Writing in this week's (May 2nd) Bromsgrove Standard, Bradley said:
“Traffic congestion and delays blight our everyday lives and hampers our economy.
I get your frustrations, and even anger, with Bromsgrove’s traffic problems because I get stuck in the gridlock too.
Whilst as an MP I have no direct powers over the County Council, they must investigate improved delivery of this scheme and how it can be achieved in a way that mitigates disruption to vehicles and pedestrians, whilst maintaining an emphasis on pedestrian safety.
Ever since I was first elected last July, I have been holding Worcestershire County Council to account over their A38 BREP scheme.
This project was agreed to before I was first elected, and I therefore was not able to provide input before spades were put in the ground.
Whilst I welcome investment in our highways infrastructure, it’s critical that this delivers both a tangible improvement in keeping Bromsgrove moving, and in reducing the congestion and gridlock that blights the lives of residents and businesses.
It’s my job as your MP to hold the County Council to account and to ensure the project delivers the promises that were made.
One of the first meetings I held was between the Revise BREP Group and the County Council’s Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Highways and Transport.
However, like you, in recent weeks and months I have grown increasingly frustrated at the disruption this work is causing.
I’ve therefore written to the County Council with six key points that I want answers to.
- The apparent lack of progress of the works in recent months.
- The seemingly little planned increase in vehicle flow and a reduction of congestion once the works are completed.
- A lack of suitable visual plans of the final outcome available on the project website to allay the concerns in point two.
- Equipment sitting dormant through a full working day.
- Concerns around pedestrian safety whilst works are taking place, including the lack of crossing points across the A38 whilst works are taking place.
- Concerns around the prolonged road closure of Stoke Road, and whether this can be a staged closure to better manage traffic flow/access.
I’m pragmatic and I want to find workable solutions to the problems we face. I’m not about making empty promises that can’t be kept.
However, if this project doesn’t lead to tangible improvements in keeping Bromsgrove moving and in reducing the congestion after all the money that has been spent and after all the frustration it has caused, then we will all be asking the same question: what was the point?
I’ll be sharing the response I receive from the County Council on my social media channels and on my website, so please do look out for that.”
