21 changes planned in £20m Sutton Coldfield Gateway scheme

Plans to overhaul the roads in and around Sutton Coldfield town centre, including a 20mph limit on the ring road and a two-way cycle lane around the town's heart, have gone out to public consultation.

The £20m Royal Sutton Coldfield Gateway scheme is being developed by Birmingham City Council with the Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council and the regional transport authority. The council says the town has not had a major overhaul in more than 50 years.

Bus station dropped

The scheme has changed a great deal since it was first proposed in July 2019. The original plans would have built a new bus station next to the railway station, moving most buses out of the town centre, and later closed Brassington Avenue to through traffic. Both ideas have gone, after businesses raised concerns about moving the buses.

The new plans are more modest, and are aimed at making it easier to walk, cycle and use public transport into the centre, with less priority for cars. They also aim to improve links between the town centre and Sutton Park.

The main changes

The ring road would get a 20mph limit and new signal-controlled crossings for pedestrians and cyclists, including one by the new Aldi. The lights would be synchronised to keep disruption to drivers to a minimum.

A new two-way, segregated cycle lane would run right around the heart of the town. Some disabled parking bays would be removed to make room, with new bays elsewhere, including two in Lower Reddicroft and four in Mill Street car park. Brassington Avenue would get a dedicated lane for traffic heading into the Gracechurch Centre car park, and a new taxi rank.

Station Street, the main link from the railway station to the town centre, would be narrowed to a single lane and raised to pavement level, with a new public square at the station entrance and a larger space in front of the old Telephone Exchange building.

Bus stops on Lower Parade and South Parade would be upgraded, with better crossings over Lower Queen Street and South Parade. The section of Lower Queen Street off the ring road would be closed so that traffic cannot join or leave the ring road there.

Park Road, the link to Sutton Park, would become one-way towards Brassington Avenue, with a dedicated cycle route going the other way. New crossings are also planned at several junctions further out, including near the King's Arms and at the junction of Tamworth Road, Anchorage Road and Lichfield Road.

"Have your say"

Councillor Rob Grant, the cabinet member for transport, said: "It's really important that we hear from those that live and work in the town. This is a major project that will deliver much-needed improvements to the town centre and the way people move around the area, and I would encourage people to have their say."

The consultation runs until Thursday 3 December, with plans and an online survey on the project website. Drop-in events will be held at Sutton Coldfield United Reformed Church on Brassington Avenue on Thursday 12 November from 2pm to 7pm, Wednesday 18 November from 8am to 1pm and Saturday 21 November from 11am to 3pm.