Widespread speed camera use unaffordable - council

Birmingham City Council has said the widespread use of speed cameras is "not affordable"

Birmingham City Council has accepted the widespread use of speed cameras is "not affordable" as it unveils a major road safety plan.

The authority declared a road safety emergency last summer amid fears over the number of people killed or seriously injured on the city's roads.

Majid Mahmood, the cabinet member for transport, is set to announce the council's Road Harm Reduction Strategy at a cabinet meeting next week.

He said the plans will form a "blueprint for safer roads across Birmingham".

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Mr Mahmood said: "We need a new approach to respond to this road safety emergency, driving down harm and making our roads and streets safer for all users.

"It is clear that citizens want to see more enforcement and harsher consequences for drivers behaving illegally, irresponsibly or inconsiderately."

But he said the widespread use of camera enforcement was not "affordable or practical".

"Speed enforcement cameras will only be deployed on the busiest classified roads in the city, where evidence suggests speeding and other antisocial driving behaviours cause consistent road harm risk," he added.

According to plans, rather than use cameras, the council will invest in infrastructure and use the Healthy Streets Approach, which champions good street design and proactive maintenance.

They are also aiming to pursue the Birmingham Transport Plan to reduce the speed limit in residential areas and where footfall is high to 20mph (32kmph).

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.