REDDITCH Tories have paid tribute to former Government minister James Brokenshire, who died on Friday, October 8 after suffering from lung cancer, despite never smoking.
It was in the role as Secretary of State for Housing that Mr Brokenshire visited Redditch in April 2019.
He came to the town just as the campaign for the local elections the following month were crystalising around plans for the future redevelopment of Winyates and Matchborough.
The key issue was whether or not they should each retain a centre or whether there should be one centre to serve both of them.
The controlling Conservative group of Redditch Borough Council had earlier agreed a policy to keep all options on the table including the one centre option.
Labour meanwhile had collected more than 500 signatures in a petition for each district to retain a centre of its own.
However by the time Mr Brokenshire arrived the Conservatives had swung firmly behind the two centre option, leading to accusations from Labour of them making policy on the hoof.
All this was before the pandemic, and with the ending of lockdown the future of the two districts is once again coming into focus at the town hall.
Councillor Matt Dormer, the Leader of Redditch Borough Council, said: “We were lucky to have James Brokenshire visit us here in Redditch in 2019.
“It was clear he really was a good guy whose passion for his job shone through so it was very sad when we learnt of his passing.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family from all of us here at Redditch Borough Council.”
