About this bus gate
Sandwell's newest bus gate, part of the rebuilt road layout in Blackheath town centre. It sits on Market Place, where several of the town's roads meet, and it applies in both directions, 24 hours a day.
The council says the gate is well signed and lined and that the road surface through the restricted section is a different colour from the rest of the carriageway, so it is meant to be obvious — but the new layout also routes traffic around the restricted area, so if you know the old roads you are the driver most likely to be caught.
Black cabs may not use it. That is the trap here: Sandwell's three older bus lanes do let hackney carriages through, and this gate does not, so an exemption you rely on elsewhere in the borough does not apply at Market Place.
Buses, emergency services when required and pedal cycles may pass, as may statutory undertakers carrying out works under their statutory duties; the council says no other class of vehicle is permitted. Enforcement is phased: warning notices run from 1 September to 13 October 2026, but a penalty charge notice can still be issued inside that window to any vehicle caught a second time after being warned, so this is not a penalty-free period.
A penalty charge is £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days. Hours, permitted vehicles, the extent and the warning-notice dates are from Sandwell Council's response to freedom of information request FOI-866975178, dated 11 September 2026; the council's own bus lane pages do not yet list this site.
Transcribed from the Sandwell Borough Council (Sandwell Borough, Consolidation of Waiting and Loading Restrictions) (Traffic Regulation Order 14) (Amendment Order 4) 2026, made 18 February 2026.
Who can use it
- Buses
- Emergency vehicles (when required)
- Pedal cycles
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
- Motorcycles
- Hackney carriages
- Private hire vehicles
Where exactly is it?
Market Place, Blackheath (Rowley Regis), Sandwell — both directions. View on Google Maps →
Got a PCN from this camera?
Don't panic, and don't ignore it. Pay £35 within 14 days to halve the charge — or if the signage was unclear, the details are wrong, or you had a genuine reason to be in the lane, consider challenging it first. Our step-by-step appeal guide covers the grounds that actually win.
Frequently asked questions
What are the operating times of the Market Place bus gate?
The Market Place Bus Gate (Blackheath) in Sandwell operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is no time of day when general traffic may use it.
How much is the fine for driving through the Market Place bus gate?
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council issues a Penalty Charge Notice of £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days. There are no penalty points — it is a civil penalty.
Who is allowed to use the Market Place bus gate?
Buses, emergency vehicles (when required) and pedal cycles are permitted. Not permitted: cars, vans, lorries, motorcycles, hackney carriages and private hire vehicles.
Can I appeal a PCN from the Market Place bus gate?
Yes, and it costs nothing. Make formal representations to Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council first — the authority that issued the PCN has to consider them before it can enforce the penalty. If Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council rejects them it must issue a Notice of Rejection, and you can then appeal free to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. Its adjudicators are lawyers independent of the enforcing authority, and their decision is binding on both sides. This bus gate operates 24 hours, so "I was outside the operating times" is not open to you — the grounds that win here are that your vehicle was exempt, that the details on the PCN are wrong, or that the approach signage did not give enough warning before the point of no return. It is worth doing: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council accepted 70% of the 2,243 formal challenges it received in 2025/26, and of the 65 that went on to the tribunal, 18 succeeded (figures from its own FOI response). Note that paying the £35 discounted rate accepts liability and closes the case, so challenge before you pay.