Dudley’s Labour opposition have described the report to cabinet regarding the former Hippodrome site as ‘veiled in secrecy’

The accusation comes as council officers were unable to respond to questions posed by Cllr Kurshid Ahmed at a recent Cabinet meeting, about the progress being made by the Dudley Driverless Vehicle Consortium to come up with a Town investment plan that will enable it to bid for a portion of the £3.6 billion Towns Fund.

The Fund would be used to build the Hub on the site of the current Hippodrome Building and land adjacent to it. The report, presented to Cabinet, invited Cabinet members to respond to a request by the Consortium for an extension to the current agreed period to develop proposals but gave no details of the progress the Consortium has made so far.

Labour Leader Qadar Zada, who, to applause from Hippodrome supporters present said:

‘’I am concerned that the Consortium’s request will be agreed with absolutely no evidence of any progress with its plans. This is not fair to the Hippodrome supporters who object to plans for the site’.

"When we were considering granting extensions to the Hippodrome group to enable them time to secure funding, I remember that officers gave us lengthy reports at committees on their lack of progress in securing funding which is in stark contrast to the 2 page report before us tonight. It’s not transparent and we should be asking the Consortium some serious questions.

"I want Dudley to be leading the Regeneration agenda and I regret that what I am seeing is a helpless and inadequate council at the mercy of developers, this is as true of the Hippodrome site as it is of Cavendish House which still stands tall and ugly on the entrance to Dudley."