August 2026 Newsletter
Welcome to the August edition of the Better Streets for Birmingham newsletter. We hope you have some time to re-energise this month and a chance to experience what lower traffic volumes can do for getting about in our local neighbourhoods.
Our July newsletter is on the BSFB website and we will add newsletters to the website going forward.
Top 3 things to do
- Join our demonstration to mark the second anniversary of the declaration of the road safety emergency (5pm, 4th September, Victoria Square). Email your local councillor to ask that they attend, too!
- Respond to the Stirchley Kids Streets request for suggested improvements.
- Join the committee!
Organisation news
Committee
We are pleased to announce that we have new committee members who have joined since last month. They come with a wide range of skills and experience which will strengthen our ability to be effective campaigners.
- John Munro - Campaigns Lead
- Marcus Boxall - Communication & Digital Engagement Lead
Ongoing vacancies - Secretary, Fundraising Lead and Website & Creative Design Lead
If you would like to have a chat about any of the roles please email: hello@betterstreetsforbirmingham.org.
About us
We are still finalising the job packs for the 2 part-time roles: Administrator (approx 6 hours per week) and Community Organiser (45 days over the duration of the 2 year project) and hope to proceed with advertising in the next 1-2 months.
We welcome initial interest in these roles and will forward further information to interested parties in due course, please contact: hello@betterstreetsforbirmingham.org
Updates to follow on our social media and future newsletters.
We are also about to move our website and email platform, you should have received an email about this earlier this week with details on what you need to do if you do not want the data we have from you to be transferred to the new system and no longer be updated by us.
Engaging with local leaders
As mentioned in the last newsletter, Sarah Chaundler’s City of Cars will be screened at Birmingham Council House before the Full Council meeting on 15 September. There is still time to email your councillor(s) to urge them to attend this screening.
Committee members have met our new Cabinet member for Transport (Councillor Rob Grant) and his deputy (Councillor Izzy Knowles). Paul and Florence, our co-chairs are requesting formal meetings with them, as well as the council leader and deputy, the West Midlands Mayor, Richard Parker, and the Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster.
Upcoming meetings
At our last committee meeting on 19th July, we made plans for meeting with councillors, cabinet members for transport, WMCA mayor and the Police and Crime Commissioner, discussed our plans to mark the second anniversary of the declaration of the Road Safety Emergency, discussed our responses to safer street school consultations and reviewed the actions handed over from the previous committee. We are planning a committee Away Day and Strategy Planning session in September/ October. It would be great to have filled our remaining committee roles by then to be as effective as we can possibly be.
6-8 meeting
The 6-8 meeting is a face to face forum. BSFB supporters from across the city are welcome. The September 6-8 meeting will be on September 14th. It is exciting that our supporter numbers are now above 1000. As supporters of BSFB, we hope you will spread the word about our work and encourage others to join us.
Consultations
The Stirchley Kids Street project is still looking for feedback on issues in the area.
The Midlands Rail Hub consultation mentioned last time, is ongoing. The closing date is 28th August. Whilst we are very supportive of this vital project which will create much-needed rail capacity and bring more people into Digbeth, we think the plans can be better shaped to avoid loss of buildings, so encourage businesses and organisations to engage with the consultation on the basis that plans can still be shaped towards a better mutual outcome. There is very useful information and guidance on how to respond to the consultation here.
Following on from his survey on road safety issues in Stirchley, former councillor David Barker has a new one about the potential planning application for a McDonald’s drive-thru in Stirchley and potential alternative uses for the site. One thing he wants to really emphasise is the focus on what grounds for objection would be considered by the planning committee (road safety and traffic issues, not the brand).
Second anniversary of the declaration of the road safety emergency
1 August 2026 marked the second anniversary of the declaration of Birmingham’s Road Safety Emergency. It is sobering to read the recently published Government report: Reported road casualties Great Britain, final results: 2025.
In the summary it is stated that “reported road casualty statistics for 2025 show a mixed picture. Fatalities continued to fall and remained below pre-pandemic levels, while the number of people killed or seriously injured (KSI) increased slightly. Casualties of all severities were broadly unchanged compared with 2024.”
The figures show that in Birmingham we have not yet seen the meaningful change that the city urgently needs. Around 3,000 people continue to be injured or killed on our roads every year, with 2,985 casualties recorded in 2025. While there was a small reduction in 2025 compared with 2024, it is too early to conclude that this represents a sustained improvement. 473 people were KSI in 2025 - the third-highest total in the last decade, exceeded only by 2023 (498) and 2024 (534). Twenty-three people lost their lives on Birmingham’s roads last year.
This is disappointing news and likely due to the lack of significant infrastructure changes, poor enforcement of safer speed limits, increasing size and numbers of cars on the road.
It is important to remember that these casualties are not just statistics. Every number represents a person whose life has been changed forever, along with the family, friends and communities affected. We stand with the victims and their families.
The plan on Friday 4th September
We will be marking this anniversary on Friday 4th September at 5pm at the Council House. We are inviting our newly elected and re-elected councillors who represent us to join us in this event.
The plan for the event will be:
5.00–5.45pm, Victoria Square (outside the Council House)
A gathering to remember those killed and injured on Birmingham’s roads, reflect on the second anniversary of the Road Safety Emergency, and call for renewed action to make our streets safer.
6.00pm Circle the City bike ride (approximately one hour)
Starting from Hippodrome Square, this family-friendly ride will demonstrate the demand for safer, healthier streets for everyone.
The flyer below is shared on social media (Facebook and Instagram). Please spread the word, come along to show your support and invite others to join us too. Email your local councillor to ask that they attend, too!
Other activities
Members of BSFB joined others in Moseley at a Family Fun Day on 18th July in celebration of the new train stations on the Camp Hill line, It was good to see cross party support from Cllrs Izzy Knowles and Tim Huxtable. The West Midlands Mayor was also present. He listened to the concerns people had particularly about train cancellations. Other concerns raised included speeding drivers, blocked pavements and unreliable public transport.
Speaking of blocked pavements, our own Hana Kitson, BSFB lead for Accessibility & Equality Lead, contributed to a piece for the BBC on this on 22nd July. It highlighted an important issue, particularly for those with accessibility and mobility needs, and about which we in BSFB are campaigning for action on.
Things to read/watch
Our members often share articles in our various WhatsApp groups, here are some of the more notable ones:
- Wider benefits to the UK economy of improving population health - broadening the narrative about good health to include the economic benefits
- Danish study linking exposure to road noise with higher risk of Parkison's disease highlighting the wider negative impacts of road traffic
- Room to ride - a short film produced by Bike Worcester celebrating cycling in Worcester
- An interesting map of collision hotspots in Birmingham.
- Whilst this is in Kent, a car-free apartment block is planned for a town centre. This is the kind of development that Birmingham should be doing more of.
Things to do
Friday 4th September 5pm - Birmingham Council House
Marking the second anniversary of the declaration of the road safety emergency. Please join us. And if you're coming to this, we'd love you to join us on the following afterwards!
Circle the City - Friday 4th September 6pm
Join us on the first Friday of every month for a group ride around Birmingham 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. The more the merrier!
6 to 8 general meetup - Monday 14 September 2026, 6pm - The Warehouse, Alison Street
Monthly meetup for city-wide Better Streets. Attendance at this regular monthly meet-up has been waning in recent months. We are hoping that there will be a more regular attendance of at least one committee member to the meetings going forward.
Until next time!
