Bromsgrove Route Enhancement Programme - BREP - Exposed

This video investigates the plans and implementation of the Bromsgrove Route Enhancement Programme and if the project was really the right thing to do.

How has the project changed against local opposition and a cost estimate that always looked optimistic?

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[IANREA]

So as an ex Highways traffic officer of 10years patrolling and dealing with incidents on the motorways of the West Midlands, and as a person born and raised in Bromsgrove. I remember when the A38 went up the High St.
As you state the A38 is the diversion route for the motorways.
Not only planned closures, but also incidents that require motorway closures, cause the A38 to be used.
The M5 was failing to cope with the volume of traffic, hence the smart motorway approach. The section between Droitwich and the M42 junction 4A is well known for its collisions, many involving HGVs..
So when there is a closure junction 4 Lydiate Ash to the M4a Junction 4A, that send all traffic from Lydiate Ash down the single lane Catshill to Junction 1 of the M42, where traffic then leaves or continues down the A38, single lane, interrupted by a miniature roundabout where the Artrix, Fire/Police station is, that should have been larger to start with.
Then to the Oakhals roundabout, enough said about its design. Single track then until you come to Traffic lights junction.
As you rightly say Buntsford Hill cannot be changed, and likewise from there to Wychbold is single lane.
On a side note Droitwich does have a dual carriageway bypass, but I see in parts that has been restricted, only to get to the new estate at Copcut, where traffic light junction inserted, and the single lane to Martin Hussingtree.
There is no joined up thinking.
As for transport, no one in their right mind would cycle to the train station and leave their cycle there.
Bus services, once you could go to Worcester - Birmingham on one single bus basically 6am - 10pm.
Try that now. As a recent OAP I was looking forward to going to Birmingham using my recently acquired bus pass, but oh no direct bus to Birmingham, no buses after a certain time, which makes spending the evening in Birmingham a NO NO, and similarly going to Worcester, say watch the cricket T20, again very restrictive.
So what does the govt want, basically no travel, make it as expensive, arduous as possible.
So if you live in Bromsgrove you are supposed to stay in Bromsgrove?
Thank you for the video

[AtholDeakin-bd]

Incompetent county council. This project was rushed through because they knew that the Tory Government at time would lose the election and the money withdrawn by the new Labour Government. Great video and factual. The car is the enemy in this case. Our County Councillors are the problem.
Athol Deakin ( Bromsgrove Resident).

[JeremyMorris-kb]

Great video, Darren! Appreciate the work you must have put into it

[johnsmout]

Excellent explanation of the issues with BREP. The town needs properly joined up active travel routes to the station, schools and doctors surgeries etc…

[kathrynmanning]

Excellent video, really summarises issues well.

[jiml]

They were originally supposed to build a shop and community centre on the Oakalls but pulled out and built more houses instead. They demolished Breme House care home on School Drive to build a Sports Centre without a sports hall, demolished the Dolphin Centre to create a car park and will shortly close the existing car park on School Drive to build a care home. They spent two years ‘improving’ Forest Island installing a dangerous overtaking lane. All of this consumed resources and damaged the town, but filled the coffers of hand picked contractors. This incompetence you highlight here is not new behaviour, so my expectation is that nothing will change. Great video though Darren. Looks really well edited 👍

[DavidGoodwinUK]

Great video; thanks for summarising it.

[jeremyhughes]

Excellent video. Total ineptitude cripples the town should have been the title. As you highlight the key point is that if the pinch points remain there is no point putting extra lanes in between. This is clearly shown by the extra lane added at the junction at the top of Birmingham road with the A38. One lane into two lanes and then back to one lane - whoever planned that must have a big red nose and floppy shoes! Keep up the good work Darren.

[samwilliams]

Great video, huge huge waste of £50m in terms of solving traffic problems. I wonder what the costs were before they were inflated.

[christopherdrew]

I doubt £50m is enough but it would have been better spent on a new junction for the M5 on the Kidderminster Road. The volume of cars queuing to get off at Lydiate ash and the m42 they are pretty much queuing on the motorway. All these people don't even want Bromsgrove there trying to get to Kidderminster and Stourbridge yet unfortunately Bromsgrove is just in the way. I'd hate to live on a38 at Lickey end, just getting off your drive must be awful.

[chrislawrie]

Great video, I learnt a lot from your research. One missing piece of logic. You are assuming that good intent failed due to incompetence, but you missed the idea that this could simply be a scheme that creates funding to justify jobs and careers... nothing more. The grant for the old market place is another example.
Bromsgrove local government has always had a simple brand "incompetence and self service at the cost of community".

[williamwhitford]

All this silly talk of walking cycling NOT everyone can time we woke up to this ridiculous idea