Do the residents of Bromsgrove and Redditch want to become part of a newly formed ‘Greater Birmingham’ run by an elected ‘metro mayor’ that’s based on Manchester’s model and run as a single combined authority?

Recent comments by the chief executive of ‘Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce’ indicate they might because both councils are already members of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership and it would be a vital component of a north-south corridor into and out of Birmingham – an organisation that would accept having a metro mayor to get Government money.

The inevitable downside for Bromsgrove District would be increased peak time traffic congestion as the green belt land between it and Birmingham would inevitably be sanctioned to be built on by a mayor having the authority to do so – which he would do for the benefit of Birmingham, not Bromsgrove.

In November 2014, it was announced that Birmingham would be creating a combined authority that would include the four ‘Black Country’ boroughs of Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley and Sandwell and would be inviting Coventry and Solihull to join them. It was expected to be formed in 2015 and would be given devolved powers and multi-million pound funding from the government.

Councils cajoled into joining may regret doing so. Herefordshire amalgamated with Worcestershire in 1984 and it took 14 years of campaigning to win back its independence.

So now is the time to strive to save Worcestershire from the urban sprawl that a bigger Birmingham would inevitably result in.

Malcolm Guest

Address supplied