MADAM - What will it take for the powers that be to admit Bromsgrove’s infrastructure is broken.

Talk of further development should be out of the question until this matter is resolved.

The fall out is felt particularly hard in residential areas and our villages which are used as rat runs for frustrated motorists speeding to make up time on their journeys.

Stoke Heath in particular has suffered the worst of it.

The A38 is laughingly referred to as a strategic route and yet is gridlocked day and night in the normal rush hour – 8am-9.15am and then 3.15pm-6pm at least – throughout its length - Worcester Road junction through to the Lydiate Ash island.

What we get are stationary vehicles in both directions – or worse when the traffic can flow – speeding motorists exceeding the current 30mph limit in Stoke Heath in excess of 55 and 60 miles an hour and more, including juggernauts.

As ever the NIMBY philosophy seems to prevail – none of us much care as long as we don’t feel the immediate effect – but this is an overall problem throughout Bromsgrove – try leaving Asda at 3.15pm!

No site visits have been made to Stoke Heath and yet the Redditch Road is considered safe for an unmonitored 40mph limit which will be exceeded – as the current 30 is – and with two feet wide pavements for much of its length beyond the brow of the hill – an accident is waiting to happen – not your rushing, frustrated motorists, but a child on a scooter or an invalid carriage

(One of the most frightening sights has to be the speed with which drivers leave the Morrisons island heading up Austin Road right underneath the speed flasher – horrendous)

Our representatives have a duty of care to their residents but to date all seem in denial – BDC, parish and WCC. Only our county councillor with his genuine local knowledge shows any concern.

We have been totally failed by the lack of forward thinking on the part of our planners and denial is no longer the answer. Bromsgrove is grinding to a halt in the main – but dense, speeding traffic is the price paid by our residential areas.

Nina Read

Stoke Heath

Bromsgrove