YOU SAID, WE DID! Elmdon Community Concerns Update #1

Good Evening Elmdon Residents,

Following on from my recent message sent regarding local Elmdon Community Concerns, I would like to update you with some progress we have made and recent actions taken.

1.) I have liaised with Solihull Council and West Midlands Police's Road Safety Team regarding speeding concerns highlighted on Hobs Moat Road. We have been informed of the below response from the Council:

“To allow initial consideration of a site for ASE cameras there must be a demonstrable history of collisions where speed was a contributory factor. It also has to be demonstrated that 85%ile speeds are in excess of a certain threshold. The 85%ile speed is the existing speed at which over 85% of motorists travel on the road. The last collision review of the Borough did not highlight either Hobs Moat Road, or Old Lode Lane, as routes where the required requisites were met. Therefore, these roads are not appropriate routes for consideration of such an intervention at the present time. The latest collision review of the Borough is currently being undertaken. The study will continue to inform of the latest situation of all roads within Solihull including Hobs Moat Road and Old Lode Lane.”

What this means is that the Hobs Moat Road area is not currently flagging as an area which would meet the criteria for excess speed in comparison to other roads across the entire Solihull Borough, however, this will be continually assessed. This is also compared to the number of Road Traffic Collisions recorded, with this area not flagging as a current concern. Whilst Police cannot install speed cameras and enforcement as this is lead by the council, we would encourage you to contact your local councillors to raise these concerns should they continue.

2.) Parking issues have been raised near to the end of Hobs Moat Road and Coventry Road at the Wheatsheaf Junction. Councillor McCarthy has spoken with other Council members and clarified that this area of concern falls on the boundary covered by SHELDON NHT in BIRMINGHAM rather that myself covering LEOS. This has been passed over to the local policing team for their awareness. However, we can confirm from the local Traffic Enforcement Team that "this is a frequently patrolled location with the CEOs passing the area throughout the day when returning to base. Arrangements have been made to show an increased presence. Please note that the feedback we are getting from the CEOs is that the issues tend to be primarily on the Birmingham City Council side. NSL, who also operate in Birmingham, have also been notified of the parking problems."

3.) Further parking issues in the area of VALLEY ROAD and RANGOON ROAD have also been highlighted. We have received this update from the relevant authority:

"Following previous requests, a proposed 20mph and traffic calming scheme for Valley Road has been included on the Local Network Implementation Plan (LNIP). The LNIP is a list of traffic schemes following requests from residents and motorists. All schemes on the LNIP are ranked annually on several factors including the roads collision history. The LNIP prioritisation process was undertaken earlier this year and the outcomes reported to the decision session of the cabinet member in March. The outcome for this site (LNIP38) resulted in it being retained on the reserve list for future consideration. Therefore, there is no definitive timescale for its introduction at the present time."

This scheme in turn would have a positive impact on RANGOON ROAD also and all neighbouring streets should it be implemented in the future.

4.) We have also been updated by Councillor McCarthy that Solihull Council did put aside some funding a few years ago for a solution to stop the volume of traffic within this area including looking at it being a LTN with the two halves of Valley Road/Rangoon separated at the Streamside bridge. However, this would have caused unacceptable delays for the emergency services. There was also a suggestion to cut off Wells Road or Glencroft Road access to Coventry Road but when these were put out to consultation there was a lot of opposition as it would have caused a huge de-tour for residents in the area getting to work which again is an area which must be assessed. The council have not been able to find a solution which is appropriate and viable, but they are still open to any suggestions that weren’t covered by the consultation. The emergency services access would need to take precedence to ensure the safety of all residents where any road layout changes are made.

5.) Following reports of increased parking near to VALLEY PRIMARY SCHOOL, we have increased patrols in this area in and around the open and close of school times. This morning, we did not note any issues but conducted hi-vis patrols in this area ready to move any person on and seize vehicles if they are causing an unnecessary obstruction. If you see myself or our local PCSO out and about, please say hello!

Please rest assured that we are constantly working behind the scenes and collaborating with partner agencies in response to concerns which are highlighted to us. Please continue to keep us and your local councillors updated of local concerns so we can take action.

Thank you again everyone for your time.

Regards,

Dan