Windmill Hill regeneration not on hold - meeting heard (From Halesowen News)

Windmill Hill regeneration not on hold - meeting heard

10:44am Thursday 2nd July 2009

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COUNCIL officers insisted they are working hard to bring regeneration to Cradley after a councillor hit out saying nothing had been done in two years.

Councillor Richard Body told a meeting of Halesowen Area Committe there had been rumours the development of Windmill Hill had been put on hold because nothing had happened.

Proposals include selling off land either side of Foredraft Street for housing, bringing a retail scheme, and improvements to the highway.

Cllr Body said: "Two years ago there was a consultation exercise at a cost of over £30k.

"A lot of people came along to put their views of what they wanted in the area - two years on there has been no regeneration and a lot of people are angry about it."

Cllr Body called for a public meeting to be held with council officers present to tell people what was going on.

Rupert Dugdale, Dudley Council's head of design and projects said the council was still working on the scheme.

He said: "No regeneration has been put on hold by the council in Cradley.

"It's one of the priority centres as approved by cabinet three years ago.

"But we have to be realistic and remember that development is reliant on the private sector and that given the current economic climate development can sometimes be very hard to bring forward.

"We are working very hard to try and bring forward regeneration but we can only help others - no decision has been made to stall regeneration."

The new chairman of Halesowen Area Committee Bob James said the regeneration of Shell Corner had taken around five years. He said: "You don't do regeneration overnight."

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