Ward End community campaigners urging action over ‘death trap’ road

Community campaigners are demanding urgent action be taken to improve traffic management on main city road where people have died and suffered serious injuries.

There have been several dangerous incidents on Washwood Heath Road in Ward End and particular concerns raised about Mickleover Road, a small cut through off the main road.

The latest tragic fatality happened on Tuesday (April 5) when Irshad Begum, aged in her 80s, was killed. Her death follows that of a 19 year-old who died in December 2021 when a Seat Ibiza overturned near the junction of Sladefield Road. In September 2020, 59 year old great-grandfather Andell Goulbourne was killed on the road.

Residents, Kam and Adi, of Mickleover Road have urged Birmingham City Council to take action.

They are being backed by Hodge Hill Labour MP Liam Byrne who has written to the council and included a draft plan which he believes could help.

Birmingham City Council has told BirminghamWorld that it will assess the area for inclusion in a Local safety scheme for 2022/23.

What have the community campaigners said?

“It’s not just about us, it’s about the wider community. It’s about their safety.” Says Kam, who was standing beside Washwood Heath Road joined by a police officer only a day before the fatal hit-and-run crash that killed beloved 80-year old mother Irshad Begum

“It’s a 30mph road and some of these cars are treating it like a racetrack” he said.

“I told that policewoman, somebody’s going to die on this road.”  And the very next day, less than 24 hours after that interaction, Irshad Begum was knocked down while crossing the street near the BP petrol station.

Kam says, “Where the lady was knocked down and died, another man was killed in the exact same spot a few years ago.”

The member of parliament for Hodge Hill (the constituency which Ward End comes under), Liam Byrne, has drafted an action plan with input from residents, including Kam and Adi, outlining work that needs to be done to make the area around Washwood Heath Road safer.

Liam Byrne points out in the Parliamentary letter, there have been at least seven accidents in recent months on the Mickleover Road alone, and urges the council’s highway department to reconstruct speed bumps. It also mentions dangerous parking behaviour which needs to be enforced.

MP Byrne said in his letter to parliament, “I want to ensure our community is the best area to live and grow up. Residents have raised concern over the state of Mickleover Road.”

What has Birmingham City Council said about the petition to make Washwood Heath Road safer?

A Birmingham City Council spokesperson told BirminghamWorld: “Washwood Heath Road - between Asquith Road and St Joseph Road - in Ward End will be assessed for inclusion in the Local Safety Scheme for 2022/23, following a petition submitted to city council on 1 February 2022 on behalf of local residents, and further concerns raised since the tragic incident on 5 April 2022.

“All requests for traffic calming measures have to meet a threshold of nine recorded road traffic collisions involving injuries per kilometre over a three year period. This location meets that threshold, so investigations will be carried out to see whether a local safety scheme may reduce collisions and improve safety along this road.”

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