Reform-led Council’s Unwanted Christmas Present
The Reform UK administration running Worcestershire County Council has come under fire for an unwanted Christmas present for Oakalls and Parklands residents.
Roadworks on Regents Park Road faced fierce opposition from both local Councillor Sam Evans and local residents, yet despite this the County Council led by Reform UK decided to go ahead with the works in July.
The works are part of the A38 Bromsgrove Route Enhancement Programme (BREP) roadworks which have caused significant delays and traffic chaos for over a year.
Whilst the works to Regents Park Road were originally planned to take place for three months, it has been revealed that completion is now delayed until the end of the year leaving local residents with the unwanted Christmas gift of yet more traffic chaos and difficulty accessing the over 900 homes on the Oakalls and Parklands.
Bromsgrove’s Liberal Democrat Councillors have been opposing the BREP project from its inception.
Sam Evans, the Liberal Democrat Councillor representing the Oakalls and Parklands commented:
“Plans to remove both trees and the parking bay in exchange for a small cycle path at the end of Regents Park Road with the A38 are unnecessary and will result in little if any benefit for residents. Despite this, Worcestershire County Council ploughed full steam ahead with the Regents Park Road works resulting in traffic chaos and significant delays to journeys.”
“To make matters worse, we have been given the unwanted Christmas present of Regents Park Road’s works lasting way beyond the initial three-month time frame, now set to complete at the end of the year.”
The Regents Park Road works have long been facing opposition. On 23rd May, Bromsgrove’s Liberal Democrat County Councillors wrote to the new Reform administration at Worcestershire County Council requesting that the Regents Park Road works be halted with a full and proper review of the whole of BREP carried out.
Three days later, Reform UK posted on social media pledging to "pause and review all incomplete works, including Regents Park Road", and "cancel unnecessary schemes that add cost and disruption without clear benefit."
Despite this, the Reform-led Council continued full steam ahead with BREP and started the Regents Park Road works.
Bromsgrove’s Liberal Democrats continue to stand up for residents and hold the administration to account for the BREP project.