Pitts Farm Home Zone is located approximately 5 miles from Birmingham City Centre.  The housing within the zone, built in the post war period, is mainly semi-detached and maisonette style.  There is a school in the area along with allotment plots and a small corner shop.  The main issues raised by the residents of the area include improving community safety, fear of crime amongst the elderly, fear of crime on the housing estate and the need for more public spaces.

Scheme Objectives

Impacts

The home zone is integrated with a housing re-development project, which together with the remaining home zone highway works, will not be completed before 2006.  It is therefore too early to determine impacts on the local community.  An interim home zone is being introduced, which has been undertaken in two short cul-de-sacs, but these have a very limited impact on traffic.

While the home zone has helped to focus attention on the opportunity, finding solutions acceptable to all residents has proved challenging.  Improved street lighting has been designed to provide better "dark hours" environment.

The home zone initiative has helped to raise awareness of the importance of the highway environment as key element in residential re-development.

Progress  - March 2005