Who knew you had to pay to drive in Birmingham?????

[NichyNoo]

Went to Birmingham recently for a weekend mini break. Received a penalty notice in the post today as apparently Birmingham is a clean air zone and you’re supposed to know this and pay £8 per day to drive in the city. I’m guessing another fine is in the post for the Sunday when we drove out of Birmingham. We didn’t see this advertised anywhere so no idea how we were supposed to know - two fines of £120 I know about the london congestion charge but do any other cities have this charge to drive so we don’t get caught out again?

Firstly how the hell did you miss the signs?

Secondly you have to have a very eco unfriendly car to qualify. We have 4 cars (4 adults, all need to commute in separate directions at separate times). Not one of our cars qualifies for the charge.

As for this being on National news, Dh and I watch the Channel 4 news without fail every evening at 7pm, we both also have a news app. Checked with Dh, he had never heard about this either. 🤷‍♀️

@MissyB1

As for this being on National news, Dh and I watch the Channel 4 news without fail every evening at 7pm, we both also have a news app. Checked with Dh, he had never heard about this either. 🤷‍♀️

Yes, I very much keep all with all news and this bit of Birmingham info didn't reach me either.

@SamVimes6

Surely it can’t just be me who wonders why anyone would want to go on a mini break to Birmingham? It’s the most god awful, depressing concrete shit hole with absolutely no redeeming features

@NeonJellyBaby

Outside of Covid, Birmingham has
More green spaces than any other European city.
The royal ballet as well as world class theatres.
More Michelin star restaurants than anywhere else in the uk other than London.
China town for great food, but also Thai, Korean, Polish, French, Mexican, Brazilian etc
Ample, reasonable priced car parking.
Canal side dining and Boat rides.
The sea life centre and the Lego discovery centre.
Exhibition centres.
Art galleries, museums. Free!
A thriving nightlife.
A gay village.
Birmingham pride parade.
Bars, including secret bars and speakeasies.
World class shopping at the likes of Harvey Nicks, Selfridges a couple of Hamleys close by and the worlds largest Primark.

So I guess you’ve either never visited or last visited in the 1970’s.

I love visiting Birmingham. Got myself a mini break booked for October, going to see a show.

Do you know if the German Christmas Market is on this year? That is good fun. Best hot chocolate I've ever tasted.

Not forgetting the Jewellery Quarter.

@Sparklingbrook

I think I don't like going to Birmingham any more because it doesn't look like it did in the 80s and I don't want to tarnish my memories of my brilliant teenage years. It just seems so much busier too, traffic and people. I went to the NIA and drove in about 2 years ago and it wasn't a fun journey by any means. Getting out of the car park took about 2 hours as well. Now I am an hour away there's other, nearer places that offer what Birmingham does I guess. But I can see why people would go for a City break if they weren't local and enjoy it.

That made me laugh, those of us of a certain age didn't like the city centre in the 80s as we remembered it in the 50s.

@ancientgran they knocked the Rum Runner down They built a huge Hyatt hotel and everything. It's just not the same.

@shinynewapple21

I live fairly near to Birmingham . It only applies within the inner ring road (not the suburbs). I don't know how it works, presumably number plate recognition like some car parks . It doesn't apply to a lot of cars though , there's a website where you can check out whether your car is exempt. There have certainly been signs up about it coming in for the last few years but agree I don't know how you would be expected to know about it if you didn't visit there regularly.

Is the inner ring road basically the old Number 8 route? I'm sure we used to call that the ring road so might be different.

[quote Sparklingbrook]@ancientgran they knocked the Rum Runner down They built a huge Hyatt hotel and everything. It's just not the same. [/quote]
My sister loved the Rum Runner, I never went myself. From the 50s I remember places like the old markets, Snow Hill and New St. My favourite time was sunset and watching the starlings coming in to roost. Hundreds and hundreds of them.

It's quite a new thing. I live in solihull but I had an email from Birmingham city council and checked my car immediately. It is only a year old and it's fine.

Is it the Number 11 that's the outer ring road? My Mother said her Mum used to take them on that bus for a day out and do the whole route back in the 50s.

@Starjammer

Even something like 'Driving in this zone may incur extra charges, please check online to avoid a fine' would be more helpful and focus the eye a bit more. Just 'Clean air zone' and 'charges apply' doesn't really say much IMO. It's not very targeted. Like sign white noise.

I don't know, I think they could have made it clearer for the myriad people who do not keep up with the latest goings-on in Birmingham

Agree

@MissyB1

As for this being on National news, Dh and I watch the Channel 4 news without fail every evening at 7pm, we both also have a news app. Checked with Dh, he had never heard about this either. 🤷‍♀️

The channel 4 news doesn't really count as 'watching the news'

It depends on what kind of car you drive. Not all cars have to pay.

I think it's sensible to check this before visiting any unfamiliar city. Newcastle is introducing a CAZ though it will only apply to commercial vehicles, initially. I'm sure other cities who haven't already implemented it have similar plans.

@Sparklingbrook

Is it the Number 11 that's the outer ring road? My Mother said her Mum used to take them on that bus for a day out and do the whole route back in the 50s.

oh yes the number 11, used to stop right outside my school. To do the whole route must have taken at least a couple of hours

@ancientgran they used to take a picnic to eat on the bus. Bless my Nan I think it was a genius way of entertaining the children. She lived in Ward End.

[quote Sparklingbrook]@ancientgran they used to take a picnic to eat on the bus. Bless my Nan I think it was a genius way of entertaining the children. She lived in Ward End.[/quote]
In the old day of Birmingham Corporation buses it would have been really cheap as well.

We used to get the 50 out to the Maypole before they built Druids Heath, it was all fields back then and seemed like paradise to snot nose kids from the inner city.

Not rtft so this might have been mentioned. Read yiur letterfully as there might be a small part that says you can pay the daily charge (£8) rather than the fine if this is your first offence. Not sure how long they're allowing this but DH got a letter about a fine a couple of months back but was allowed to just pay the daily charge instead.

I knew!

I live about 40 miles away and knew. Mind you I have plenty of family still there. My car is exempt but I have to say the signs aren't great. Apparently Birmingham City Council have given themselves loads of fines as their vehicles keep entering the zone, bunch of plonkers

The 11 is the outer ring road. The charges start at the inner ring road. I’m disabled in a way that I can walk loads but not drive which means Brum is open to me. My Mum is disabled in a way that means she can’t walk far and needs to drive so Brum is closed to her. No way could she afford a fancy new car.

@ancientgran @Sparklingbrook

Number 8 is the inner ring road (or at least it was!) that's the boundary for the CAZ and the 11 is the outer ring road

@Muddydoor of course I can understand someone not being able to afford a replacement car - but it doesn't need to be anything fancy and new to be exempt - I've got an 11 year old Honda Jazz

"The M6 is very well lit up"

😂 someone's never driven the ridiculously long stretch between j32 and j33 at night then. Fucking pitch black mate