GRIDLOCK awaits the main roads from Kidderminster to Birmingham through Hagley, Stourbridge and Halesowen because planners are working on out of date traffic figures, a councillor fears.

Councillor Steve Colella has issued a warning that the data being used to ‘model’ traffic movements in the area are ten years out of date and badly flawed.

And he’s worried that planners don’t have an accurate idea of what traffic problems will be caused if 3,000 new homes are built as planned on the edge of Kidderminster.

The Hagley councillor is particularly worried about a huge increase in cars and lorries through Blakedown and Hagley from Kidderminster.

He believes the two villages are dealing with around 30,000 journeys every day.

But he sees a threat of gridlock and congestion hotspots across the area because of numbers of vehicles heading from Kidderminster to the major business centres of Birmingham, and the Black Country.

Next month sees the start of public examinations of the Wyre Forest Development Plan, including plans for major house building in Lea Castle and the Eastern extension.

“We’re on the front line of traffic coming from Worcestershire, Wyre Forest and beyond and I’m really concerned that the Worcestershire County Council Traffic impact assessment has failed to address the very real impact on not only Hagley but Blakedown in particular.

“It is sadly out of date and using a traffic ‘model’ that is not fit for this purpose.

“ “There is a significant risk to the community that a decision will be made based on out-of-date data.”

While the Bromsgrove District councillor is worried about traffic coming through Hagley and Blakedown he says most of the roads from Kidderminster to Birmingham and the Black Country are single carriageway while congestion continues to mount through Stourbridge and Halesowen through to Manor Way.