Agenda item

Councillors Jonathan Bianco and John Morgan attended the meeting.  Councillor Bianco spoke on behalf of all three Ward Councillors.

Concerns and suggestions raised at the meeting included the following:

• A meeting had previously been held in relation to parking in the area but  the situation had now worsened.  (Photos circulated to the Cabinet Member)
• There are a number of vans from a drainage company parking in the road, which are left overnight and weekends.
• There is a lack of available parking for residents in the road.
• If the parking situation deteriorates further it will stop emergency and refuse vehicles from accessing the road
• Delivery vehicles cause an obstruction as they have to park in the middle of the road to make their deliveries. 
• The current parking situation restricts the gulley and drain cleaning service from operating,  which is essential in this road due to the flooding risk.
• There was insufficient space for cars to turn round in the road.
• Adjoining roads are empty compared with Hilliard Road.
• The number of cars owned by households has increased and those cars parking for the shops and schools increase the problem.
• The speed of traffic was also an issue and suggested that a 20mph zone be considered for Hilliard Road.
• It was suggested that the Cabinet Member should visit the local area before making a decision.

Councillor Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised and looked through the photos circulated by the petitioner.

Councillor Burrows informed those present that if a Parking Management Scheme was to be implemented in Hilliard Road it would result in a reduction in the number of parking spaces available.  This was due to dropped kerbs and entrances having to be taken into account when parking spaces were marked out.  A permit does not guarantee residents living in Hilliard Road the right to park.

Councillor Burrows appreciated that there are issues in Hilliard Road and echoed the Ward Councillors recommendation not to undertake anything drastic initially made sense.    The Cabinet Member advised that he was going to amend recommendation 2  and 3.  This would now be to ask officers to undertake a parking stress survey to establish where the vehicles parked in Hilliard Road come from and a survey of speeds of vehicles in Hilliard Road as a precursor to the possibility of implementing a 20mph zone.

The Ward Councillors would be involved in the process and made aware of the results of the surveys carried out, which they would pass on to residents.   Once the survey and investigations had been completed officers would report back the Cabinet Member on the options for moving forward.

Resolved – That the Cabinet Member

1. Met and discussed with the petitioners their concerns with parking and speeding in their road and the possible options to address the issues that would be acceptable to residents.

2. Asked officers to undertake a Parking Stress Survey and report the results back to the Cabinet Member with options on how to move forward.

3. Asked officers to carry out a speed survey to investigate the possible implementation of a 20 mph speed zone.

Reasons for recommendation

To give the Cabinet Member an opportunity to discuss with the petitioners the problems in their road and if appropriate consult residents in the area.  

Alternative options considered

None at this stage, as the petitioners have requested a Residents Parking Scheme and a 20mph speed limit. However, further options could arise from the discussion with petitioners.