No Dudley Council taxpayer cash needed for Metro mistake
Dudley Council’s taxpayers will not have to pay to put right a mistake which could have derailed the West Midlands Metro line.
A mix-up at the line near the Very Light Railway National Innovation Centre in Dudley meant when a temporary road surface was removed the rails would be at the wrong level.
The authority had approved spending £100,000 to contribute to the estimated £350,000 repair bill but councillors have been told their cash will not be needed.
At their meeting on Monday (July 21), members of the council’s Communities and Growth Scrutiny Committee heard full funding would be provided.
Nick McGurk, Dudley’s group director of communities and growth, said: “The combined authority reviewed a funding line for Dudley Metro interface works, this included the VLR service road issue which delivered CRSTS [City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement] funding.
“At the moment designs are being completed, there will be no cost to the council.”
Committee member Councillor Steve Edwards asked if Mr McGurk knew how the mistake happened.
The director said: “In terms of why, I don’t know. Having worked in this industry for almost 20 years, when things get done years apart these things do happen.
“I don’t know any specific reasons.”
Previous investigations failed to identify a set of designs to explain the error which will now be resolved using ring-fenced cash for transport projects from the CRSTS which is grant funding from central government.
Councillors were also told fixing the problem is not expected to delay completion of phase one of the Metro development in Dudley which is set for autumn 2025.
Phase one will connect Dudley with the existing line between Birmingham and Wolverhampton.
Work on a second phase connecting Dudley to the Merry Hill Centre will be ramped up when the first phase is completed.
