Demolition to go ahead despite lack of full cumulative impact assessment.
Labour-controlled Birmingham City Council are set to press ahead with the demolition of the A34 Perry Barr Flyover despite concerns from Highways England and neighbouring councils and in the face of overwhelming objections from local residents, according to the Conservative opposition group.
With the cabinet set to approve plans next week, Conservative Group Leader, Councillor Robert Alden (Con, Erdington) has criticised Council Leader Ian Ward’s intransigence and failure to carry out a full assessment of the cumulative impact of the works on the A34 corridor.
Councillor Alden said, “Highways England, Walsall Council and Sandwell Council have all raised concerns about the lack of appropriate traffic modelling of the scheme and asked for more work to be down on the impact this could have on a key part of the region’s road network. Sadly we can add these three organisations, alongside the Mayor of the West Midlands and the residents and businesses of Perry Barr, to the list of people that Cllr Ward thinks he knows better than.
“The arrogance of Labour’s blinkered pursuit of this ridiculous proposal threatens the successful delivery of the Commonwealth Games as well as a much more longer lasting negatives impact on the region’s roads. It also threatens to further undermine the Council’s relationship with residents and partnership by reinforcing what Lord Kerslake described as the ‘we know best’ culture of the council.”
