phase one of Station Quarter is completed next year, the £80m development will have created a new town centre community, as well as improved a key gateway into one of England's fastest growing towns.

"The pace of progress has been phenomenal," said councillor Paul Davis, who's in charge of stronger communities and local pride on Labour-run Telford and Wrekin Council.

"There's nothing else like it in Telford, and I think there are some real positives here at Station Quarter that could be applied elsewhere in the borough."

I met Davis outside The Quad building last week, which is at the heart of the development.

The five-storey building is the town's dedicated digital skills, education and enterprise hub and was one of the first buildings to be completed.

Harper Adams University is one of its key tenants and uses space on the second floor to teach robotics, automation and data science.

Telford College also occupies some of the building, as well as the office block next door, which has been through a £9m regeneration and is now a sixth form college and used by hundreds of students.

The third completed building is Denmark House – an apartment block with 84 one and two-bedroom apartments.

The building is owned by the council's private lettings company, Nuplace.

I asked Davis if £850 per calendar month for a one-bed apartment was expensive for Telford, and he defended the cost, claiming "they've been priced competitively for the market in the area".

He said he expected Demark House to appeal to commuters who worked outside the town.

Two projects in Station Quarter remain under construction as part of phase one of the plan, including a six-storey Hampton by Hilton hotel, which is expected to be open by February.

Despite not having a fully fitted restaurant or foyer, and construction work ongoing outside the building, most of the 142 bedrooms were already fully kitted out with furniture, fixtures and even mattresses.

Construction workers are also in the final stages of building 33 eco townhouses. All properties will be fully electric with no gas, and due to their proximity to both rail and bus stations, free parking spaces will be limited to one per property.

The council hopes to have tenants moved in by the end of 2027.

Phase one of the £80m Station Quarter project has been funded by Telford and Wrekin Council, government grants and the West Midlands Combined Authority, as well as match-funding from the private sector.

Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.