BREP is becoming the HS2 of Worcestershire

Lib Dem County Councillors hit out at the inaction of the previous Reform administration for failing to do the day job after BREP delays.

Back in January when Reform controlled Worcestershire County Council they promised residents of Bromsgrove that BREP would be finished by the end of the year and would be on budget.

But only days later the council were being told of potential delays to the scheme and the cost implications this could have.

Cllr Josh Robinson commented, “Once the Green, Lib Dem, Independent administration took charge in May we were determined to get into the detail of everything that was going on within the council to avoid repeating the Reform 9% council tax hike. What we have found out by asking the questions and doing the work has dismayed us.”

Worcestershire County Council received a formal request for an extension in April whilst Reform were in charge, but they failed to communicate this with residents.

Cllr Sam Evans added, “This is totally unacceptable, residents will be rightly fuming with this news today.  Reform failed to get a grip of this project, and wasted months on an unwanted and unnecessary project on Regents Park Road. Many of the problems with BREP do all come back to the Conservatives who pushed this project forward and failed to put in the correct plans in the first place. I am calling on the main scrutiny board of Worcestershire County Council to investigate what has happened.”

The Lib Dems have held crunch meetings with officers and expressed their dismay at the further delay and misery for residents.

Josh said, “With further delay and the cost implications to this, this is becoming like the HS2 of Worcestershire. Residents in Bromsgrove have been ignored for too long, politicians have said far too often one thing and done another, the County Council, the Conservatives and Reform councillors should be apologising for getting us here but I won’t hold my breath.”