Traders on the stretch of Stratford Road (A34) that runs through Sparkhill and Sparkbrook, predominantly Asian areas, are up in arms against the proposed red route scheme. I am not sure what that means or how double red lines differ from double yellow ones. I would guess it’s an idea borrowed from the congested streets of London. For traders, it means parking problems for customers and suppliers.
The Stratford Road Business Association has put up posters urging residents to oppose the red route and to oppose ‘ethnic minority prejudice’. Given that the red route project is an extension of a scheme already put in place a few miles down the road, in a stretch of the road that runs through a middle class white area, the latter exhortation sounds bizarre. By referring to ethnicity the traders are cleverly, if misleadingly, appealing to emotion, a strategy Michael Howard is also employing in the current election campaign.
Yet I am also fearful for this vibrant shopping area. It is an area you can buy anything from fine fabrics to fish caught in the River Jhelum in Kashmir. On Saturday afternoons, when I like to traipse aimlessly along the road, I’ve come across shoppers from as far apart as Newcastle and St Albans. In the summer, there is a near carnival atmosphere on Saturdays, with South Asian music blasting from the music shops. Streets vendors, selling cheap international calling cards, DVDs and religious books, add to the bazaar-like atmosphere. The bottom line for many people, however, is that fresh fruit and vegetables are a lot cheaper than in supermarkets.
Traffic is no doubt a major issue for many high street shopping areas. The beneficiaries of ill thought through calming measures can only be the hypermarkets, who can afford their own car parks. It would be a shame if this vibrant shopping area suffers as a result.
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