Birmingham City Council have issued a statement saying they are ‘committed to work with residents and businesses to adapt and improve Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) schemes in Moseley and Kings Heath and use local feedback to shape changes’.
They have promised a ‘series of ‘quick fix’ measures to improve traffic flow in congested locations including better signage and changes to traffic signal timings’
A dedicated project board will be created to oversee any future phases, including the continued development of travel plans to encourage walking and cycling to school and full public consultation on new designs.
The council goes on to say: ‘ But we must work with communities to get this right. We now have an action plan to build on the successful aspects of the schemes and improve on what is already in place’
You can see the full statement issued here:
We welcome the statement but feel it is very late in the day to commit with working with residents and businesses when this should have been right at the heart of the project at its launch 12 months ago. From even before the scheme was first announced Izzy has been calling for a holistic, community led traffic management plan across Moseley to address the many different issues we experience including speeding and anti social driving, congested and polluted roads, reducing through traffic, enabling walking and cycling and dealing with collision hot spots.
Since the Tranche1 measures of the People for Places scheme were announced back in July 2020 Izzy has worked hard to ensure all voices have been heard in this programme, including engaging with residents through the Better Streets for Moseley group and Moseley Forum, helping with traffic counts, securing funding for hand held speed monitors for use by residents groups, making representations to councillors and officers on behalf of local businesses and residents. Izzy recently wrote on behalf of businesses in York Road who feel disenfranchised about the measures put in place and concern about lack of access for deliveries, to point out the councils own technical review into the scheme recommends some type of one way system and how this could be a compromise that would allow restricted vehicular access whilst still enabling hospitality businesses to benefit from a pedestrianised scheme which would also provide a welcome safe family area off the High Street. The review and technical review of the scheme are below
In March this year it was agreed that the design consultants, Jacobs would take part in a walking tour of the revised area for the proposed LTN to engage with residents and stakeholders. Disappointingly this still hasn’t happened. We are hoping with the release of this statement and appointment of a dedicated project board (although details of the make up or remit of this are not yet known) to see a huge improvement in the level of meaningful engagement and full consultation before further measures are implemented.
Izzy and Radley will continue to scrutinise the scheme, including the proposed action plan, to obtain feedback from residents and try to ensure all voices are heard.
Moseley Liberal Democrats 