It is considered to have one of the "busiest crossroads" in the country, causing a daily "nightmare" for residents and motorists. Situated on the outskirts of north-west Birmingham is Great Barr, a suburb straddling the city and Sandwell and Walsall in the Black Country.
At its heart is a set of traffic lights, a junction of four busy A-roads carrying traffic between the region and the M6. At rush hour, residents say the roads can be a "standstill", with drivers unable to move for "half an hour to 45 minutes".
But residents say that wasn't always the case. In times gone by, the suburb was quiet.
READ MORE: Sandwell couple desperate to leave dirty flats that 'stinks of urine and weed'
Along with an increase in traffic, crime is also said to have risen in recent decades. One resident, a retired mechanic and former West Midlands Police special, said he no longer feels safe walking his dog in Red House Park, the local green space, amid fears he might be "mugged".
"The area has deteriorated in a lot of respects," said the man, who grew up in Great Barr. "We used to safely play here.
"But as the years have gone on, we couldn't play in the street. We had to go into the park.
"Sadly, as life and the world changes, the park has even changed. It isn't safe now. I wouldn't allow my wife to walk our dog there - you have got drug problems and god knows what.
"Before, you could walk around the area without fear of being mugged or knifed or shot. You could leave your door open, you could leave your car open. But not now."
In August, the area made headlines when BirminghamLive reported how a grandad was being targeted by kids, who had been kicking his door, throwing stones and hurling abuse at him for months. Meanwhile, a 10-year-old girl was reportedly grabbed by a man on her way to school in September.
The former mechanic, who volunteered as a police special in the 1960s and 1970s, said motorists use his road as a "rat run" to avoid queueing at the traffic lights, near The Scott Arms pub, a local landmark. Following his concerns, BlackCountryLive visited Great Barr to see how other residents felt.
One woman, aged 76, said she felt the area suffers from 'traffic, crime and dirt'. "We have been here for 56 years," she said.
"We have brought two children up here, we wouldn't do it again. I know every town has got issues. There is a bit of drug dealing going on in our estate."
Her partner, 81, agreed, saying: "It has gone down so much. When we first bought our house, there were a lot of young couples with no children. When they did have children, they all went to the same school."
Referencing the crossroads, he added: "The man: "It is probably one of the busiest crossroads. You have got Sutton Coldfield that way, West Bromwich that way, Walsall that way and Birmingham that way.
"When the lights failed (many years ago), some brave guy started directing traffic. It was in the local paper."
Meanwhile, a shop owner based on Newton Road, one of the A-roads running through Great Barr, said he experiences anti-social behaviour from schoolchildren.
"I get a lot of school kids running in here," he said, adding: "Some also vape." He added: "It is not the greatest place, even for normal families walking past."
He claimed there were issues with parking outside his shop, where people "park for up to four and five hours, despite the limit being for one hour". The man said there was a lack of enforcement by Sandwell Council.
"We have lost a lot of customers due to that," he said. "I contacted the parking enforcement team who deals with it. Their response was 'the best we can do is three visits a week."
But some residents were positive about the area. Particularly for the younger generation, who say they enjoy having a wide range of amenities on their doorstep, including Aldi. Ajay Yakood, a young man who appeared to be in his 20s or 30s, said: "I have lived here for six years. It is a mixture of cultures and everyone gets on really well.
"It is a very friendly neighbourhood. I moved up from Perry Barr, which was a bit more run down.
"But where we lived, everything is within walking distance." A young mum, who lives near to the Scott Arms pub agreed. She said: "I really like living in Great Barr. Even though it’s a busy area, our street feels nice, quiet and safe.
"I’ve never felt unsafe here. You get the odd person racing down the street in their car which can be annoying.
"But I feel like that’s the case in a lot of places - especially when you live near a city. We’ve been very lucky not to experience any crime yet and we’ve lived here for four years.
"The closest we got was when a drunk guy tried to get in our house at 5am as he thought it was his. Frightening at the time but harmless and the police responded within minutes.
"We’ve got some good shops by the Scott Arms - a big Aldi, charity shops, the pub and Greggs." However, she added: "I do feel the shopping area is a bit run down and could do with a bit of a pick me up, but that’s the only complaint really."
READ MORE:
- Mystery over 'bad smell' sweeping parts of Walsall that is making people 'gag'
- Life inside tower-block estate opened by royalty where 'gangs carried out shootings and threatened refugees'
- We visited Darlaston road where cars race at 1am and frighten residents into selling their homes
- Elderly Jack Russell 'almost dies after being attacked by out-of-control Bull Mastiff' in Sedgley
- For the latest on Sandwell, read our Black Country newsletter
