> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.betterstreetsforbirmingham.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # September 2026 Newsletter - URL: https://www.betterstreetsforbirmingham.org/post/august-2026-newsletter-2/ - Published: 2026-10-02T16:02:03.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-02T16:02:03.000Z - Author: Paul Manzotti - Tags: Newsletter Welcome to the September edition of the Better Streets for Birmingham newsletter. You can find all previous newsletters from July [on our website](https://www.betterstreetsforbirmingham.org/tag/newsletters/). ## Top 3 things to do Contact your councillor with any suggestions for projects which could be funded by the [Healthy Streets Ward Fund](https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/news/article/1825/investing%5Fin%5Fwalking%5Fcycling%5Fand%5Fpublic%5Ftransport%5Fand%5Fmaking%5Four%5Froads%5Fsafer?ref=betterstreetsforbirmingham.org). We strongly recommend suggesting modal filters and creating LTNs as the most cost-effective measure to significantly improve the safety of your streets. Respond to the consultations about existing school streets to give feedback and suggest improvements for [Cofton Primary and Anderton Park Primary](https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/bcc/ssj-improvements/?ref=betterstreetsforbirmingham.org) (deadline 9th October); [Cotteridge Primary, The Oval School and Whitehouse Common Primary](https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/bcc/ssj-improvements/?ref=betterstreetsforbirmingham.org) (deadline 9th October); [Blakesley Primary, Cottesbrooke Infant and Nursery, St Laurence Church Infant and St Michaels C of E Primary](https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/bcc/ss6/?ref=betterstreetsforbirmingham.org) (deadline 31st October) and respond to consultations about new Safer School Journey (SSJ) proposals for [Lift Lea Forest ](https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/bcc/ssj-leaforest/?ref=betterstreetsforbirmingham.org), [St Benedict's Primary](https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/bcc/ssj-stbenedicts/?ref=betterstreetsforbirmingham.org), [Thornton Primary](https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/bcc/ssj-thornton/?ref=betterstreetsforbirmingham.org), [Anglesey Primary ](https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/bcc/ssj-anglesey/?ref=betterstreetsforbirmingham.org), [Mayfield School](https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/bcc/ssj-mayfield/?ref=betterstreetsforbirmingham.org) and [Regents Park Community Primary](https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/bcc/ssj-regentspark/?ref=betterstreetsforbirmingham.org). The deadlines for the SSJ consultations are all 23rd October. Join the [committee](https://betterstreetsforbirmingham.org/about-us/?ref=betterstreetsforbirmingham.org)! ## News ### Committee We are pleased to announce that as of last month we have a new secretary, David Barker, who many of you will know. He brings a lot of experience and insight, especially from his previous role as councillor where among many things he was the Chair of the Transport Scrutiny Committee. Kirsten de Vos has stepped down as Schools Outreach Lead. She has been on the committee for 3 years and will remain a member of BSFB. We are very grateful for all the time and effort Kirsten has given to BSFB activities. She has so often gone above and beyond with such passion and commitment. Thank you, Kirsten! We still have ongoing vacancies: Fundraising Lead and Website & Creative Design Lead If you would like to have a chat about [committee roles](https://betterstreetsforbirmingham.org/about-us/?ref=betterstreetsforbirmingham.org) please email: [hello@betterstreetsforbirmingham.org](mailto:hello@betterstreetsforbirmingham.org). ### Paid roles Thanks to funding from the Barrow Cadbury Trust, we're excited to be recruiting for two new part-time roles to help grow Better Streets for Birmingham and strengthen our network of local groups across the city. We're looking for enthusiastic, organised and community-minded people who share our ambition for safer, healthier and more people-friendly streets. These roles will add much-needed capacity to our volunteer-led organisation, helping us strengthen our day-to-day operations, support and grow local groups, and enable more people across Birmingham to get involved and make a difference in their neighbourhoods. You can find detailed information on the roles [on our website](https://www.betterstreetsforbirmingham.org/part-time-roles-with-better-streets-for-birmingham/) as well as the links to apply for each position. ## Meetings ### Committee meeting At our last committee meeting on 20th September, we discussed a number of important items including our upcoming Committee Strategy Away Day, meetings which have already taken place with some councillors and the cabinet members for transport. We are writing to all Birmingham Councillors to meet with them and offer them support, advice, information with regard to the Healthy Streets Fund and to hear their plans. We are meeting the Leader and Deputy Leader of the council next week, and will also be meeting the PCC, Simon Foster, that week. We hope to make our case for the measures we think will bring about the most amount of change to our city in the shortest time possible, as well as extend our offer to help advance the cause of safer streets in partnership with them. We are still waiting to hear from the WMCA mayor about meeting with us. We also discussed our communications and social media strategy and campaigns that we should be leading in the coming months, including declaring a regional Road Safety Emergency. ### 6-8 meeting The last 6-8 meeting took place on September 14th. David Barker was able to attend and provide a channel of communication between this important face-to-face forum and the committee. Amongst the things discussed were the possibility of a workplace parking levy, lorry control scheme and a declaring a Regional Road Safety Emergency. ## Consultations ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5d/e3/5de307d8-27e0-432e-b50c-e0c8ea14d7fb/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-cf72ef74-3a7e-41dc-97ba-41a5136feffe.png) Three new consultations have opened with respect to School Streets projects which have been running over the last couple of years. These are for the following schools: Cofton Primary, Anderton Park Primary, Cotteridge Primary, The Oval School, Whitehouse Common Primary, Blakesley Primary, Cottesbrooke Infant and Nursery, St Laurence Church Infant and St Michaels CofE Primary. If you have experience of these school streets, we would encourage you to respond (see the links above) supporting the initiatives and providing positive constructive feedback to ensure that the change to active travel and improving safety on the journey to schools can progress. Suggestion ideas for all School Streets: \- Modal filters, i.e. road design which restricts certain types of vehicle \- Planters \- Build outs (making pavement wider at junctions) \- Bollards and deeper curbs on dangerous junctions Suggestions for if the School Street is being regularly infringed upon and/or the availability of volunteers is a challenge: \- ⁠Healthy Streets treatment of the local roads \- ⁠Permanent pedestrianisation \- ANPR technology ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5d/e3/5de307d8-27e0-432e-b50c-e0c8ea14d7fb/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-af70fab9-9898-4f35-8d67-73f549a67311.png) Six new consultations have opened for new proposals for safer school journeys (SSJ). This is the programme which was launched last autumn and has been slowly drafting proposals for structural changes around schools to make journeys to school safer for those undertaking active travel without closing off streets entirely. The schools are Lift Lea Forest, St Benedict's Primary, Thornton Primary, Anglesey Primary, Mayfield School and Regents Park Community Primary. The deadline for all the SSJ consultations is 23 October. We urge you to respond to the consultations if you have children attending these schools or have experienced the roads around them. If possible, please attend the face to face drop-in sessions which are advertised in the consultation links to speak to the officials involved in the design. They are keen to get a design that works and to ensure that they have incorporated local knowledge. ## Road safety emergency in Birmingham 1 August 2026 marked the second anniversary of the declaration of Birmingham’s Road Safety Emergency. On 4 September, supporters and committee members of Better Streets for Birmingham were pleased to have been joined by members of the public and important local leaders to mark this anniversary in a [moving event](https://www.betterstreetsforbirmingham.org/post/marking-two-years-of-the-road-safety-emergency/). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5d/e3/5de307d8-27e0-432e-b50c-e0c8ea14d7fb/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-57d8e8b7-1649-4e11-8315-0fbb6b688c2e.png) We were encouraged by the attendance of various councillors and will continue to press for meaningful change. A recent analysis by Swift Assist [https://swiftassistuk.co.uk/accident-statistics/birmingham/wards/](https://swiftassistuk.co.uk/accident-statistics/birmingham/wards/?ref=betterstreetsforbirmingham.org)) only adds to the evidence that this change is long overdue. 2,331 people were killed or seriously injured on Birmingham’s roads over 2021-2025\. 109 people were killed. It is possible to identify where in the city these collisions are taking place. We intend to use this information to help guide our discussion with local decision makers. Sarah Chaundler’s City of Cars film was shown on 15th September in the Council House prior to the Full Council meeting. The screening was organised by Cllr Izzy Knowles, the Deputy Transport Cabinet Member. It was attended by around 25 councillors, including the Leader of Birmingham City Council, Roger Harmer and the Lord Mayor of Birmingham City Council, Cllr Zaker Choudhry. Sarah says “ I was pleased to have the opportunity to show City of Cars in order to keep shining a spotlight on the unacceptable level of dangerous driving and the harm caused to residents by that. I highlighted the fact that more than two years after 4 year old Mayar Yahia was killed as she walked along the pavement metres from her front door, nothing is in place to make that street safer for the children and local residents. The film also points to the fact that car ownership is increasing and that politicians need to improve public transport as well as making it safer and more attractive for people to get around the city under their own steam.” ## Other activities ### Dom Whiting’s Drum’n’Bass on the Bike ride 13 September Many of you will have joined this enjoyable and truly positive occasion. It is wonderful to see how many people are keen to cycle around the city, if only there was the infrastructure to support this kind of activity. Dom has given his support to [our campaign for improved cycling infrastructure](https://www.betterstreetsforbirmingham.org/post/open-letter-with-dom-whiting-requesting-a-faster-rollout-of-a-safe-cycle-network-in-birmingham/). ### Thousand Journeys to Highbury Hall 20 September The Chamberlain Trust invited BSFB to this event at Highbury Hall as part of the Heritage Week. It was a great occasion with many engaging conversations. Thanks to everyone who stopped to talk to us. We gain new supporters at these events and are always grateful to be invited to community events to explain our mission and gather support to change the way we move around our city. If you know of any such events, please do get in touch. ### Active Travel England Conference 22-23 September Manchester Paul Manzotti, our co-chair, was able to attend this conference on behalf of BSFB. There was an announcement of [£104 million investments in infrastructure](https://www.activetravelengland.gov.uk/news/ps104-million-investment-transform-walking-wheeling-and-cycling-routes-across-england?ref=betterstreetsforbirmingham.org) by Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport, although not much detail was provided. In addition to the talks, there was an opportunity to network with campaigners, councillors, travel planners, industry representatives, etc. from across the country including from the West Midlands, Such a conference bringing people together to discuss active travel is a great opportunity for a region and we hope that it could be in Birmingham next time! ## Things to read/watch 1. [London’s low emission zone is working – so why are cities around the world so cautious about clean air?](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/23/london-low-emission-zone-working-other-cities-cautious-clean-air?ref=betterstreetsforbirmingham.org) \-some of the political issues surrounding these initiatives 2. [Important scientific findings about lung growth in children linked to air pollution](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1l1r1zne1ro?ref=betterstreetsforbirmingham.org) 3. How birdsong drowned out by traffic noises affects well being ([https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pan3.70405](https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pan3.70405?ref=betterstreetsforbirmingham.org)) 4. Solutions for bike parking, how we use road space ([https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/sep/03/ebike-parking-london-solution-paris-public-space?CMP=Share\_iOSApp\_Other](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/sep/03/ebike-parking-london-solution-paris-public-space?CMP=Share%5FiOSApp%5FOther&ref=betterstreetsforbirmingham.org)) ## Things to do ### Circle the City - Friday 2nd October, 6 pm Join us on the first Friday of every month for [a group ride around Birmingham](https://betterstreetsforbirmingham.org/circle-the-city/?ref=betterstreetsforbirmingham.org) leaving from Hippodrome Square, B5 4BN at 6pm. Meet people, learn new cycle routes and enjoy the fun and freedom of cycling safely in the city. All ages and all abilities are welcome. **PLEASE note this month the CtC organisers are planning a run in addition to the cycle.** ### 6 to 8 general meetup - Monday 5th October 2026, 6pm **The Warehouse, Allison Street** Monthly meetup for city-wide Better Streets. We hope that a couple of committee members will be able to attend each meeting and help strengthen the link between the committee and attendees of this face to face meeting. ## Upcoming events [Cycling UK local campaigning conference](https://www.cyclinguk.org/event/reframing-message-local-campaigning-conference?ref=betterstreetsforbirmingham.org) in Reading on 14th November 2026 ## Committee Membership We still have some vacancies on the committee. If you are passionate about the aims of BSFB and have some time to build on the success of BSFB, please consider joining the committee. Current vacancies: - **Fundraising Lead** \- To maintain/grow donations at a rate that supports the costs of the organisation. - **Website & Creative Design Lead** \- Maintain the website and produce designs for any literature we produce. Again, if you would like to volunteer for only one of these responsibilities, we'd be open to that. Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. Wishing you safe travels this month as the nights get darker. --- Until next time!