THE ROCK ACTION PLAN STORY - TettenHALL's FIGHT FOR SAFETY

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CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION

Issued By Tettenhall District Trust & Community Forum  

The Tettenhall District Community Trust (TDCT 2024) handed our petition over in April 2024, at then 1,200 signatures. The petition now stands at over 1,500. It has not been answered by Wolverhampton City Council. The Trust has now raised a level 2 complaint after our meeting in Nov 2024.

"Resolve ongoing problems with Tettenhall Rock Junction, its immediate surroundings in the Lower Green Area, and for engagement in Wolverhampton City Council Rock Junction TRO proposal activities."

The action plan was supported by an over 1,200 strong residents' petition which has been delivered to Wolverhampton City Council democratic services, in April 2024.

Aims

Improve traffic flow, saving safety concerns and diversionary traffic problems by petition for non-contentious “experimental TRO” for 3-way lights at Rock Junction. (C1)

Proposals for improved pedestrian safety and access improvements at The Rock Junction via Smestow Valley LNR from Newbridge. (C2) 

Action on speeding and traffic enforcement (with WCC and Police/Crime Commissioner), proposals for ANPR trials. (C3)

Small engineering scheme options to be considered out of The Rock TRO plans 6 week process (eg North West corner pavement). (C4) 

Consultation working group approach with TDCC to other options, basic conditions, and safety concerns with WCC TRO plans. (C5)

Lobbying WCC to consider broader collaboration on governance and Civil Levy with other authority contributions, and budget. (C6)

Our campaign is to deliver "A better Wolverhampton For All"

Specifically through our Rock Junction Action Plan:- Solving ongoing traffic problems around The Rock Junction, its immediate surrounds and for engagement by Wolverhampton Council

Funds Accepted By TDCIC Better Wolverhampton Campaign (Go Fund Me)

Our aims are to:

• Promote Our Action Plan (for improvement of safety)
• Protect the district from unsafe "A41 design" proposals
• Ensure the council works with us & acts properly

Funding is for for our campaign and appeal concerning traffic around The Rock Junction, its immediate surrounds and traffic/environment concerns involving the greater area incl South Staffs and North Wolverhampton.

Funds are raised by Tettenhall District CIC on behalf of TDCT. Campaign spend is at the discretion of TDCT steering group/CIC Directors, subject to 2.5% Trust overheads. Residual Funds may be used for other Tettenhall Wards community interests.

The council has:

• Not responded democratically to our petition
• Not included consultation feedback in the "A41 design"
• Not complied with Gunning Principles of consultation
• Not followed their own petition scheme
• Not listened to residents
• Not changed anything in the "A41 Design"
• Maladministered the Rock Junction proposals

A donation would:

• Promote Our Action Plan
• Pressure Planning Authorities
• Provide Power For Legal Action

We held a public meeting on 17/Nov concerning Rock Junction proposals. See our video podcast of the issues raised at the meeting from The Express & Star, via Daily Motion here: https://dai.ly/x99ba64.

Neal Kelshaw, Chair Of TDCT Steering Group and Robin Hacking, Chair of our resident's committee (Tettenhall Community Forum) outlined our issues and actions raised, supporting The Rock Action Group of Tettenhall residents, turning out on a cold winter's day.

The meeting voted that:

• The Council Is In Maladministration - We have raised a stage 2 complaint to this effect now after the meeting.

• If we are not satisfied with the response from complaint we will go further, to other bodies outside the council such as Ombudsman and Judicial Review.

• That they approve Tettenhall District Community Trust to represent them in further engagement with the council - which includes our ward councillors on our steering group board.

Tettenhall residents, councillors, trust members and petitioners supported the Rock Action Group campaign for a "Better Wolverhampton For All" on 17/Nov In our leaflet, and discussed at the meeting; we summarised that:

Our Rock Action Plan (the aims of which are copied below), which has uncontentious proposals for traffic and safety improvements, supported by our petition and verified by WCC Democratic Services, has not received a democratic reply.

The council chose to merge this with their own traffic proposals, now called "A41 Design". We were informed that the "A41 design" process includes our, and other residents consultation responses from the 6-week earlier consultation period. The Tettenhall Community Forum chased the council periodically until now, being told that; "the petition is largely contained within our proposals".

We had agreed further consultation and an "indicative forward plan" at the Ward Walk. The council keeps Forward Plans on its website of future activity. We have not received such a plan.

The action plan contains a required approach to consider; solutions for traffic abuse at the Rock Junction, and its immediate surrounds, which requires close working with the Police, WMPCC to look for technology and enforcement solutions.

The action plan includes objective proposals for improving traffic performance considering the width of pavements on The Rock/Henwood Road corner, and improved pedestrian safety for improved access to Smestow Valley, avoiding crossing the road.

The action plan refers to mandatory legislation concerning health and safety and pollution and business, social and environmental impacts that both the baseline business case and any chosen solutions must be assessed against, and these include mandatory planning policies in the Tettenhall Neighbourhood Plan 2014, itself adopted by the council.

The council proceeded "in secrecy" according to the Birmingham Mail with an "independent analysis" with external consultants, and have refused an FOI request of the scope of the study. We have already raised a stage 1 complaint and internal review request, which we are dissatisfied with the outcome of.

By asking a public question of the full council meeting on 06/Nov we then received a partial release of documentation, but with an unacceptable process not allowing for "intelligent consideration", also showing that "conscientious determination" has not occurred. Our aims are not within the scope of the documentation. The response, webcast of which is copied below, stated that "members of the public will have a chance to ask questions after the completion of the independent study". But not that the petition would be responded to, contrary to the council's petition process.

There is no change to the scope of the "A41 design" and we can find no proof of inclusion of any prior consultation, and fundamental issues have been watered down to be merely considered as questions for clarification, not as being of equal merit or stature for proposals, as they should be.

Councillor Wendy Thompson told us that the council are still not properly engaging with other transport bodies and local councils, such as Combined Authority Transport Planning (Midlands Connect), and South Staffs Council to consider full term solutions, which should be supported by Civil Infrastructure Levies as contributions, leaving us with a "sticking plaster" solution as proposed.

The campaign supports The Rock Action group in Tettenhall who have stated that Wolverhampton City Council are "Losing Trust In The Community" and Tettenhall Community Forum have "No Faith In The Council" over their approach to the Rock Junction action plan, their handling of traffic proposal process, plus the avoidance of responsibility to broader issues, leaving safety and heritage concerns a great concern for the district.

Funding is for for our campaign and appeal concerning traffic around The Rock Junction, its immediate surrounds and traffic/environment concerns involving the greater area incl South Staffs and North Wolverhampton.

Funds are raised by Tettenhall District CIC on behalf of TDCT. Campaign spend is at the discretion of TDCT steering group/CIC Directors, subject to 2.5% Trust overheads. Residual Funds may be used for other Tettenhall Wards community interests.

A better Wolverhampton for all.
See tdcic.org.uk