SOME Christmas sparkle has been brought to Brettell Lane for the first time after councillors from neighbouring wards teamed up to help spread festive cheer.

Earlier in the year, Conservative councillors for Amblecote and Brierley Hill joined forces to realise proposals to light up the busy border road between their two wards.

The straight stretch of road, a main route for motorists heading from Amblecote to Brierley Hill and vice versa, had not previously been on the council's list for festive installations.

So Amblecote councillor Paul Bradley and Brierley Hill councillor Cllr Adam Davies, who was newly elected in May, began talks with council officers about their wish to light up Brettell Lane.

Following discussions around the feasibility of different layouts, firm funding proposals were put to Brierley Hill and Amblecote Community Forums where they were given the green light by all councillors.

Cllr Davies said: “I’m so glad our idea of bringing some Christmas cheer to this part of our wards has come to fruition, and I really want to thank Paul and his colleagues in Amblecote for being great partners to work with on this joint project.”

Cllr Bradley said: "It's great to see the lights finally switched on and this part of our wards looking so Christmassy for the first time. The four of us – my ward colleagues Peter and Kamran, and Adam for Brierley Hill – began discussing the idea at the beginning of the year as we’d already spoke about working together on projects that might benefit residents on both sides of the ward boundary. Now here we are, the lights are up, switched on and looking great."

The main Brierley Hill town centre lights switch-on event will be held this Saturday (November 27) at 5pm, with festive activities and entertainment taking place in the town from 9am.