OPINION: Erdington Cllr Robert Alden, Leader of Birmingham Conservatives

Words by Erdington Ward Cllr Robert Alden – Leader of Birmingham Conservatives

L-R Cllr Moore, Cllr Alden – Erdington Ward, Conservatives / Pic by Ed King

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

NEWS: Erdington named one of the ‘best places to live’ in Birmingham by property industry experts

Words & pics by Ed King

Erdington has been named as one of the ‘best places to live’ in Birmingham by several of the UK’s national estate agents and property agencies.

Beating more affluent areas such as Moseley, Harborne, and even neighbouring Sutton Coldfield, ‘Erdington should be on the radar of every savvy investor’ – according to the property investment company, Seven Capital.

As the housing market is re-opened, following the coronavirus lockdown, estate agents across the country have been evaluating the best places for new homeowners or first time buyers.

Ranked No2 on Seven Capital’s list of ‘The Best Places to Live in Birmingham’,  sandwiched between Digbeth (No1) and Edgbaston (No3), the industry accolade went on to reference Erdington’s ‘vibrant High Street, as well 280 local businesses’ – before concluding ‘it’s no wonder that continued growth is forecast for the area.’

Reallymoving.com also featured Erdington as a top contender in their ‘Best places to buy property in Birmingham’ research – published by the leading property consultant in July 2019.

Positioned at No2 on the website’s Top 5 across Birmingham – one place below Moseley, and ahead of Digbeth, Edgbaston, and Sutton Coldfield – Erdington was heralded as ‘a good option for those on a tight budget’ due to local amenities and proximity to Birmingham City Centre.

First Mortgage, the ‘UK’s top rated mortgage broker’ with 22 regional branches across the country, went on to reference Erdington as ‘one of the best places to live in and around Birmingham’ with ‘a rich past dating back to the 9th century.’

And in a more modern context, Erdington was voted No5 on Zoopla’s ‘Top 10 Hipster Hotspots across Britain’ – in a table of 10 locations, ranked by property value growth. But in a more recent evaluation of the property market, Zoopla went on to state the ‘average price for property in Erdington stood at £155,009 in July 2020… a fall of 0.59% in the last three months (since April 2020) and fall of 10.26% since 12 months ago.’

But home is more often where the heart is. “We moved here about 5 ½ years ago,” tells Maria Rooney, who left Moseley to live in Erdington, “we were having our first child and wanted a beautiful home and garden. After viewing a house on Somerset Road we put in an offer immediately. Years later, I’m so happy we moved. Our street has such a fabulous community vibe – just what we were after.”

I was born in Hagley,” adds Tim Scarth, who lives on Orchard Road with his family, “but moved over to Erdington when I met my now wife.

Erdington is a great place for our children – the schools are good, there’s a mix of cultures and backgrounds to educate and influence them. There are loads of parks and play areas. Plus, it’s easily connected by walking or cycling.

I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. I wouldn’t mind a few more good pubs and restaurants though… and a bike shop wouldn’t go amiss.”

For more up to date information from Zoolpa on properties in Erdington, visit www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/property/erdington

For more from Severn Capital, visit www.sevencapital.com