Here are this week’s issues people have been writing in about…..
Solution needed
I RECENTLY read your news article regarding reducing the traffic speed limit on the A38 through Stoke Heath down to 30mph.
There is a similar issue on Perryfields Road. It is part 30mph on the residential stretch from the Stourbridge Road end but this goes up to national speed limit for a very short section, which then reduces to 30mph by the new school rear entrance, and then goes briefly back to national speed limit and then back to 30mph. No one does 30mph in the middle section, because it is so short.
Perryfields Road, 30 years ago, used to be fairly quiet but since the number of housing estates has increased in Bromsgrove and the population has risen by more than 50 per cent, it is used as a ‘rat run’ for all sorts of vehicles.
During rush hour has become normal for long queues at both ends. Generally high volumes of traffic on narrow restricted roads help keep speed limits down, but on the off-peak times it turns into a racetrack, especially in the evening when motorists hammer along in fast accelerating cars at speeds in excess of 50mph.
There are various speed signs on the Stourbridge Road, Woodrow Lane and Golden Cross Lane, flashing red when motorists exceed 30mph.
Also, Broad Street has had speed bumps installed to reduce speeding cars which, although a nuisance to motorists, has certainly worked very well in calming the traffic speeds.
Perryfields Road is supposed to be closed off in the next five years by developers ‘Taylor Wimpey’ and diverted traffic will pass through the new ‘Sanders View’ housing estate.
These are the developers’ proposals but I know this is never going to happen due to many other hidden factors.
The much-needed Western Relief Road is never going to be built, despite it being an ongoing request for decades to take traffic off Perryfields Road and Broad Street as Bromsgrove town continues to expand.
Due to errors and no-one wanting to spend the money, we have all the current traffic problems which are only going to get much worse.
In short we need to act now to make Perryfields Road 30mph for its entire length and to introduce traffic calming measures to stop the ‘boy racers’ using it as a race track and to bring the Western Relief Road back on the table for re-discussion.
My main concerns are – safety to cyclists on this National Cycle route, excessive speeds and dangerous driving and the lack of a footpath on Perryfields Road.
Surprisingly there are a large number of motorists who do stick to the speed limit, which is very reassuring, but it’s the few that have a total disregard for the speed limits which make it dangerous.
What can be done now and who do I contact to express my views to?
Lorenzo Buratti
Long-time Perryfields Road resident
Plenty of action
IF ANYONE could light up a Labour conference, it would have to be our fantastic Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
After 14 years of the Tories destroying our country and letting crime rule the roost, at last we have a Home Secretary fit for purpose ready to bring about the change our country so desperately needs.
Tory commissioners like Donna Jones and former Home Secretaries like Suella Braverman can try all they like to put a spin on their failures but all we had from the Tories for 14 years was talk and dog whistling and pandering to the political right.
So I say thank you and fully welcome the newly proposed respect orders set to be rolled out in 2025 to keep anti-social louts off our streets.
I also welcome the enabling of police to seize and destroy dangerous off-road bikes more quickly. Thus replacing the need for warning after warning under the current failing system.
And I welcome Labour’s manifesto pledge to introduce 13,000 additional police and PCSOs, with guaranteed local patrols, and a taskforce to tackle robberies carried out with knives.
The Tories were all talk.
As change begins, Labour is all action.
Geoffrey Brooking
Protecting posties
SADLY, there has been a rise of at least 15 per cent of dog attacks on postal workers and delivery drivers over the past year.
No-one should be vulnerable to being attacked by a dog, let alone when they are doing their job.
If dog owners have any concerns about their pet when visitors come to the home or when mail is delivered through the letterbox, may I strongly recommend that you sign up to take part in the Blue Cross ‘Protecting Your Postie’ webinar on September 27 or December 16.
The free course takes place on Zoom and lasts for about an hour.
It will explain why dogs act in a certain way when postal workers arrive and the consequences of any incidents that occur.
It will also deliver measures to help manage a dog’s behaviour and where further help can be found.
Visit bluecross.org.uk/protecting-your-postie to protect your postie and sign up on the charity’s website today.
Chris Packham
Blue Cross Education Ambassador
Editor’s comment
BROMSGROVE District Council’s response to the government’s proposed new housing target will resonate with the majority of residents.
Yes there is a housing crisis and more homes – and affordable properties – are needed.
But they have to be in the right places – the district already suffers from way more traffic congestion and lack of services than other towns because of already built new homes.
And if this is not done right, it will get far worse.
