Birmingham City Council
Local Authority / Fire Service
Action Taken
The council amended the kerb height at the specified location in early January 2023. A review of kerb defect information is underway to identify similar locations, with completion expected by March 2023. The council has reviewed its processes and procedures for handling reports of fatal and serious collisions and will reiterate the established protocol to West Midlands Police. (AI summary)
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Dear Mr Hodson,
Further to the issue of Regulation 28 Report to Prevent Future Deaths, dated 08th December 2022, following the inquest into the death of Mr Mervyn Charles Gladstone Leonard Holbrook, I provide my response on the actions taken / proposed as follows;
1. I confirm the height of the kerb where the footpath outside 214 Alcester Road South reaches the junction of Livingstone Road was amended by the City Council in early January 2023 as per your recommendations.
Please refer to the photographs below showing the site before and after the remedial works.
Birmingham City Council
Highways & Infrastructure PO Box 37 Birmingham B4 7DQ
Kerb line outside 214 Alcester Road South reaches the junction of Livingstone Road BEFORE the remedial works
Kerb line outside 214 Alcester Road South reaches the junction of Livingstone Road AFTER the remedial works in January 2023
2. We have also commissioned to undertake a review of the available kerb defect information to identify locations similar to the incident site on the network so that the necessary processes are incorporated and similar sites are addressed as part of the Council’s maintenance activities. The scope of the study also includes a review of the intervention criteria and whether these need to be revised in the light of this incident. This study is well underway and is expected to be completed by March 2023. A copy of the report will be shared with you as soon as it is available along with details of further proposed actions.
3. An investigation into the PC Glyn Hanks’ submitted notification on 12th September 2022 via Birmingham City Council's Highway Department's online portal reporting the defect and the Highways response, provided on 20 September 2022, has also been undertaken and our findings are as follows;
a. Fatal and serious collisions are normally notified to BCC by the Staffordshire and West Midlands Police Serious Collision Investigation Unit. On this occasion however, the established protocol between BCC and West Midlands Police had not been followed and as such BCC were unaware of the incident until 12th September 2022.
b. Having reviewed the report submitted by whilst somewhat ambiguous, our Highway Inspector should have contacted to
Birmingham City Council
Highways & Infrastructure PO Box 37 Birmingham B4 7DQ
obtain further information given the circumstances and the nature of the incident. The issue should have been further escalated within BCC. Our processes and procedures have been reviewed so that a similar occurrence does not happen in the future.
c. BCC will also be contacting West Midlands Police, reiterating the need to adhere to the already established protocol when reporting fatal or serious road traffic collisions on the City’s highway network.
I trust the above addresses the concerns raised in your Regulation 28 Report to Prevent Future Deaths. If you require any further information / clarification however, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Further to the issue of Regulation 28 Report to Prevent Future Deaths, dated 08th December 2022, following the inquest into the death of Mr Mervyn Charles Gladstone Leonard Holbrook, I provide my response on the actions taken / proposed as follows;
1. I confirm the height of the kerb where the footpath outside 214 Alcester Road South reaches the junction of Livingstone Road was amended by the City Council in early January 2023 as per your recommendations.
Please refer to the photographs below showing the site before and after the remedial works.
Birmingham City Council
Highways & Infrastructure PO Box 37 Birmingham B4 7DQ
Kerb line outside 214 Alcester Road South reaches the junction of Livingstone Road BEFORE the remedial works
Kerb line outside 214 Alcester Road South reaches the junction of Livingstone Road AFTER the remedial works in January 2023
2. We have also commissioned to undertake a review of the available kerb defect information to identify locations similar to the incident site on the network so that the necessary processes are incorporated and similar sites are addressed as part of the Council’s maintenance activities. The scope of the study also includes a review of the intervention criteria and whether these need to be revised in the light of this incident. This study is well underway and is expected to be completed by March 2023. A copy of the report will be shared with you as soon as it is available along with details of further proposed actions.
3. An investigation into the PC Glyn Hanks’ submitted notification on 12th September 2022 via Birmingham City Council's Highway Department's online portal reporting the defect and the Highways response, provided on 20 September 2022, has also been undertaken and our findings are as follows;
a. Fatal and serious collisions are normally notified to BCC by the Staffordshire and West Midlands Police Serious Collision Investigation Unit. On this occasion however, the established protocol between BCC and West Midlands Police had not been followed and as such BCC were unaware of the incident until 12th September 2022.
b. Having reviewed the report submitted by whilst somewhat ambiguous, our Highway Inspector should have contacted to
Birmingham City Council
Highways & Infrastructure PO Box 37 Birmingham B4 7DQ
obtain further information given the circumstances and the nature of the incident. The issue should have been further escalated within BCC. Our processes and procedures have been reviewed so that a similar occurrence does not happen in the future.
c. BCC will also be contacting West Midlands Police, reiterating the need to adhere to the already established protocol when reporting fatal or serious road traffic collisions on the City’s highway network.
I trust the above addresses the concerns raised in your Regulation 28 Report to Prevent Future Deaths. If you require any further information / clarification however, please do not hesitate to contact me.