Birmingham road where four-year-old girl died to be pedestrianised
He added: "The driving attitude in Birmingham is completely different from the rest of the country and everybody knows. Why is this? That's the question they must answer."Following a local road safety campaign, led by the family, Birmingham City Council said it would fund a pedestrianisation scheme.It will prevent traffic from accessing a section of Upper Highgate Street near New Hope Community Park.The BBC understands preparations to start the work are already under way.
Hundreds of people, including members of the Sudanese community around the UK, attended the four-year-old's burial last year, leaving her family amazed by the outpouring of support they received."We are so grateful for the love we have been shown, especially from the children's school", said Ms Salih, who has recovered from serious leg injuries sustained in the collision."We are always talking amongst parents about road safety for our kids, and what we must do next. We don't feel comfortable because the road is busy across from the play park."
While showing us Mayar's school books and photographs, Ms Salih said she was desperately trying to keep her daughter's memory alive and she regularly shared stories of her with her three other children."She was so kind and loved her friends. She was always asking me 'how can I help Mum?' To cook, to clean. She was a good girl."In July 2024, people gathered for a minute's silence in Highgate and young children made banners and pictures as the road was temporarily closed off.The campaign group Better Streets for Birmingham joined them to call for urgent road safety measures amid a roads emergency being declared in the city.
Mr Yahia hopes that the pedestrianised area in Upper Highgate Street may come to be known locally as Mayar's Square."She was a lovely, clever girl and everyone in the area knew of Mayar, she was so friendly with people", Mr Yahia said.Birmingham City Council said it was working with the family and local community to "provide a fitting tribute to Mayar by creating a safer, more pleasant environment for everyone".Meanwhile, a man is due to appear at Birmingham Crown Court on 30 July.Javonnie Tavener, 23, of no fixed address, has been charged with causing Mayar's death by careless driving, causing death while driving uninsured and two counts of causing serious injury by careless driving.
Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Man at war with council after he is ordered to demolish extension because of 'nonsense' complaint from neighbours
A furious homeowner is at war with his local council after he was ordered to demolish his extension and wood-burning chimneys. Gerrard Caughey has branded the decision 'nonsense' after planning chiefs said he built the sunroom at his Glasgow home without permission. Mr Caughey was slapped with two enforcement notices by Glasgow City Council (GCC) but took his fight to the courts where the government ruled against him. According to the council, his neighbours were also unimpressed with the extension, built in 2018 and attached to his ground-floor flat, and in particular with smoke billowing out of his chimneys. While inspectors said the sunroom was not in 'character' with the original property, a listed building, or the wider street. Mr Caughey fumed: 'I think it's nonsense. Most folk I speak with in the area love the smell of the smoke, and I use it very occasionally.' Speaking to STV, he said the sunroom was built with high quality Spanish hardwood shipped from abroad, and stated the state of the orangery, which had previously been in place when purchased, was 'dangerous and a 'shambles'. Mr Caughey added: 'You can't even see the garden from out in the street. It's not causing anyone harm or anything.' Challenging the notion there were numerous complaints, Mr Caughey's planning agent said as part of his appeal: 'GCC enforcement allude to "various complaints" with regards to the structure. 'We are aware of one complaint from the neighbouring property, and we understand there have been long-running disputes from them. 'My clients are not aware of any further complaints from within the area and we would suggest therefore the word "various" has been used spuriously in the compiling of the GCC report.' The sunroom was built as an extension to the mid-19th century terraced building in 2018, but GCC say no planning permission was ever sought for it. Mr Caughey, however, argued that the property had a single-storey sun room attached when he purchased the property in the 1990s. The orangery was said to be in a 'dangerous condition deemed irrepairable' by Mr Caughey, a builder himself, and so he removed the glazed element and left the foundation and floor in-situ to return to at a point in the future. He says the sunroom was re-instated in 2018 based on the 'original footprint'. He also argued in the appeal that the council did not respond to queries about retrospective planning permission and that a prior notice about the flues had been dismissed - GCC refute this. While the extension was installed at the back of the property, two flues, for the wood-burning stove within a workshop in the garden, were put into place to face the lane which runs to the back of the property. The council ordered the removal of both in November last year on the terms that there was no planning permission or listed building consent. Mr Caughey's appeal also argued the sunroom had been installed six years before the enforcement notice was served. The council also ruled the smoke from the chimneys have a 'direct impact on the amenity of the neighbouring properties'. When MailOnline visited the street, neighbours expressed the same concerns. They said that 'black smoke' coming from the chimneys was concerning surrounding residents and that it was visible streets away on Dennistoun's main road of Duke street. Mr Caughey, who lives in the property with others above and below, was unavailable when the Mail attempted to contact him. A man who said he lived in the basement of the listed building shouted abuse and told our reporter to go away. However, one neighbour, who did not want to be named, admitted to complaining about his chimneys and sunroom. They said: 'I don't have anything to say other than the fact we were not happy. 'It's was not so much the summerhouse as the smoke from the fires which was a big aspect of things.' Admitting that other neighbours were concerned about the effect that it might have on younger children, they added: 'You could see the smoke from Duke Street as you walk up the hill. 'It's black and it's heavy and a few neighbours can see it but I don't think anyone wants to comment more about it. 'It was so bad that neighbours took a video of it at the time.' Another neighbour added: 'I know about the double chimney but we personally didn't complain about it. 'There is a nursery around here though so maybe it affected some of the people who use that.' Planning convener for Dennistoun Community Council, Brian Johnston, had written a letter of support for the extension, writing that the work had been 'carried out with a sympathetic regard for the original building' and praised the workmanship and design as being of a high quality. While the flues stick out onto a back lane, the council said they were not a 'sufficient distance' from neighbouring houses and stated that a retrospective planning application would also be refused. Simon Bonsall, the reporter appointed to the case by the Scottish Government, concluded that planning permission was required for both structures and that this had been breached by bypassing the process. Listed building consent was also refused for the sunroom as he ruled: 'While the effect of the orangery on the setting would not be harmful, I consider that the orangery through it's design, location and materials would not be in keeping with the character of the listed building.' A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: 'It should be noted that it was the Scottish Government - not Glasgow City Council - which dismissed the appeal on the grounds that the structure does not benefit from either planning permission or listed building consent and that the wood burning stoves were causing disamenity to the surrounding homes. 'It should also be understood that unauthorised alteration of a listed building is a criminal, not civic, offence and therefore carry a higher magnitude of scrutiny. 'The claim that we had withdrawn a notice and that there had been an attempt to submit a planning application is not true, indeed it was admitted that the resident left their application in the drafts section of the online planning process and did not submit it.' If Mr Caughey wishes to challenge the appeal decision, he would have to take the case to Scotland's highest court, the Court of Session.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Enforcement action threatened over Ludlow wall collapse
A local authority is being threatened with enforcement action over a long-standing dispute regarding a collapsed wall. A structural engineer's report in 2021 concluded the original slippage by St Laurence's Church in Ludlow, in February 2013, was most likely caused by a build-up of of a dispute between the town council and parochial church council (PCC) over responsibility, only temporary measures have been taken to prop up the wall. Letters from the respective parties' solicitors have been sent to Ludlow town councillors ahead of a meeting on Monday to discuss the situation. On behalf of the PCC, Veale Wasbrough Vizards said it had been instructed to take the necessary steps "to achieve a resolution of this longstanding matter"."We have advised our client that they are not responsible for repairs or other works of maintenance to the collapsed wall nor are they liable to make any financial contribution to the costs thereof," a spokesperson said. "Due consideration" would be given to proposals for a "timely resolution," the company added "as matters stand at present, however, and regrettably, our client evidently has no option other than to take enforcement action in order to determine the matter".In response, Geldards, which is representing Ludlow Town Council, said that the solicitor's letter "lacks the necessary legal particulars to support the assertion of liability"."The issue of ownership of the wall is central to the question of liability but your letter does not address this or provide any documentation or title evidence to confirm that the relevant section of wall forms part of the churchyard or is otherwise within the PCC's legal responsibility".It added that it would "respond appropriately" to any formal letter of claim. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Free summer swimming lessons for 6,000 Wiltshire children
More than 6,000 children across Wiltshire will be eligible for free swimming lessons this summer as part of a pilot lessons have been made available to children who are part of Wiltshire Council's FUEL programme, as well as pupils in secondary schools who received free school to 10 lessons will be provided at council-run leisure centres with a pool, such as Marlborough Leisure Centre and Calne Community Jon Hubbard, cabinet member for education at Wiltshire Council, said "a few pennies behind the sofa" helped pay for the scheme. Mr Hubbard told BBC Radio Wiltshire the extra money for the swimming lessons cost £45,000, and money had been used from Public Health England funding and the children's services budget."For some of our young people who have six or seven weeks at home without school, having these positive and fun activities for them to go and take part in is a really important thing we offer", he said."I want them to have fun. I want them to have positive activities to be able to look back on and say, 'that was a really cracking time we've had'. "And to have made new friendships, had a positive experience and something they can build happy memories."He said schools would have told parents whether they were eligible, and sent out an invitation for the FUEL of children eligible for free school meals needed to show proof of the entitlement at a pool.A full list of the swimming pools at which the lessons will be held can be found here:Bradford on AvonCalne Community CampusDevizes Leisure CentreDurrington Swimming and Fitness CentreFive Rivers Health and Wellbeing CentreLime Kiln Leisure Centre, Royal Wootton BassettMarlborough Leisure CentreMelksham Community CampusOlympiad Leisure Centre, ChippenhamSpringfield Community Campus, CorshamThe Activity Zone, MalmesburyThe Vale Community Campus, PewseyTidworth Leisure CentreTrowbridge Sports CentreWarminster Sports CentreWestbury Pool Wiltshire Council said the scheme would be reviewed in autumn after it finished.
