Furious Dudley leader issues scathing attack after Metro extension to town is delayed

Tory Patrick Harley called for the resignation of West Midlands Combined Authority chief executive Laura Shoaf and Anne Shaw, executive director at Transport for West Midlands.

He also criticised the West Midlands’ new Labour Mayor Richard Parker, adding he had “no confidence” in him.

Mr Parker said Councillor Harley was taking his frustrations out on the wrong people and added he is committed to extending the Metro.

On Friday, WMCA board members will discuss increased cost pressures of £121 million which have caused delays for projects such as the completion of Phase One of the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro service.

This was due to be completed later this year but has now been pushed back to 2025. Factors including increased costs of labour, materials, energy and the impact of Covid have been blamed.

But at the same meeting, a paper setting out the business case for progressing Phase Two of the scheme, which will see it extended to Merry Hill, will also be presented and discussed.

Councillor Harley said: “These people have failed to keep the most important strategic transport project within budget or schedule.

“Their excuses are now wearing thin; they don’t explain how the cost has risen from £35m to £59m to extend the metro to Merry Hill and don’t explain or provide the details behind the increased cost of extending the metro from Merry Hill to Brierley Hill High Street.

“People who use the town centre day after day just cannot understand why other cities and countries can build entire railways and this lot of overpaid paper clip counters cannot deliver a metro link of several miles in the time frame they have had.

“It is an absolute shambles and they should do the decent thing and fall on their own swords. Dudley has been failed by this overpaid and failed alliance of WMCA, Transport for West Midlands and Metro Alliance.”

He added: “I really thought Richard’s approach was going to bring dividends for the West Midlands. A new Mayor, a new Government yet we have him retreating from almost day one onto his bunker and cowering in front of the WMCA officers and others who have a long record of failing to deliver for the region.

“Until his officers explain why the funding Andy Street secured has been squandered then I have to say I have no confidence in his ability to deliver what the Black Country needs. If we do not have the connectivity this project delivers then I must question why we are a member of the WMCA.

“The Wednesbury to Brierley Hill metro provides the connectivity the town has needed for over 40 years. The failure to extend to the Brierley Hill High Street will cost us years of regeneration schemes, hundreds if not thousands of jobs and will also mean almost 4,000 new homes being lost.

“The new Mayor needs to absolutely get a grip and stop unelected officers from stopping this region’s growth and connectivity and insist they do what they are paid to do which is delivering for the region.”

But Mr Parker said: “I’m disappointed he has attacked officers as well as me. I fully understand his frustration but he is taking this out on the wrong people. We can reassure the people of Dudley that, while we are encountering severe funding pressures, we are committed to extending the Metro further into the borough.

“This represents a huge opportunity for the people of Dudley, opening up connectivity across the West Midlands. And we are working with all of our partners, including Dudley Council, to find ways to ensure the Metro can reach Brierley Hill in the future.”