Call for new relief road study

The Lib Dem Group on Bromsgrove District Council is demanding a new route is found for a potential relief road, now that developers are building housing on land off Perryfields Road.

A feasibility assessment was completed in 2015 by JMP consultants which detailed a western relief road passing through land off Perryfields Road. This area is now being developed into housing making the study out of date, but no viable alternative options have been produced. Lib Dem councillors are appealing to Bromsgrove District Council to produce a business case to undertake a new study so that the possibility of a relief road remains on the table. A motion on the subject is due to be debated at the next full council meeting on Wednesday 22 February.

Councillor Rob Hunter, who leads the Lib Dem Group and submitted the motion said: "There is no longer a viable plan for a relief road but the need for one is stronger than ever. Anyone who has driven around Bromsgrove at peak times knows this. Yes we need to be encouraging people towards active travel, and the design for a modern relief road would absolutely reflect that, but we cannot ignore what is staring us in the face any longer. Traffic will only continue to grow, and we need a serious answer to the problem. It's not just about the inconvenience it's about the environmental and economic costs of congestion too."

Lib Dem Councillor Josh Robinson who represents Bromsgrove Central Division at Worcestershire County Council said: "Highways are a county responsibility, but I welcome this action from the Lib Dem Group here in Bromsgrove. Infrastructure planning relies on a partnership between the local authorities, and it is on issues like this that smaller district councils, which are closer to their communities, can really add value. I hope the other groups will back this sensible and long overdue proposal."