Red Route brochure uploaded

As part of the debate on congestion along the A435 (Alcester Road South, Alcester Road and Moseley Road)

 

I've uploaded a brochure I have been sent at - http://www.martinmullaney.co.uk/red-route-brochure.html

 

There is also another website giving more details on Red Routes in the West Midlands at http://westmidlandsltp.gov.uk/associated-groups/red-routes/

 

At the moment, Birmingham City Council are preparing a bid to the Department for Transport for the next phase of Red Routes in the city. The routes being examined are the Alcester Road corridor, Hagley Road, Dudley Road and Warwick Road.

 

If the bid is successful, then the intention is to start cnsultation in 2010/11 with implementation in 2012.

 

If however, there is a particular corridor were residents are supportive of a Red Route, then a much cheaper version would be done using Council funds - this could be installed in 2010. In this version present double yellow lines would be replaced with double red lines - loading bays and disabled bays would also be installed

Double yellow lines along the A435

As part of the debate on congestion along the A435 (Alcester Road South, Alcester Road and Moseley), I have been asked a series question by residents about  why we do not enforce double yellow lines more strictly.

 

The answer to this is that there are limitations to how much double yellow lines can be enforced. All the double yellow lines along the A435 allow loading and unloading outside peak hours. This means that we can’t issue tickets straight away to someone parked on double yellows outside peak hours – instead the parking attendant has to observe the car for 5 minutes to prove it is not loading or unloading. This is why tickets are rarely issued to anyone using the various cash point machines, whilst parked on double yellows. Or why tickets are rarely issued to parents parked on double yellows outside schools who are picking up children.

 

It would be possible to lengthen the restricted hours for loading and unloading on the A435 – for example preventing loading or unloading along Kings Heath High Street between 7am and 7pm. However, this would negatively impact on disabled drivers and shops that do not have rear loading bays (which is about 10% of the shops on Kings Heath High Street). We would therefore have to install disabled bays and loading bays for the shops. There would require a considerable amount of negotiation with the shops to make sure the loading bays were in the right place.  

 

To explain this matter further, I asked the City’s Traffic Manager a series of questions on double and single yellow lines via e-mail.

 

Below is my e-mail and the response from the Traffic Manager.

 

My question is as follows:

 

Does Birmingham have any double yellow lines which are 'no loading at any time' and have two yellow marks on the kerb?

 

In Moseley the double yellow lines have no loading 7.45am to 9.15am and 4.30pm to 6.45pm. If a car is parked on these double yellows during these times, say 8.30am, will a traffic warden ticket them straight away or will the traffic warden observe the car for 5 minutes and then ticket them?

 

Just to confirm - if a car is parked outside these loading restricted times, say 2pm, a traffic warden will observe the car for 5 minutes and then ticket them?

 

During legal loading times, how long are the following vehicles allowed to unload for:

private car

commercial van

motorcycle courier

Heavy goods vehicle

coach/bus

 

 

The answer is as follows:

 

 

Dear Councillor Mullaney,

 

Road Markings indicating Waiting and Loading Restrictions

 

I refer to your e-mail of 15^th October.

 

On the ground, waiting restrictions are indicated by double or single yellow lines.  A double yellow line indicates a continuous ‘prohibition of waiting’ and does not require a sign to be in place as well.

 

A single yellow line indicates any period of ‘no waiting’ other than ‘at any time’ and requires a sign to be in place to advise drivers when the periods of no waiting are in force.

 

With respect to loading restrictions, these are also marked by a system of double or single yellow blips at the footway edge adjacent to the channel.  The double blip indicates ‘no loading at any time’ and the single blip indicates ‘no loading’ for a period less than ‘at any time’.  In both cases, however, signs are required to advise drivers of the restriction in place.

 

With regard to the queries raised in your e-mail, there are locations within the City where a Traffic Regulation Order has been made to prohibit waiting and loading at any time.

 

If a vehicle is parked on double or single yellow lines where there is a loading restriction then a penalty charge notice may be issued immediately. 

 

If a vehicle is parked on a single or double yellow line outside the loading/unloading restriction it is usual for a five minute observation period to lapse before any further action is taken.  The purpose of this observation period is to check whether the vehicle is only waiting or whether loading or unloading is taking place.

 

A period of up to twenty minutes is generally given for any class of vehicle, car, van or lorry to load/unload within a permitted period, although discretion is allowed if the vehicle is not causing an obstruction and additional time is required.  If an obstruction is being caused the driver may be asked to relocate the vehicle to a more suitable location to load/unload.

 

Vehicles displaying a disabled person’s badge have an exemption to allow them to wait on double or single yellow lines except when a loading restriction is also in operation or if the vehicle is likely to cause danger or obstruction to passing traffic.

 

On red routes, however, the basic control is ‘no stopping’, although there are certain exemptions mainly in marked bays. 

 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

Traffic Manager

new system of litter picking in Moseley and Kings Heath Ward

As of the 1st August 2008, the way litter is picked in Moseley and Kings
Heath Ward has changed. I have uploaded a series of  maps at
http://www.martinmullaney.co.uk/litter-picking.html which show the new
system of working.

Prior to these changes, the way litter was picked was very inefficent.
Litter picking was done along fixed routes, with no room for flexiblity.
Only half the roads in the Ward were litter picked. Also, litter pickers
only picked off specified types of land - one litter picker picked litter
off pavements, another off grass verges, another one picked off shop
frontages and occasionally someone would pick litter from underneath bushes.
To make things even more complicated, litter pickers would come from
different depots and have different line managers. In short no single person
had overall responsiblity for reducing litter in the Ward. From my
perspective, as a local Councillor, I had to keep a group of maps showing
which depot individual litter pickers came from, so I could forward any
issues raised by residents - it was a nightmare.

After negotiations with the Trade Unions, the litter picking has changed.

All litter picking, refuse collection, recycling collection and litter bins
now comes under one line manager. That line manager will try to come to as
many public meetings as possible so that any concerns by the public can be
raised with him. The Moseley Street Wardens now have his mobile number, so
any issues they see they can raised immediately with him.

The litter pickers are now working in groups and pick litter whatever land
it is on. Also, the objective is to litter pick all roads in the Ward and
have the flexiblity to focus on 'litter hotspots'.

Councillor update on Planning Applications of importance in Moseley & Kings Heath Ward – Thursday 16^th October 2008

 

Below is my own personal list of planning applications that I am keeping an eye on, due to residents raising concerns with me or the applications clearly being contentious.

 

Drawings and further details on each of these planning application is available on-line at http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=67548&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=12189

 

The planning applications

 

S/07766/07/FUL - 169 Alcester Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8JR - Conversion & alterations to existing building & erection of single & two storey rear ext to create 4 apartments - Approved -

Decision date - 14/08/2008

S/01222/08/LDE -  25 Mayfield Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 9HJ - certificate of lawfulness for the subdivision of 25 Mayfield Road into 6 self contained flats - Under consideration

 

S/02289/08/FUL - 9 Goodby Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8RH - Erection of two storey side and rear extension, conservatory and alteration to porch - Approve – Conditions. Decision date

14/08/2008

 

S/02363/08/FUL - 148 Alcester Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8HS - Alterations to existing shop front – Refused. Decision date - 22/08/2008

 

S/02517/08/FUL -  46 Billesley Lane, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 9QS - Erection of 1 No. 4 bedroom detached dwelling house  - Approve – Conditions. Decision date - 09/09/2008

 

S/02356/08/FUL - 582 Moseley Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B12 9AA - Construction of 3 storey rear steel structures providing additional office floor space. Removal of internal walls. - Approve – Conditions. Decision date - 25/09/2008

 

S/02466/08/FUL - 148 Alcester Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8HS - Erection of single storey rear extension to shop, with external staircase to rear – Refuse. Decision date - 22/08/2008

 

S/03742/08/FUL - 2a Church Road, Moseley Care Ltd t/a Fakir Chemist & PO, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 9AG - Erection of ground-floor front extension and first-floor side extension  -  Refuse. Decision date - 11/09/2008

 

S/03643/08/FUL - 36 Mayfield Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 9HH - Demolish external store, erect single storey rear extension & convert existing 2-bed flat to 2x1-bed flats at ground floor -  Refuse. Decision date - 27/08/2008

 

S/03093/08/ADV - 120-126 Alcester Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8EE - Display of 2 no. non- illuminated freestanding hoarding boards  - Approve Temporary. Decision date - 08/09/2008

 

S/02989/08/FUL -  48 Dads Lane, Kings Heath, Birmingham, B13 8PQ - Change of use from retail (A1) to a hot food take-away (A5). – Refuse. Decision date - 10/09/2008

 

S/02357/08/LBC - 582 Moseley Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B12 9AA - Construction of 3 storey rear steel structures providing office floor space. Removal of internall walls,raise floor  - Approve – Conditions. Decision date - 25/09/2008

 

S/03924/08/FUL - 25 Belle Walk, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 9DE - Erection of single storey rear extension and store room to rear garden - Approve – Conditions. Decision date - 26/09/2008

 

S/03017/08/FUL - Alcester Road, Moseley Hall Hospital, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 - Erection of 54-bed older adult mental health facility including therapy, outpatients & community base accommodation  -  Approve – Conditions. Decision date - 20/08/2008

 

S/04765/08/FUL - 113-115 Station Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham, B14 7TA - Erection of single storey rear extension  - Under consideration