A BROMSGROVE man spoke out at the Labour Party conference to express fears over the development of Redditch into a new town. Mr JT O’Reilly said that approximately 7,200 acres of land around Redditch had been designated as a site for the new town and that would encroach on the green belt around Bromsgrove turning it into a white belt. The plans also meant that the population of Droitwich Spa would grow from about 8,000 to more than 30,000.

TENANTS of ICI at Stoke Works were on the verge of joining the ranks of home owners after it was announced that the company intended to dispose of much of its house property in various parts of the country. The tenants were being given the opportunity of buying the cottages in which theywereliving.Butthosewho declined to take up the offer were not being thrown out.

They would continue as tenants and the houses would be sold as and when they became vacant.

 BROMSGROVE and Droitwich fire brigades were called to the BBC transmitting station at Wychbold as a precautionary measure after an explosion and fire in the high voltage switch room. An automatic extinguisher was brought into use and the fire was virtually quelled by the time the firemen arrived.