Church Hill Road - Road Safety Improvements

Following a recent increase in the number of road traffic collisions on Church Hill Road, we would like to share some road safety and traffic data with you. We would also like your views on what actions should be taken in light of these recent collisions.

Please read the background information and then then take part in the survey below. There are just four questions.

The consultation will run from Wednesday 11 June and will close at 5pm on Wednesday 25 June 2025.

The situation is due to be considered at the Council’s Environment and Infrastructure Cabinet decision session on 3 July 2025. Feedback from this consultation will help inform the next steps in the process.

Church Hill Road – background information

Statutory Duty: In accordance with Section 39 of the 1988 Road Traffic Act, the Council prepares and carries out a programme of measures designed to promote road safety. In addition, the Council carries out studies into collisions on local roads (excluding Motorways and Strategic (trunk) roads). In light of those studies, the Council must take measures which it thinks are appropriate to prevent such collisions. These include:

• Giving information and advice about road use,
• Providing practical training to road users or any class or description of road users,
• Improving and maintaining local roads,
• Using powers for controlling, protecting, or assisting the movement of traffic on roads,
• Taking appropriate measures to reduce the possibility of collisions when new roads come into use.

Collision History: The Council usually uses road traffic collision data from the last three years after it has been confirmed by the Department for Transport. In this situation, we are also taking into consideration the provisional 2024 data and details of the collisions that have occurred so far in 2025. This information is published on the CrashMap - UK Road Safety Map system.

Collision Data – Church Hill Road (Manor Square to Homer Road)

Collision Data – Church Hill Road between the roundabout at Homer Road and the college

*All Collision data for 2024 is provisional at present and will not be finally confirmed until October 2025.

**Provisional data for 2025 is only available until the end of March 2025.

The Council would not usually consider acting until there have been four or more road traffic collisions where someone has been injured in the most recent 3-year period that data is available for.

Traffic Speed and volume data

Traffic data is available from surveys carried out in September 2024 and May 2025.

In September 2024, 85% of traffic was recorded at 32mph with 2.2% of motorists exceeding the enforceable speed. In May 2025, 85% of traffic had reduced to 29.6mph with 1% of motorists exceeding the enforceable speed.

Speed of traffic can vary within a particular street, but we try to take readings at the same location to compare like with like. Because vehicle speeds can be affected by weather conditions, volume of traffic and issues elsewhere on the network, we take readings over a seven-day period.

Traffic Calming – advantages and disadvantages

There are many different types of traffic calming measures in use today. These include Road Humps, Speed Cushions, Chicanes and raised “tabletop” junctions. Other measures include mini-roundabouts, carriageways markings and road closures to re-route traffic.

Advantages include:

• moderating traffic speeds for most drivers
• reducing traffic noise and pollution which in turn leads to a safer and healthier local environment.

However, these measures also have disadvantages which we would like to make you aware of.

• They are not effective at reducing the speed of all motorists, particularly those travelling at higher speeds.
• They increase emergency vehicle response times, including for ambulances carrying critically injured patients.
• They create a different type of vehicle noise and generate air borne vibration for those properties closest to the measures.
• And they will not prevent every collision from occurring in the future.

Next steps

We would like to hear from people living on Church Hill Road about whether Solihull Council should consider the road as a priority for some form of road safety intervention.

Please complete the following short survey below if you live on Church Hill Road. The information that you provide will help us decide how to proceed.

Thank you