West Bromwich MP accuses council of 'putting lives at risk' with review of road safety programme

A Black Country MP has accused council leaders of “putting lives at risk” by suspending 23 road safety schemes so new councillors can have their say.

Sarah Coombes, MP for West Bromwich, has written to Sandwell Council leader Councillor Ray Nock to ask why the schemes were being reviewed.

But the council said it was to ensure that the schemes reflected the priorities identified by the new members of the council, and said no funding was being cut.

A statement said the majority of these schemes had already been approved by the new council, with two of them now complete and two more imminent.

Miss Coombes said: “It is completely absurd for Ray Nock to have taken this decision to suspend 23 road safety schemes which protect people across the borough, especially the most vulnerable road users.

“I have met with bereaved families whose lives have been changed forever because of unsafe roads and irresponsible drivers, leading to deaths or injuries that were completely preventable.

“It’s time for Reform to realise that they are out of touch with what people want, and that they are putting people’s lives at risk through their decisions.”

She also signed a joint letter with fellow Sandwell Labour MPs Antonia Bance, Gurinder Singh Josan and Alex Ballinger, accusing the council of wasting time and money on the review.

The letter cited a statement by the council’s director of place, Alan Lunt, which said councillors had been invited to nominate sites for consideration in June 2025, which were then assessed by the authority’s road safety team based on accident history, traffic flow, speed, community concern and financial feasibility.

“This is a decision your cabinet has now overturned, and one that is a waste of council time and money,” said the letter.

“These location were chosen because residents, councillors, and MPs had raised repeated safety concerns, and to overturn this decision is to ignore the will of residents whose lives will be materially affected by this short-sighted and nakedly political decision.”

The letter asked for a date when the suspension of the schemes would end.

A spokeswoman for Sandwell Council said the schemes were paused following the elections in May to allow newly elected ward councillors to review proposals affecting their communities, and confirm they remain aligned with local priorities.

“The review was introduced to give current ward members a meaningful opportunity to have their say on schemes in their areas and to ensure local communities' views are properly reflected before projects move forward,” she said.

“The schemes have not been cancelled, no funding has been lost, and progress continues.

“Of the 23 schemes, two have now been completed and a further two are currently on site and expected to be finished within the next two weeks.

“Twelve schemes have received the support of ward members and informal cabinet and are now progressing to statutory consultation where required, contractor appointment and construction programming.

“The remaining seven schemes are in the final detailed design stage and will be presented to ward members for approval during November.”

She said the review process was about “strengthening local democratic accountability” and ensuring schemes reflected current community priorities, not stopping road safety improvements.

“Road safety remains a priority for the council, and we remain confident that schemes supported by ward councillors and local communities will be approved and committed by year end,” she added.