By Beverly Rademacher
Copyright expressandstar
Cat Eccles (Stourbridge Labour MP) has said she’s “excited for the future of Stourbridge” as she announced that long-awaited plans to breathe new life into the town are closer to coming to fruition, with works expected to start in early 2026.
Giving an update on her Facebook page this week, she outlined the priorities that will be tackled as part of the first phase of the regeneration scheme which will be funded with £3 million from the government’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements programme.
The MP said: “At the beginning of last year Dudley Council carried out a consultation on regeneration plans for the town. Following lots of meetings, and chasing funding pots, I’m pleased to share what the first phases of the plan will look like.”
She said a key part of the project will “involve the entry ways into our town and making it a nicer place to come and visit”.
New surface level crossings into the town across the ring road are proposed, along with improvements to pavements and the Ryemarket precinct.
The project also includes creating more welcoming entry points to the town from Market Street, Foster Street and Lower High Street/Bradley Road.
Councillor Simon Phipps, cabinet member for economy and infrastructure at Dudley Council, said of the plans: “These fantastic proposals, which include improving infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists and creating more attractive public spaces for the growing town centre, proved to be very popular with residents and businesses.
“Following on from the survey, we have been working closely with partners to further develop the plans while exploring potential additional funding opportunities to deliver more for the town.
“We are now in the process of drafting our final business plan to Transport for West Midlands and I look forward to sharing more details with the Stourbridge community later in the year.”
Former Stourbridge MP Suzanne Webb told of her delight that the scheme is set to move forwards, having been involved in the planning of the project during her time in office.
She said on her Facebook page: “The hard-earned £3 million funding that our former Mayor Andy Street and I secured for Stourbridge town centre is on its way.
“Andy and I, with the support of Dudley Council, agreed to the plans in 2023, and the plans were put out to consultation in January 2024.
“Work is still being finalised, and the timing of it will be key. The last thing I want to see is the shutdown of the whole high street whilst the work takes place, removing parking and driving foot traffic away from our high street at a time when the economy is already weak.”
She said she and fellow Stourbridge Conservative Party campaigner Steve Hancock have a plan which they intend to present to the council to mitigate disruption when the works take place.