Tories accused of 'taking credit' over Shell Corner improvements
A group of Conservative politicians have been criticised for taking credit for improvements made to a Black Country neighbourhood.
A letter was sent out to Halesowen residents by the Conservatives which was headlined “Success: Shell Corner set for improvements”.
The letter details about ongoing work to improve the Halesowen neighbourhood.
It was signed by Halesowen & Rowley Regis MP James Morris, Halesowen North councillor James Morris and campaigner Peter Dobb.
The improvements listed were new benches, a community noticeboard, flowerbeds, a signpost and Shell Corner branding.
However fellow campaigners in Halesowen believe the Conservatives have tried to take credit for themselves for ongoing improvements.
Hilary Bills, a Halesowen North and Labour councillor, said: “The Conservatives have put out a leaflet in Halesowen North ward written in such a way that it reads as though they did all the work to gain improvements to Shell Corner.
“But local community leaders say that the Conservatives had nothing to do with it.”
Hilary highlighted work going back to 2008 to get new funding into the neighbourhood.
Petition
During that year, Parmjit Sahota, a former Labour party member, organised a petition calling on Dudley Council to implement the Shell Corner Regeneration Plan.
Councillor Bills added: “There is a long list and none of us ever said we did it on our own. We always recognised the team work.”
Former Halesowen North councillor Stuart Henley, who represented UKIP before setting up the Black Country Party, said: “It is important that elected councillors work with others, no matter the party politics and share the praise, not try and grab it for themselves.”
But responding to the criticism, councillor Roberts said: “These plans were agreed by a cross-party group of councillors, and supported by both Conservative and Labour administrations in Dudley.
“This cross party work is testament to the hard work of local community campaigners over many years, which local councillors have supported.
“Members of the business and resident community have been crying out for regeneration, and it is only right that councillors from all political parties work together to deliver the wishes of local residents to deliver positive change for Shell Corner and for it to continue as a vibrant area of Halesowen.”
