Words by Erdington Ward Cllr Robert Alden – Leader of Birmingham Conservatives
Cllr Gareth Moore and myself have been working with residents to try and improve road safety in a number of areas across Erdington Ward over the last year.
As part of that work, we raised at the last Council meeting the need for a number of improvements to take place including average Speed Cameras on the Chester Road to tackle speeding drivers.
Over the last year we have had yellow lines installed at a number of locations around the ward to tackle dangerous parking at junctions to try and make them safer, including on Gravelly Lane (at the junction of Oliver and Somerset Roads) Fosseway Drive and Hayes Grove.
Following a number of serious incidents at the junction of Kingsbury Road and Spring Lane, we have had plans drawn up to make changes to the layout to try and slow the speed cars take the corner so to make it safer for residents.
These have been consulted on locally with nearby residents and earlier this year Gareth and I secured funding for them so they will be installed in the coming months.
In previous years the Council has given each ward a pot of funding for minor works road safety improvements locally to be made where residents want them.
Sadly, now the Council has axed funding from those wards which used it, while keeping it for wards that haven’t spent last year’s funding yet (mostly Labour Councillor wards). This will make it harder to keep local roads safe.
For more from Erdington’s Councillor Robert Alden and Councillor Gareth Jones visit www.facebook.com/ErdingtonNews
