Councillor Claire Spencer has launched a day of action on Saturday 21 October about parking locally. She has asked us to inform residents and is requesting that people actively support it by printing off a petition sheet and getting signatures on or around their own street. The petition says:

“We, the undersigned, would like Birmingham City Council to explore the possibility of a Kings Heath-wide residents’ parking scheme, to include Newport Road, as part of a collection of measures (including improved public transport and cycling routes) to reduce parking pressure on our streets.”

Claire says:

“Our parking issues in Moseley, Kings Heath and beyond stem from having more cars than there is space for cars. And while I think we all understand that public transport needs to improve for this to happen, there is no solution to these issues that does not involve people giving up (some of) their cars.

“However, streets without driveways near to the centres of both Moseley and Kings Heath are finding it harder to park anywhere near their homes, and I understand (living as I do on Addison Road) the frustration that that brings. People are increasingly telling me that they would like residents parking, and I would like to make a case to Birmingham City Council’s Highways Department that they should start to work out how that could work.

“So, on Saturday October 21st, I would like people to volunteer to collect signatures from their street to make the case for a residents parking scheme in Moseley, and another in Kings Heath.

“It will work like this:

1. Email me on claire.spencer@birmingham.gov.uk to let me know which street (or part of a street) you plan to do, and with whom;
2. I will let you know if anyone else has already signed up to do that street so that you can work together in such a case, and direct you to the petition sheets;
3. On Saturday October 21st, you take your sheets and gather as many signatures as possible;
4. Make arrangements to return them to me — either by dropping them at my house or at Moseley Exchange;
5. I will present the petitions to Full Council in November, for the attention of the Cabinet Member and the Highways Department.”

Full information is on Claire’s blog.

Feel free to leave comments here but it might be best also to send them directly to Claire Spencer at the email address above.