£600k spent and drivers ignored

More than £600,000 was spent drawing up plans to cut traffic jams on the notorious Birchley Island - only for council officers to go against the views of motorists.

Councillors will make a final decision on proposals to overhaul the roundabout, which is used by around 92,000 drivers a day, at a meeting tomorrow night.

Motorists and business owners have called for improvements to the often congested roundabout in Oldbury, near junction two of the M5.

But the scheme preferred by most motorists has been dismissed by officers who claim it would fail to halt traffic jams.

Four options were devised which went out to consultation. In total, 779 people responded through questionnaires with a further 350 comments posted to Sandwell Council through Facebook.

The majority of people were in favour of a proposal, costing £12.9m, which would create a traffic junction similar to that at Burnt Tree on the Dudley and Sandwell border, which involves the widening of lanes.

But council officials have recommended that another of the options be developed instead.

Instead Wolverhampton Road would be extended on a new roadway through the roundabout to create a two-way 'hamburger' island with changes to lanes also introduced. That could cost around £12.7m.

How would you like to see Birchley Island improved? Join in the debate below.

In a report going to the cabinet members tomorrow night, council officers say £620,000 was spent on the business cases for the four options alongside the consultation.

Councillor Ian Jones, who is in charge of the borough's economy, said: "This is a multi-million pound scheme to ease traffic congestion at one of our busiest junctions and we have to consider all options. Currently one option has been recommended but we have not yet taken a final decision.

"The cost of putting together a detailed business plan to model a scheme of this scale is in the region of £600,000 of which the consultation was a very small amount covering the cost of printing leaflets."

UKIP West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge said: "It is hugely disappointing that council bosses have failed to listen to local motorists who were strongly in favour of one option to help tackle congestion.

"Council bosses are ploughing ahead with what they want, not what the people want, despite spending more than £600,000 on public consultation and the development of the four options. What a sham".