Councillor says Halesowen ‘missing out’ on regeneration despite millions spent in Dudley

Labour Cllr Parmjit Sahota, who represents the Halesowen North ward on Dudley Council, says the town is being left behind while other centres are benefitting from major projects.

In a presentation to the latest meeting of the council’s cabinet, an extensive list of current projects in the borough identified five schemes for Brierley Hill, seven for Dudley, five for Stourbridge but just one for Halesowen.

Cllr Sahota said: “Unlike the more comprehensive plans for other towns in Dudley, the proposed plans our Halesowen town centre are only focusing on the Levelling Up regeneration plans working in conjunction with Halesowen College.

“Why are we not showing more ambition for our town and joining the dots of other regeneration projects, so we have a wider holistic regeneration strategy for our town?”

Dudley Council’s Conservative deputy leader, Cllr Paul Bradley, says the authority’s regeneration strategy is not as Cllr Sahota claims and priority was given to projects that were already under way or had grant funding.

Cllr Bradley added: “I do think it is unfair to suggest that Halesowen has somehow been shortchanged compared to other borough towns.

“In the last few years we have completed an £8.5 million refurbishment of Halesowen Leisure Centre and secured £20 million through the Levelling Up Fund to develop new educational opportunities for students in the town.

“We have been working closely with Halesowen BID on a number of initiatives to promote the town, and provided grant support and assistance to a number of businesses as well as committing in the immediate future to keep the town hall open.”

Cllr Sahota believes sites in areas like Leasowes and Coombeswood would provide plenty of opportunities to attract tourists while Halesowen is also home to one of the borough’s three high-quality manufacturing zones which would benefit from funding.

He said: “The visitor economy strategy needs to be an integral part of the regeneration strategy to help unlock our assets and showcase them to a wider audience.”

Cllr Bradley said: “The projects in Halesowen which Councillor Sahota refers to are all ‘new’ projects in the main, and would therefore require a formal change and approval by cabinet to alter priorities.

“Moving forward, we are working closely with the Friends of Leasowes Park to develop the beauty spot and talks are under way with regards to the development of a new visitor centre and café to increase footfall.”