Former Mayor Delivers Damning Verdict on Stourbridge's 35-Year Investment Drought
A former mayor of Dudley has launched a blistering attack on regeneration efforts in the West Midlands, claiming that Stourbridge has been effectively deserted for years due to chronic underinvestment from the local authority.
Scrutiny Committee Confrontation Reveals Deep-Seated Frustrations
Former mayor Councillor Ian Kettle, who represents the Pedmore and Stourbridge East ward, delivered a damning assessment of Stourbridge town centre regeneration during a meeting of Dudley's Communities and Growth Scrutiny Committee on February 9. The debate centred around a hyper-local policy document for town centre regeneration, which prompted the councillor's explosive intervention.
Cllr Kettle stated emphatically: "In the 35 years I have been a councillor I cannot recall any major investment from the authority in Stourbridge. It appears the only visible council presence in the town centre involves street cleaning, litter picking, and the removal of beggars."
Perception of Deliberate Neglect and Dereliction
The outspoken councillor, who previously served as the council's cabinet member for regeneration, expressed profound concern about how residents perceive the situation. He continued: "If you want to understand how badly Stourbridge feels about regeneration, the perception locally is that the only outcome Dudley wants for Stourbridge is its continued dereliction. The town has been left deserted for years, and that is the overwhelming sentiment among people on the streets."
Cllr Kettle further warned: "We cannot hide from this reality any longer. The perception on the streets is one of abandonment and decay. If we fail to take meaningful action, the consequences could be severe and unpredictable."
Criticism Extends to Regional Investment Priorities
The former mayor also directed criticism toward the West Midlands Combined Authority, accusing the regional body of prioritising substantial investment in city centres while allowing towns like Stourbridge to suffer from neglect. This critique highlights broader concerns about equitable distribution of regeneration funding across different types of urban areas within the region.
Council Response and Proposed Strategic Shift
In response to these concerns, a report signed by Anne Boyd, Dudley's director of economy and infrastructure, outlined the council's evolving approach. The document proposes increasing focus through a place-based strategy that would involve basing council officers directly within town centres and enhancing engagement with ward councillors.
Councillor Simon Phipps, Dudley's cabinet member for economy and infrastructure, explained the rationale behind this strategic shift: "The fundamental reason for adopting a more place-based strategy, focusing specifically on town centres and stationing personnel within those communities, is to achieve a fairer and more equitable settlement for all parts of the borough."
He acknowledged that past priorities had necessitated large-scale infrastructure investment in areas like Dudley and Brierley Hill, but emphasised the council's current commitment to securing investment across all borough communities.
This confrontation at the scrutiny committee meeting has brought long-simmering frustrations about regional investment disparities into sharp focus, raising significant questions about how regeneration priorities are determined and implemented across different communities in the West Midlands.
