Kings Heath low traffic scheme to be made permanent

Some streets like York Road have been closed off to traffic

A low traffic scheme, which has caused some businesses to consider moving, is set to be made permanent.

Measures under the Kings Heath Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN), led to the pedestrianisation of York Road and prevents cars using several roads.

Some businesses said the measures are having a detrimental impact on trade but other people enjoy the impact and praise the safer roads.

Birmingham City Council said it is developing a wider scheme.

The LTN, funded by money from central government, brought in to reduce air pollution, will be made permanent from 22 April.

It has had mixed reaction from people in Kings Heath, with some praising the atmosphere it has created, while others said it has created an increase in idling traffic.

Maurice Robinson Sports has been on York Road since 1948

The existing measures will remain in place until summer, with some revisions including traffic calming on Billesley Lane and the reopening of the right turn into the A435 Alcester Road from Vicarage Road, to ease traffic.

But Wendy Bill, of Maurice Robinson Sports, said she is looking to leave York Road as "customers are finding it so difficult" to come to her shop due to the scheme.

Mrs Bill, whose parents founded Maurice Robinson Sports in 1948 said: "There is not any passing trade, customers are finding it so difficult to come to Kings Heath, the traffic jams are awful and there is nowhere to park."

David Bursey said he was losing £3,000 a month due to the drop in passing trade

David Bursey of Kings Heath Computers, ran his business on York Road for 20 years, but in December moved to Poplar Road.

"I was about to go bankrupt, I was losing £3,000 a month," he said.

"Before the barriers came up, people would park at the end of York Road, walk down to shop in Kings Heath, then walk back up York Road and everyone saw my shop twice going backwards and forwards.

"After the barriers, there was no one."

Mr Bursey made the decision to leave York Road in December and said the business has "turned around"

The move, he said has been "fantastic", adding: "It really has turned the business around again."

Mr Bursey said, instead of fully pedestrianising York Road, there should have been barriers which came up at certain times of day, to reduce usage of the road but also "allowed shops to trade".

Mary McTernan of Mankind barbers said the area "used to be vibrant, but now all of that has gone".

Mary McTernan, who has been at Mankind barbers on Poplar Road for 21 years, said she had also lost a lot of footfall and is worried about the future.

"People are constantly saying they're not coming in to Kings Heath to do any shopping because it is painful to drive," she said.

"I drive in, my journey has gone from taking eight minutes to sometimes up to 40 minutes so how it is better for emissions I struggle to see but from a business point of view, this road now is desolate.

"Last Monday we did two haircuts for the whole day, that doesn't cover anybody's wages."

Butcher Stephen Hems said his business has seen a 30% drop in footfall

Stephen Hems from Johnstans Butchers on High Street added: "What all this is doing is pushing all the traffic down the main road, blocking off the side roads and it is just causing chaos, it is just killing high streets basically.

"We have had about a 30% footfall drop on the High Street.

"There is people saying to me they're not coming because they can't park, they are caught in traffic, it is horrendous, it is just ridiculous really."

Jim Smithson said the scheme has made the area much safer for pedestrians and cyclists

Jim Smithson, from volunteer group Better Streets for Birmingham, said the changes have made it much easier for people to walk and cycle into the shops, and made roads and junctions in Kings Heath a lot safer.

"From a personal perspective, my daughter has just started independently walking to school along Howard Road, she can walk there without any parents which before wouldn't have been possible," he added.

While the scheme has also helped link Kings Heath and Moseley, his group are now calling for better connectivity between other areas of Birmingham to allow people to walk or cycle for shorter journeys, as well as schemes to aid access for people with disabilities.

Ashfield Road resident Jacqui Hancock said her family has moved their daughter's nursery to one within walking distance since the introduction of the LTN which has meant they use the car less.

"Safety-wise I feel like there has been a big improvement," she said.

"I also feel much more confident walking with my three-year-old along the streets.

"I feel like there is an improvement to the air quality, it does feel fresher as we walk up to the nursery each day."