COUNCIL bosses in Wyre Forest have welcomed a slice of Government cash that will boost plans for a new housing and retail development in Kidderminster.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid announced £17.5million would be given to Worcestershire for projects to help create jobs, support businesses and encourage growth across the county, as part of the ‘Midlands Engine’.

And Wyre Forest will use its as-yet-unspecified share to provide the highway infrastructure to deliver phases two and three of Churchfields Urban Village, which is set to cost more than £4million.

Councillor Ian Hardiman, Wyre Forest District Council’s cabinet member for planning and economic regeneration said the new was positive for residents in the district.

But opposition Labour members said, while cautiously welcoming the investment, the district has missed out on greater opportunities by not signing up to the West Midlands Combined Authority.

Churchfields Urban Village will see around 300 new homes built and enhanced shopping.

The money will be used on measures such as relieving traffic congestion along the A456 and A451 Blackwell Street/Stourbridge Road and improving the air quality in Blackwell Street.

Councillor Hardiman said: “We can now take forward our vision for Churchfields Urban Village near Kidderminster town centre where we have plans to relieve traffic congestion, provide new homes and improve the Horsefair local centre.

“The Churchfields Masterplan was adopted by the council in September 2011 so we are very pleased to see this moving to the next stage.

“Our original plans, developed with Worcestershire County Council, amounted to over £4 million of investment in a new highway layout, but we won’t know the specific amount until further design work is complete.”

But Stephen Brown, of Wyre Forest Labour, said "Why is Wyre Forest not signed up to the West Midlands Combined Authority to help generate jobs and investment and which is seeing some £392 million investment as part of this 'Midland's Engine' funding?

"This money for Wyre Forest will not help Tory Worcestershire play much of a part in the Midlands Engine when the real power and money is held a few miles up the road in the rest of the West Midlands, and which all Worcestershire local authorities bar Labour controlled Redditch have opted out of.

“It therefore remains yet another Tory wasted opportunity that Labour would not have missed out on.

“What we need is a housing and industrial strategy with comprehensive infrastructure improvements to ignite Wyre Forest as a place to live and do business in and which Labour would offer as part of an integrated wider partnership approach for the benefit of the District.”