Residents on Hospital Street and Croft Street in Walsall are at breaking point as a proposed one-way system remains without funding or a delivery date. The plans, which received widespread support during a 2024 council consultation, have been stalled, leaving locals to endure daily traffic chaos.
Ongoing Traffic Issues
Residents report frequent vehicle damage, speeding, excessive noise, blocked driveways, and confrontations between motorists. Bilal Hussain, 47, said: “The problem with traffic is two-fold. It’s the number of cars that pass here and also that people don’t park safely. Even though there’s speed bumps, they’re quite shallow, the cars speed down.” He added: “I’m pretty disappointed that the one-way system hasn’t come into effect. There’s a major accident waiting to happen.”
Residents' Frustrations
Wendy Wilkinson, 57, described the situation as “terrible,” noting daily fights between 9:00-9:30 am and 4:00-6:00 pm. “People park in front of my gate, we’ve had many, many arguments. I’ve not been able to get into my house because they park so close. This has been going on for years. I’ve nearly been run over walking out my gate.” She said residents were told the one-way system was approved last year, but now there is no money to implement it.
Council Response
Portfolio holder for regeneration, Councillor Nicky Barker, confirmed the project remains without funding or a delivery date, and other projects have been prioritised in recent road safety reviews. A Walsall Council spokesperson said there are no changes to the authority’s position since Councillor Barker’s last update.
Impact on Daily Life
Nosheen Akhtar, 31, said her children’s sleep is disturbed by constant horn beeping. “My car is quite damaged. It’s costing us a lot to repair the cars. My children get disturbed a lot in the night because of the traffic noises.” She added that a one-way system would reduce traffic, damage, noise, and arguments.
Safety Concerns
Residents fear a serious accident is inevitable without action. Bilal Hussain warned: “There’s a major accident waiting to happen. Hopefully it doesn’t but it will take something like that for the council to put in the one-way system.” Wendy Wilkinson echoed this, saying she has heard “there’s got to be three deaths on the street before they make it one-way.”
