Agenda item

As highlighted by the Chairman at the Council meeting held on 8^th October 2025 the attached Motion is being considered at this Extraordinary Council meeting due to exceptional circumstances.

 

A period of up to one hour is allocated to consider this motion on notice.  This may only be extended with the agreement of the Council.

 

Councillor J. Robinson presented a Motion on Notice for Members’ consideration.  In doing so, he highlighted that he was altering the wording of the Motion that he had submitted, and which had been included in the agenda to read as follows:

 

“The A38 Bromsgrove Route Enhancement Programme has been an unmitigated disaster for our town.

 

Hundreds of trees have been felled, and the project will not resolve the issues of traffic in our town.

 

The Council resolves to ask the Leader of the Council to urgently write to the Leader of Worcestershire County Council placing on record Bromsgrove District Council’s opposition to the project and call for a full review and consultation with the community.”

 

Councillor Robinson clarified that he had decided to remove reference to placing schemes that had not started on hold as circumstances had changed since the Motion was first submitted for Council’s consideration in July 2025.

 

The Motion was proposed by Councillor Robinson and seconded by Councillor R. Hunter.

 

In proposing the Motion, Councillor Robinson commented that in his view the A38 Bromsgrove Route Enhancement Programme (BREP) had not worked well.  Councillor Robinson had attended consultation events with the public and in doing so had heard from local residents about their concerns regarding the scale of the project.  Members were asked to note that many trees had been felled during the works which had been opposed by many residents.  Reference was made to the intention of BREP and it was suggested that these works had been launched to address traffic congestion in Bromsgrove.  However, Councillor Robinson suggested that BREP was unlikely to resolve problems with traffic congestion in the town.

 

In seconding the Motion, Councillor Hunter commented that there was a need to learn lessons from the BREP works and to ensure that the current situation was not repeated once a new unitary authority was serving Bromsgrove.  Councillor Hunter expressed concerns about the impact that BREP had had on residents’ lives and the delays to traffic caused by the works.  The suggestion was also made that an opportunity had been missed to undertake a modal shift to more sustainable forms of transport in the town.

 

Members subsequently discussed the Motion and in doing so expressed concerns about the impact of the works on traffic congestion in the town.  It was noted that the Leader had previously been asked at a Council meeting to write to Worcestershire County Council regarding this matter and that she had done so.  The suggestion was made that in this context, as the issues causing concern had persisted, Members needed to continue to raise this matter with the County Council.

 

Clarification was provided regarding the background to the BREP works.  Members were asked to note that the Department for Transport (DfT) had provided enhancement funding.  In addition, the Midlands Engine was driving forward the project.  Concerns had been raised with the DfT that the works were unlikely to resolve challenges relating to traffic congestion.

 

During discussion of this item, consideration was given to the potential for an action plan to be provided for the BREP works.  The suggestion was made that this might be made available by Worcestershire County Council to the County Councillor representing the division within which the works were taking place.  A request was made for such a plan, should it be provided, to also be shared with Bromsgrove District Councillors.

 

Concerns were raised about the disruption that had been caused to residents, businesses and visitors to Bromsgrove during the time in which the BREP works had been taking place.  Members commented that people were having to follow detours over lengthy periods of time in order to reach their destinations.  It was noted that forthcoming public consultation events, organised by County Councillors, might help to provide further clarity on arrangements moving forwards.

 

During consideration of this item, a request was received from Councillor K. May to alter the Motion to refer to a letter being sent on behalf of political Group Leaders, rather than just the Leader, to Worcestershire County Council regarding this matter. 

 

The Motion would then be altered to read as follows:

 

“The A38 Bromsgrove Route Enhancement Programme has been an unmitigated disaster for our town.

 

Hundreds of trees have been felled, and the project will not resolve the issues of traffic in our town.

 

The Council resolves to ask Group Leaders to urgently write to the Leader of Worcestershire County Council placing on record Bromsgrove District Council’s opposition to the project and call for a full review and consultation with the community.”

 

This alteration was proposed as it was suggested that this would help to demonstrate the strength of feeling at the Council regarding this matter.

 

Councillor Robinson, as the proposer of the Motion, indicated that he would be happy to accept this amendment and this therefore became the substantive Motion.

 

Consideration was given to the number of trees that had been felled during the BREP works.  Members noted that plans had been announced to plant 3,000 new saplings in the town in mitigation.

 

Concerns were raised about the impact that the BREP works had had on other public sector infrastructure projects and developments in Bromsgrove.  Members noted that, until the A38 works had been finalised, it would not be possible to introduce a new roundabout on Worcester Road.  This would impact on residents living in the area, at least in the short and medium-term.

 

The funding that had been provided for the BREP project and the intention of this funding was discussed.  Some Members commented that they had been under the impression that part of the funding had been allocated to enhancing pedestrian and cyclists’ routes in the town.

 

Questions were raised about how any consultation proposed under the terms of the Motion would be organised as well as about the sources of funding required to pay for the consultation.   Members also queried whether a letter to Worcestershire County Council would have any impact on the works.  However, it was also noted that a letter would help to highlight the strength of feeling amongst Members regarding this matter.

 

During the debate in respect of this item, there was an adjournment between 20.20 and 20.39.

 

Following the adjournment, an amendment was proposed to the wording of the Motion by Councillor H. Warren-Clarke.  The amended Motion read as follows:

 

“The A38 Bromsgrove Route Enhancement Programme has been an unmitigated disaster for our town.

 

Hundreds of trees have been felled, and the project will not resolve the issues of traffic in our town.

 

The Council resolves to ask Group Leaders to urgently write to the Leader of Worcestershire County Council placing on record Bromsgrove District Council’s concerns and call for a full review and consultation with the community.”

 

The amendment was proposed by Councillor Warren-Clarke and seconded by Councillor P. Whittaker.

 

In accordance with Procedure Rule 18.3, a recorded vote was taken on the proposed amendment to the Motion.

 

Members voting FOR the amendment:

 

Councillors A. Bailes, R. Bailes, S. Colella, J. Elledge, D. Forsythe, E. Gray, D. Hopkins, C. Hotham, H. Jones, B. Kumar, M. Marshall, K. May, P. McDonald, B. McEldowney, S. Nock, J. Stanley, K. Taylor, H. Warren-Clarke, S. Webb and P. Whittaker (20).

 

Members voting AGAINST the amendment:

 

Councillors S. Ammar, J. Clarke, S. Evans, R. Hunter, D. Nicholl, J. Robinson and S. Robinson (7).

 

Members voting to ABSTAIN on the amendment:

 

No Councillors (0).

 

(Councillor S. Peters had left the meeting prior to this recorded vote taking place.)

 

Therefore, on being put to the vote, the amendment was carried.

 

The amended Motion thereby became the substantive Motion and on being put to the vote it was

 

RESOLVED that

 

The A38 Bromsgrove Route Enhancement Programme has been an unmitigated disaster for our town.

 

Hundreds of trees have been felled,and the project will not resolve the issues of traffic in our town.

 

The Council resolves to ask Group Leaders to urgently write to the Leader of Worcestershire County Council placing on record Bromsgrove District Council’s concerns and call for a full review and consultation with the community.