Frustration at Midlands Metro ‘debacle’

A leading Dudley councillor says he is frustrated with delays to Midlands Metro construction after hearing the project called ‘a debacle’.

Cllr Simon Phipps, Dudley cabinet member for infrastructure, was speaking at October’s meeting of full council where he faced complaints from a senior fellow Conservative.

Former mayor and cabinet member, Cllr Ian Kettle, told councillors congestion was an ‘enormous problem’ in the borough and completion of the Metro would be part of the solution.

Cllr Kettle said: “Having spent nearly £500m on creating a scheme to come into Brierley Hill we find the levels in Level Street were not right and also promised we would see them using the scheme in late summer.

“The Metro seems to be one debacle after another, when are we going to see the Metro running properly?”

Cllr Pete Lowe, from The Black Country Party, used his opportunity to ask cabinet members a question to also call for answers about when the Metro would be running to ‘bring a boost’ to Dudley’s economy.

Cllr Phipps said: “I completely agree that we should be frustrated by the delays we have seen from the Midlands Metro Alliance and combined authority project.

“It has not only added to congestion but raised no end of disruption for people visiting Dudley town centre, people working and businesses running in the town too.

“We should hold them to account and we have been doing so strenuously.”

Cllr Phipps told councillors he expected construction to be complete by the end of the year and, after a period of testing and driver training, passengers should be able to use the link from Wednesbury to Merry Hill in the Spring.

Road users will face congestion around Burnt Tree island from November 10 when a nine month program of roadworks gets under way.

A Transport for West Midlands spokesperson said: “This project is part of a larger scheme to improve bus journey times and help those walking and cycling around the main roads in the area.”

“There will be new crossing points which will improve safety and encourage better connection to existing and upcoming paths and cycleways on the A4123 and A461 as well as to Merry Hill in the future.”