The leader of Dudley Council has called for the resignation of senior Combined Authority chiefs and has declared a lack of confidence in the new West Midlands Mayor over a halt to travel plans in the borough.

Cllr Patrick Harley has demanded the Chief Executive of the Combined Authority, Laura Shoaf and the Executive Director of Transport, Anne Shaw step down and there is an end to any contractual arrangements with Midland Metro Alliance.

The statement follows news yesterday that newly elected Mayor, Richard Parker has announced an in depth review of all transport projects in the region which could see delays to the completion of Dudley Interchange and further delays to the Metro line between Merry Hill and Brierley Hill.

Cllr Harley said: “There has been a complete failure to deliver the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension. These people from the combined authority, Travel for West Midlands and Metro Alliance have failed to keep the most important strategic transport project within budget or schedule.

“Their excuses are now wearing thin; they don’t explain how the cost has risen from £35 million to £59 million to extend the metro to Merry Hill and don’t explain or provide the details behind the increased cost of extending the metro from Merry Hill to Brierley Hill High Street.

“The increased costs to the High Street are £10m in just 9 months. It is their incompetence and ineptness at delivering major transport schemes that has caused the dither and delay.”

Cllr Harley has also questioned why the Metro will not be operational to Dudley until at least the Autumn of 2025. He added: “Yet more delay and no explanation.

“People who use the town centre day after day just cannot understand why other cities and countries can build entire railways and this lot of over paid paper clip counters cannot deliver a metro link of several miles in the time frame they have had.

“It is an absolute shambles and they should ​do the decent thing and fall on their own swords. Dudley has been failed by this over-paid and failed alliance of WMCA, Travel for West Midlands and Metro Alliance,”

Cllr Harley also was scathing of the new elected Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker. He said:

“I really thought Richard’s approach was going to bring dividends for the West Midlands, A new Mayor, a new government - yet we have him retreating from almost day one onto his bunker and cowering in front of the WMCA officers and others who have a long record of failing to deliver for the region.

“Until his officer’s explain why the funding Andy Street secured has been squandered then I have to say I have no confidence in his ability to deliver what the Black Country needs. Travel for West Midlands and the WMCA were receiving under Andy Street five times the funding they had 5 years ago for public transport.

“They have the cash and should spend it on the transport schemes already agreed. I really do think they will absolutely squander this additional funding on more waste and lack of efficiency”.

Finally, Cllr Harley said: “If we do not have the connectivity this project delivers then I must question why we are a member of the WMCA.

“The Wednesbury to Brierley Hill metro provides the connectivity the town has needed for over 40 years. The WMCA should be providing jobs, strategic transport schemes and housing on brown field sites.

“The failure to extend to the Brierley Hill High Street will cost us years of regeneration schemes, hundred if not thousands of jobs and will also mean almost 4,000 new homes being lost.

“The new Mayor needs to get a grip and stop unelected officers of the WMCA and Travel for West Midlands from stopping this region’s growth and connectivity and insist they do what they are paid to do which is delivering for the region.”