'A complete misery' – council slammed over Perry Barr date

And he has joined several other local politicians and residents in condemning the council over its decision to remove the flyover, with an official date for the demolition announced on November 30.

But the council has said that several claims from protesters made on social media are ‘false’ or ‘misleading’ and said it wanted to set the record straight.

The removal of the Perry Barr flyover will go ahead as part of Phase 2 of a host of improvements the council says it is making to the local area, with work on Perry Barr rail station and the introduction of a Sprint bus route along the A34 also part of the plans.

However the proposals have been met with much opposition from local residents, who are concerned about the impact the works could have on the local area.

Cabinet member for Transport and the Environment Councillor Waseem Zaffar admitted that there would be delays along the route during the works, with motorists urged to plan ahead and use alternative routes if possible.

Annette Perreira, who has campaigned against the plans with the A34 Safety Action Group from the off, says it is a ‘travesty’ that the views of local people weren’t considered more strongly.

“We wish the people having to deliver the project the best of luck, and pray that no one loses their life because they can’t get medical attention or care during the disruption,” she said.

“No traffic measures will help us to get from Walsall Road to Hamstead to support our vulnerable 83-year-old mother at least twice a day.

“It’s a travesty that local people voicing overwhelming (80 per cent) opposition democratically have been dismissed by the council, with the statement: ‘This is a consultation not a referendum’.

“The authorities have much to answer for with a litany of questionable decisions and actions.

“Why are the people of North Birmingham paying the price when the financial benefits will go to the already affluent areas of Solihull and Leamington Spa?

“It’s simply not fair.”

The A34 Safety Action Group has been supported throughout their campaign by local MP Khalid Mahmood and local councillor Jon Hunt, with several protests and petitions organised by the two.

And both have once again criticised the council for its handling of the flyover issue, with Councillor Hunt calling on the council to reconsider.

“After a miserable 2020, Birmingham City Council has just announced plans to make 2021 even more miserable for residents of north Birmingham and around Perry Barr,” he said.

“I attended a briefing earlier today (Nov 30) and it was quite clear that the effects of closure next year are going to be far reaching, even if the pandemic continues and the roads remain relatively quiet.

“Although we now have firm dates there is still time for the authorities to reconsider, something they have stubbornly refused to do in spite of all the changing circumstances of this year.

“Flyover demolition is not needed and, from all the evidence, is largely being undertaken to support a high density housing project about which there are now huge questions.

“It is not just the city council that should reconsider. Questions need to be asked about why large amounts of government housing money are being spent on this piece of municipal vandalism, taking out a piece of road structure that works to keep traffic moving through a busy bottleneck junction.”

“When the bids were being prepared for the Commonwealth Games I was the first one to say that we should bid for this because it is a huge opportunity for Birmingham, and particularly Perry Barr to benefit from regeneration, economic growth, additional housing and an event that the whole city and the country would be proud of,” added Khalid Mahmood MP.

“All we have seen so far is the council floundering from one failure to another.

“The original plans were that the demolition of the flyover would be carried out to assist with the transfer of the athletes from the village to the stadium. However the council still continues on its plans to demolish the flyover for no apparent rhyme or reason other than because they said they would originally. This has been done with no business / employment impact assessment, no consultation on installation of CTC and ANPR Cameras, no impact survey on dispersal of traffic to local areas , no air quality assessment for local residents, no consultation on school transport, no assessment of impact on people with disabilities, no assessment on impact on carers and those cared for.

“This was to be a grand legacy for the people of Perry Barr. Instead it will leave for the future generation a complete misery.”

And leader of the council’s Conservative group, Councillor Robert Alden also criticised the announcement, saying: “The reckless decision to plough ahead with the demolition of the flyover shows just how little the council understand North Birmingham. They are condemning residents and the roads of North Birmingham to gridlock and increased pollution for at least a year, while spending over £25 million of tax payers money to remove the flyover.

“While they are gambling that they can actually finish this work in time for the commonwealth games or they will have made it virtually impossible to get to the games. Given they are delivering an athletes village that will never house an athlete that is a big risk.”

Responding to the statements, the council said in a statement: “The decision to construct the A34 Perry Barr highway improvement scheme was taken back in December last year, and attempts to challenge that decision in the courts proved unsuccessful. A significant amount of work has been undertaken to ensure that the impact of the work on local residents, businesses and visitors is minimised.

“Yesterday (Nov 30) Birmingham City Council announced dates and plans for Phase 2 of the scheme. Since the announcement, campaigners have made several misleading claims on social media.

“These claims have been made without context or supporting evidence. Therefore, in order to set the record straight, please find below the claims and our rebuttal.

“Claim 1: No employment/business impact assessment

“Misleading. The regeneration of Perry Barr will present significant benefits and opportunities to businesses. We have maintained a dialogue with businesses throughout the works so far and will continue to do this. During Phase 2, we are keeping access open to all businesses so that there will be no business interruptions. We are also implementing a significant programme of mitigations to minimise any impact on journey times.

“Claim 2: No consultation on installation of CCTV or ANPR cameras

“False. Working with West Midlands Police, all residents within 100m of a new CCTV and ANPR camera have been consulted in accordance with national guidelines, and nearly 2,000 letters have been sent to local residents about the works. Local councillors were also included in this engagement.

“Claim 3: No impact survey on dispersal of traffic to local areas

“False. The entire mitigation programme has been guided by an evidence-based impact assessment. This has allowed us to effectively target mitigation activities.

“Claim 4: No air quality assessment for local residents

“False. An Air Quality assessment has been carried out for the full scheme and was included in the Full Business Case. It showed that the scheme would drive air quality benefits to local residents.

“Claim 5: No consultation on school transport

“False. We are engaging with schools and other education venues to help them with travel advice as part of our Traffic Demand Management engagement plans. Our contractor Tarmac has employed a full-time public liaison officer to ensure businesses and schools are being considered throughout the duration of the works.

“Claim 6: No assessment of impact on people with disabilities

“Misleading. The A34 Perry Barr highway improvement scheme will provide significant improvements to those with disabilities by improving step-free access and making footways wider.

“Claim 7: No assessment on impact on carers and those cared for

“Misleading. The mitigation works aim to minimise the impact on all occupations. Our Traffic Demand Management strategy aims to encourage people who are able to take alternative routes or modes of transport to do so, and free-up space on the roads for people who do not have an alternative means of travel.”