Angry residents have slammed council bosses for wasting taxpayers' money on speed bumps that were installed right next to potholes on Booths Lane in Great Barr, Birmingham. The new traffic calming measures have sparked a heated dispute among locals and business owners, who say the bumps do not cover the entire half-mile stretch and fail to slow vehicles down.
Local business owner criticizes decision
Tony Farmer, who runs Tony Scissors Hair Studio and is the longest-standing trader on the road, expressed his frustration. He pointed out four potholes on one section of the carriageway sitting alongside the newly installed bumps. 'I haven't seen them slow down. I think it's a waste of money, and we pay for it, we're the taxpayer. The council is supposed to have no money. We're paying for this and it isn't doing the job,' he said. Farmer added that he would have preferred bumps that go fully across the road with less space in between.
Social media backlash
The issue has caused a stir on social media, with locals divided over the changes. Annabel Wall Smith posted online: 'Wish they'd fix the potholes before putting in speed bumps.' Nigel Jarvis commented: 'It's a joke, repair the road first then put the speed bumps in no wonder the city is in trouble.'
Council defends measures
Birmingham City Council fitted the speed bumps following consultations last year. Activists Alex Hall and Charlotte Whitehouse had been pushing for measures to address dangerous speeding on Booths Lane and neighbouring Sandy Lane. In a Facebook update in March, Alex told residents: 'We're out on Booths Lane today, one of the things that we've been campaigning for quite a long time is to get speed bumps on Booths Lane and also on Sandy Lane. This is a big issue around Booths Farm, because of the speeding cars.'
The council stood by the installation, clarifying that the work was separate from pothole repairs, which fall under 'highway maintenance'. A spokesperson said: 'We assess all highway network defects using a defined risk matrix to ensure a consistent and proportionate response to repairs. Like many highway authorities, we have experienced a significant increase in both reactive repairs and planned maintenance activity across the network since the start of 2026. The newly installed traffic calming features referenced are part of a separate scheme currently being developed and delivered outside of routine highway maintenance activities. Our teams are working at pace to prioritise and address defects based on safety risk and network condition, alongside an extensive programme of ongoing works scheduled across Birmingham. We will continue to monitor the condition of the road, taking appropriate action where issues meet our intervention criteria.'
