I went to the town where dirty water and empty shops worry locals

I have travelled the West Midlands asking people their thoughts on the General Election to come - and two things keep coming up, the NHS and immigration. However, there was a different vogue to the responses when I got to Bromsgrove.

Standing on the high street, near empty shops, locals voiced their opinions about Thursday's general election and the issues that affect them. And a big issue for people living in the Worcestershire constituency was the quality of their water.

They spoke about issues ranging from the decline of local high streets to environmental issues in the area.

Read more: Inside a General Election battleground

Jill, 78 paints a bleak picture of Bromsgrove's high street. "The high street is just non-existent to be honest," she says. She added: "It just needs something done so that brings some of the shops back".

She told BirminghamLive that she has no reason for optimism in politics. "I've got no faith in any of the governments at the moment. I don't know who to trust," Jill added.

"Whoever you get in, they don't follow what they say they're going to do."

The economy weighs heavily on Jill's mind, particularly regarding pensions and the impact of high rents on local businesses. "The pension has come down way down the list," she notes. "They need to do something about the rents and the rates so that you get more shops because they are so high."

When asked to describe the high street in three words, Jill's response is stark: "Bad. Very bad."

Ann, 67, is concerned about environmental issues, particularly water quality in the nearby brook. "Locally and nationally, I'm worried about the state of the water—our waterways, the cost, the leaks, and all of the sewage," she explains. "I don't think enough attention is being paid to it."

BirminghamLive has contacted Severn Trent and the Enviromental Agency for comment.

Housing development and infrastructure are also on Ann's radar. "They are building a lot of houses, but they take a lot of green belt and there's no infrastructure," she said. The strain on local services is evident, with Ann adding: "The schools in Bromsgrove are so overcrowded that it's quite detrimental to education."

Statistics from the Department for Education reveal that in the 2022/23 academic year, 17% of primary schools and 23% of secondary schools in England were operating at or over their intended capacity.

Stuart, 70, agreed and said he was concerned about the NHS, housing and the economy. "There's a lot of scare-mongering going on," he said. "Politicians say they're going to do this or that if they get in, but there's very little truth coming out."

Stewart questioned the feasibility of promises regarding the NHS, asking: "They say we're getting more scans, more nurses, more doctors, but where are they coming from? Where is the training going to be funded?"

The candidates for the Bromsgrove seat are:

• Sam Ammar (Independent)

• Glen Brampton (Reform UK)

• Talia Ellis (Green)

• Neena Gill (Labour)

• David Nicholl (Liberal Democrat)

• Bradley Thomas (Conservative)

• Aheesha Zahir (Workers Party of Britain)