Driverless vehicle group given more time for Dudley Hippodrome plans
A driverless vehicle group has been handed more time to work on its plans to redevelop Dudley Hippodrome for a testing site.
A fresh extension has been handed to Dudley Driverless Vehicles Consortium over its proposals to transform the Castle Hill site.
Dudley Council's cabinet has agreed to give more to time to develop plans for a driverless vehicles hub at a meeting on Monday.
The consortium includes Dudley College, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley Canal and Tunnels Trust, Dudley Zoo and Castle, captial projects software management company Aurigo, the University of Warwick and Westfield Technology Group.
Under the proposals, the site would become a “key national centre” for the development of the "ground-breaking new technology".
It could also see Dudley Zoo, the Black Country Living Museum and Dudley Canal Trust linked together using driverless transport.
Dudley Council's cabinet agreed to extend the time in which the consortium can develop its plans until September 2020.
In the past few years campaigners tried to save the hippodrome, which has stood empty since 2009, and keep it as an entertainment venue.
Opposition leader, Councillor Qadar Zada, speaking at the meeting, hit out Dudley Council for showing “favouritism” towards the £9 million scheme.
It has emerged council bosses are yet to see any plans by the consortium - which was given the nod to develop a bid in December 2018.
It comes after previous plans to restore the hippodrome as a theatre were thrown out by Dudley Council much to the frustration of campaigners.
Councillor Zada, the Dudley Labour Group leader, told the cabinet meeting: “I feel this report is shrouded in a veil of secrecy which I would like us to unravel.
“For an extension to be granted without any understanding of whether they have done anything, I think, is treating one group more favourably than the other.
“My conscience here is a little troubled with that. I hope you will provide me with the details of what has been happening.
“I hope it doesn’t give me the impression that the council is helpless and inadequate in waiting for something to happen, and then it doesn’t happen.
“Because then, when you sit there waiting for jam tomorrow, and the jam doesn’t come, you end up having dried toast and it doesn’t taste the same.”
Patrick Harley, the leader of the Conservative-led council, admitted that more clarification needs to be made, responding: “This is a level playing field.
"I do want a report showing what progress the consortium have made to date.
“If, within a few months, progress is not sufficient, then we will revisit this. In plain terms, get your finger out [the consortium] and really deliver.”
It was the Conservative-led administration which threw out plans to restore the Dudley Hippodrome as a theatre.
The move marked a U-turn by Dudley Council which, under the Labour group, had granted campaigners the keys to the Hippodrome in 2016.
Campaigners were given a deadline to come up with a bid to restore the landmark building as a theatre.
But they hit difficulties, including with finances, and after being granted several extensions, the council decided to step in and throw out the plans.
The Labour Group, then back in charge of the council which has see-sawed between the parties, pressed ahead with the driverless vehicle plans in November 2018.
In November 2018, the council favoured proposals by a consortium to develop plans for a driverless vehicles hub at the Castle Hill site, which could feature vehicle tracks and a manufacturing centre.
It also emerged, at the cabinet meeting, that Dudley Council pays £30,000 a year to insure and maintain the hippodrome building.
The Hippodrome has been vacant since 2009 after it closed as a Gala Bingo hall - meaning the council has spent £300,000 over 10 years on the upkeep of an empty building, which has fallen into disrepair.
Labour councillor Khurshid Ahmed, who is shadow cabinet member for planning, said: “These extensions (allowing the consortium more time to work on proposals) is obviously costing the tax-payer money and we need to make sure that we are not wasting the public money.”
Conservative councillor Shaun Keasey added: “At some point this site needs to have a full stop.
“I think the driverless vehicles consortium need to be encouraged to finalise their plans so that there is a date.
“Once that date is reached then that is it. It is a gateway to Dudley and at some point, we have got to say that is it and take action.”
Hippodrome campaigners were sat in the public gallery as the council’s cabinet granted an extension for the consortium’s plans.
The hippodrome, in its heyday, once hosted the likes of comedy legends Laurel and Hardy and campaigners want to see that prestige restored.
Paul Windchurch, from the Friends of Dudley Hippodrome group, said: “The council has moved the goal posts again.
“The driverless vehicles scheme has been shrouded in secrecy. To this day there has been no plans of where the track is, its route, or if there is any money involved.
“Where is that money going to come from. It is not a level playing field, it never has been. The new design of the hippodrome would be an eye-catching entrance to Dudley.
“There is no need for it to be knocked down. It is in the right location, with the Metro [tram line] and all the improvements coming to Dudley.
“It is part of Dudley’s history and heritage. It has been here for 80 odd years [built in 1938].”
