Council chiefs have been told they most come together to deliver long-awaited improvements to Burntwood town centre.
The plea has been made by Cllr Sue Woodward, leader of the Labour opposition group at Lichfield District Council and a member of Burntwood Town Council.
She said that both the district council and Staffordshire County Council needed to ensure voices of Burntwood residents were heard when discussions are held over how funding for road improvements is allocated. It comes after the government pledged money following the decision to cancel HS2.
Cllr Woodward said partners needed to “act quickly” to ensure a new traffic management scheme at Sankey’s Corner was delivered to kick-start regeneration.
She said:
“Lichfield District has suffered a great deal of the pain of HS2 without significant gain and it’s vital now that we act quickly to access whatever funding that the government is now reallocating to roads schemes.
“While there has been cross-party and cross-council agreement for many years on a town centre development for Burntwood but we have waited far too long for funding to come forward.
“It needs to happen now.”
Cllr Sue Woodward
Cllr Woodward has written to Cllr Philip White, deputy leader of Staffordshire County Council and cabinet member for economy and skills, to call for more action to ensure the town centre improvements finally become a reality.
She told Cllr White:
“Following the cancellation of further phases of HS2 earlier this week I note that the government is saying that it will commit £250million to smaller road schemes in the Midlands, plus £650million for new road schemes via a Midlands Road Fund.
“Over many years, all three councils and all parties in the area have agreed that a Town Centre Regeneration Scheme is vital for the future of the town and the district. Can I suggest that now really is the time for consolidated action on this so that a long-held ambition for the town might at last become a reality?
“It is time to catch the moment so that we are not left behind again.
“I for one don’t want the £78,000 on designing a new traffic scheme for Sankey’s Corner to be wasted – if we don’t shout about the need for the capital funding to do this, I doubt anyone else will.”
Cllr Sue Woodward
