More than 400 Bournville residents have signed a petition against parking chaos they claim is caused by up to 130 cars attending a local mosque at one time. The petition, launched by residents, says drives and junctions are blocked, buses struggle to navigate the roads, and cars parked on footpaths force people with pushchairs or mobility scooters into the road.
The former church hall on Cob Lane stood empty for over a decade before Bournville Village Trust (BVT) leased it to the South Birmingham Muslim Community Association (SBMCA) in July 2024, becoming the Bournville Masjid and Community Centre. Residents say they feel misled about the scale of use.
Residents claim safety compromised
Robert Thornewell, a retired company director who returned to Bournville ten years ago, told Birmingham Live: “People in Bournville don't have a problem with it being a place of worship, whatever the faith. But residents were not consulted and the current scale of use is impacting on them.” He said drives and junctions are blocked, cars park on footpaths, and people with pushchairs or mobility scooters often have to walk into the road. “Local buses are having difficulty travelling along nearby roads because of parking. Sometimes bus stops are blocked and passengers have to get off and on in the middle of the road. It’s a big problem on Fridays specifically. Residents feel they were not fully informed when they met with BVT (after the lease was agreed), and they have seen the situation worsening weekly, with no action being taken.”
Residents estimate around 130 vehicles enter the area on Fridays. They also believe the former church hall is not functioning as the community hub previously described, but primarily as a place of worship for South Birmingham and surrounding areas.
Previous theatre group application rejected
In 2022, RoguePlay, a theatre group in Edgbaston, applied to lease the same hall for children's performing arts. That application was rejected due to limited parking and potential inconvenience for residents. The rejection notice stated the change 'would adversely harm the residential amenity of adjacent residential properties by way of noise and disturbance'. However, because Bournville Masjid and Community Centre is a place of worship, no statutory consultation was required as the use remained the same.
MP involved as petition grows
Mr Thornewell and fellow residents met Selly Oak MP Al Carns in April 2026. Mr Carns advised raising a petition to illustrate concerns, which he said he would support in presenting to BVT. The petition covers the most affected streets and has gathered over 400 signatures. Residents met with Mr Carns on Friday, June 19, to discuss further steps.
SBMCA says it takes responsibility seriously
A spokesperson for SBMCA said: “SBMCA has been facilitating worship and religious and community events in the local area since 2021 and was delighted to be awarded the lease of the former Church to give the local Muslim population of Bournville and Weoley in particular an established place of worship sorely lacking in the area. We were gratified with the warm welcome extended to us by the majority of the local residents. Unfortunately, there was a vocal minority which made clear their dissatisfaction with the renewed use of the building as well as the inevitable increase in footfall and traffic this entailed.
“SBMCA has gone to every effort to address and alleviate these concerns, including hosting a town hall style meeting, sending weekly messages to our Whatsapp community to remind them to walk or park considerately, utilising volunteer parking marshals to guide drivers, and speaking to the local police regarding best practice and contraventions. Most recently, we have been holding discussions with BVT for the last few months regarding gaining access to a potential dedicated site for parking close by the premises.
“SBMCA takes its responsibility as a good neighbour very seriously and has gone to every effort at our disposal to try to reduce traffic, mitigate parking issues and encourage responsible parking by worshippers. We are residents of the local community and are as equally affected by the challenge posed by parking across the Bournville Estate, and the City more widely. We would be supportive of any application which would help to ensure drivers park more considerately, whoever they may be, including the creation of a Traffic Regulation Order to designate the areas in question to a new residential parking permit scheme.”
The spokesperson added that they do not recognise the statistics regarding vehicle numbers quoted, and noted that two other institutions nearby also see heavy traffic and inconsiderate parking. They said SBMCA holds monthly community events, weekly children's homework and tuition support, and is about to host a local primary school's RE trip.
BVT acknowledges concerns
A spokesperson for Bournville Village Trust said: “After being vacant for a number of years, the Hall was publicly advertised as available for lease and South Birmingham Muslim Community Association (SBMCA) was selected as the tenant. The building was originally used for faith-based and community activities, and this purpose continues with the current occupier. We hugely value and support SBMCA’s contribution to Bournville, as we do with other faith groups across the Estate, and we have found them to take resident feedback seriously.
“Whilst they have been welcomed by many across the community, we are also aware that SBMCA have experienced issues of harassment and hate crimes which are unacceptable and have been dealt with by West Midlands Police. We are aware of a small group of residents who have raised parking complaints and have met them and heard their concerns. We have also met with SBMCA who have taken steps to encourage responsible parking, including the use of marshals. They have also engaged with the local community and invited neighbours to meet them. We recognise parking is a challenge across the Bournville estate, and the wider City, and we work with both Birmingham City Council and the Police, who have legal powers to take enforcement action where needed. As of today, no enforcement action has been taken by either authority concerning SBMCA.”
