Solihull: Dangerous Church Hill Road declared special case for safety action after two children hit by car
A Solihull road is to be looked at as a “special case” for safety improvements after a crash in which teenagers were injured.
Mike Doyle, a former chief superintendent at West Midlands Police, made his latest desperate plea for action on a stretch of Church Hill Road, near Solihull town centre, where he fears someone will be killed.
As the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported in April, Mr Doyle told councillors speeding was so bad that residents were selling up. A crash happened days later.
“On May 9 two young children were making their way home from school and were mowed down by a speeding driver who mounted the pavement and struck the children face-on,” Mr Doyle told a council meeting.
“One child was catapulted over the windscreen of the vehicle and the other knocked into the side of the carriageway – they both received significant injuries.”
Coun Samantha Gethen, who represents the St Alphege ward in which the road sits, said: “I have been actively campaigning for over 18 months now. We have seen some interventions – repainting of white lines, new signage, the placement of a speed visor on Church Hill Road.
“These are welcome steps but sadly have not gone far enough. Local police have also played a role through periodic traffic enforcement. Despite all these combined efforts the fundamental issue remains unresolved – Church Hill Road continues to be a hazardous stretch.
“This year alone there have been two extremely serious incidents that highlight the urgency of the situation .”
Officer Paul Tovey, the council’s head of service for highway services, told the meeting there was an “emerging trend” in the road which was why action was being considered.
“The report is not asking to approve a traffic calming scheme at the moment, the funding just isn’t available,” he stressed.
But Coun Kathyrn Thomas highlighted that typically all roads in the borough were reviewed under a bi-annual road safety priority setting process, questioning why Church Hill was being singled out for special treatment.
“We are all disappointed when we don’t get the schemes in our wards, but the process is fair,” she added.
Coun Max McLoughlin said: “I know this stretch of road very well – I know how emotive these things are. I’m trying to understand the special case here.”
Mr Tovey said a factor was the number of pedestrians in the area going to school and college.
“The 30mph in Church Hill Road on the approach to the two bends, you’d expect drivers to be slowing down,” he said. “There were several individuals going at 45 plus which is quite high.”
Coun Ken Hawkins, the cabinet member, said: “I want to reiterate there is nothing funded yet. It was my decision to bring this forward as a special case. In all my years, I have never done this – we will see (what happens) moving forward.”
Coun Hawkins agreed to consider it a special case, approve the development of a traffic calming scheme and seek funding for it, and for the item to be reviewed at a future meeting after residents had been consulted.
The meeting of the cabinet portfolio holder’s environment and infrastructure decision session was held virtually on July 3 and can be watched back on the authority’s website at democracy.solihull.gov.uk.