A scheme that will see 60 homes built at Ellesmere wharf has been awarded more than £500,000.

Shropshire Council requested £544,507 from the £45 million Land Release Fund and was awarded the full amount.

The funding will be used for ground investigation work, flood risk assessment, initial design, and remediation works to what was a previously contaminated area. The funding will enable the council to unlock this development, which has been part of the plan for housing development in Ellesmere for several years.

Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s deputy leader and Cabinet member for corporate support, said: “This is brilliant news for Shropshire Council and for Ellesmere. I’m delighted that the council has received another funding award as part of the One Public Estate programme, which is recognition of the work that we are doing in the county. Through the programme we work closely with other public sector partners to look at land and property that we own and see how we can develop it for the benefit of our local communities.”

The Land Release Fund is used to help councils that want to build housing on surplus land that may not be developed on in the future.

Ann Hartley, Shropshire Councillor for Ellesmere Urban division, said: “This is such positive news for Ellesmere and Shropshire Council. It will help to meet the demand for much-needed one and two-bed apartments in the town, and is another step forward in the development of the brown field area around the wharf head – which will hopefully kickstart further action in the area.”