Roads where cars have been banned across Birmingham could be put back to normal if enough people complain.
But cabinet member Cllr Waseem Zaffar (Lab, Lozells) said he doesn’t think “we are in that place in Kings Heath ” – where the measures have strongly divided opinion.
The measures were introduced in sites including Kings Heath, Moseley, Bournville and Lozells last year as part of efforts to improve air quality and boost cycling and walking in light of the pandemic – with some roads closed off to cars.
In Kings Heath, roads meeting the High Street have been given modal filters restricting access to the roads to only allow pedestrians and cyclists through.
The measures in place at York Road have proved divisive with some businesses in favour of the changes and some against.
Speaking at a Birmingham City Council Cabinet meeting yesterday (June 29), Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Jon Hunt (Lib Dem, Perry Barr) said: “There was no public consultation when they were implemented and in some areas it has caused a lot of stress and upset.
“Given the record of the department in public consultation on controversial schemes, what will be the weight of that consultation?
“Will there be consideration to abandoning schemes which attract overwhelming hostility from the public?
“I think there are opportunities to do schemes elsewhere where people may want them because of course these were put in centrally – nobody was consulted around the city in terms of who wanted schemes and who didn’t.
“It may be that if you put a broader question out of who would like the schemes and projects of this kind, people would volunteer and come forward and say that our neighbourhood desperately needs them.
“[…] Given the cabinet member’s own stated view that consultation is not a referendum, what assurances will he give to people taking part in these public consultations that they will be listened to?”
Cllr Zaffar said in response the schemes could potentially be withdrawn though this would have a “hindering impact on air quality and residents”.
He said: “Back last summer we were asked by Government to bring forward plans to deliver tranche one of the Active Travel Fund and deliver those works within eight weeks, restricting the length of the consultation that we would have.
“By and large, most of the schemes that we delivered through the first tranche of the Active Travel Fund were very, very successful. There were some issues and we did move very quickly to address some of those issues.”
He said the Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) in Lozells have been “incredibly welcomed” and said the measures were particularly improving road safety outside schools.
But he said: “In Kings Heath there have been some challenges largely caused by some utilities work. Now that utilities works have concluded I think we can safely say that things have massively improved on roads outside the LTN.
“Things are improving but we are not going to rest on our laurels. There is an executive board which has been set up for the Kings Heath LTN that has member involvement of those members directly impacted by this project.
“We have always been open and transparent with our residents where we have to make changes, we will do so – these are temporary measures.
“If it means we have to withdraw a scheme because it is not successful and it does not have the support of the community – as a hindering impact on air quality and on residents, we will do so.
“I don’t think we are in that place in Kings Heath but if we do get to that place we will take the necessary action.”
Article originally appeared on Birmingham Live.
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