Telford and Wrekin

Telford and Wrekin is a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Shropshire, England with borough status. The district was created in 1974 as The Wrekin, then a non-metropolitan district of Shropshire. In 1998 the district became a unitary authority and was renamed Telford and Wrekin. It remains part of the Shropshire ceremonial county and shares institutions such as the Fire and Rescue Service and Community Health with the rest of Shropshire.
The borough's major settlement is Telford, a new town designated in the 1960s incorporating the existing towns of Dawley, Ironbridge, Ketley, Madeley, Oakengates and Wellington. After the Telford conurbation, which includes the aforementioned towns, the next-largest settlement is Newport, a market town separate to the Telford built-up area, located in the northeast of the borough.
The borough borders Staffordshire, but is mostly surrounded by the non-metropolitan county of Shropshire, whose unitary authority is Shropshire Council. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region (code UKG21) and is one of four authority areas that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region.
History.
Before the creation of The Wrekin district, Telford was a new town run by the Telford Development Corporation (TDC) from the 1960s to the changes in 1974. The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, and covered Dawley, Newport, Oakengates and Wellington urban districts, Wellington Rural District and part of Shifnal parish in the Shifnal Rural District.
On 1 April 1998, as a result of the Local Government Commission for England's review, the district became a unitary authority, independent from Shropshire County Council.
All of the council houses previously owned by Wrekin District Council and the subsequent Telford and Wrekin Council were transferred to a newly created housing association, the Wrekin Housing Trust, in 1999 which now owns the majority of social housing in Telford.
Telford and Wrekin applied unsuccessfully for city status in 2000. The district was granted borough status in 2002.
Towns, villages and other settlements.
Settlements in Telford and Wrekin -
Divisions.
Parishes.
The borough is divided into 29 civil parishes.
Wards.
For the borough council itself there is a system of 30 wards to elect councillors.
Election history.
Borough elections are held every 4 years.
Governance.
Telford and Wrekin operates a cabinet-style council. It has 54 elected councillors who appoint the seven cabinet members, including the leader, each year. The cabinet members make decisions as a whole and meet every two weeks.
Telford and Wrekin is currently a Labour controlled council.
Policing.
Telford and Wrekin is part of the West Mercia Police police area. The force is based in Worcester (outside Shropshire) and the borough's area is a Territorial Policing Unit in the force's organisation.
Economy.
This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Telford and Wrekin at current basic prices published (pp. 240–253) by "Office for National Statistics" with figures in millions of British pounds sterling.