Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED: That all items be considered in public. 

Although not present at the meeting, Councillor John Hensley had provided a written statement on behalf of himself and the other two Ward Members (Councillors Ray Puddifoot and David Simmonds) which was read out by Councillor Keith Burrows.  All three Ward Members supported the petition. 

Concerns and suggestions raised at the meeting included the following:

• Although residents believed that Copthall Road West had been in a worse state of repair, it had not been resurfaced six years ago when the work on Greenacres Avenue had been undertaken;
• Over the last six years, residents had contacted the Council to ask when the road would be resurfaced and had been told that the resources were not available to do the work;
• Council officers had inspected the road and had agreed that it needed resurfacing but it had not been added to the list of roads that were considered for inclusion on the resurfacing programme;
• During the last six years, residents advised that the road surface had deteriorated further, particularly down the centre of the carriageway, and, in some places, large areas at the side of the road had collapsed;
• Additional photographs had been taken of the carriageway on Sunday 12 September 2010 and were passed to Councillor Burrows to illustrate the poor state of the road;
• Residents expressed concern that Copthall Road West was used by vehicles as the main route from Breakspear Road South to Swakeleys Road;
• As patching work had been undertaken on the road surface, there were bumps as well as potholes and some residents were unable to open their windows in the summer as vehicles going over the uneven surface made a lot of noise;
• It was felt that the state of the road was making the area look neglected and that residents would lose the pride they had in their surroundings if the road was not resurfaced soon; and
• Concern was expressed that, when cyclists tried to go round the potholes and lumps in the road, they were often then at risk of being hit by a motor vehicle travelling in the opposite direction.

Councillor Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised.  He had looked through the additional photographs provided by the residents and expressed concern at some of the images. 

Although Copthall Road West residents believed that their road was is a poor condition, Councillor Burrows advised that, after the harsh winter, there were some roads in the Borough that were in a worse state.  The resurfacing programme for the current year was complex as the winter had given rise to an increase in the number of petitions from residents requesting that their roads be resurfaced and the officer inspection regime had identified many others that needed work.  The additional resources that had been allocated to repair the potholes that appeared after the bad winter weather had now been exhausted.

Councillor Burrows advised that he would put Copthall Road West on the list of roads being considered for treatment  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Councillors Shirley Harper-O’Neill and Allan Kauffman attended the meeting and spoke as Ward Councillors in support of the petition. 

Concerns and suggestions raised at the meeting included the following:

• Ruislip residents had been disappointed that Great Central Avenue had not been included in the 2009 resurfacing programme as it had been about 20 years since it was last resurfaced;
• It was believed that the potholes, cracks and dips in the road posed a road safety hazzard as vehicles often swerved to avoid them.  This was made more dangerous as children often used the road to get to the local infant and primary schools;
• Residents believed that the road was used as a cut through by drivers wanting to avoid the traffic jams that built up along Station Approach and West End Road; and
• The volume of traffic was exacerbated as 38-tonne lorries that were unable to get under the bridge by the station were left with no other option that to turn down Great Central Avenue.

Councillor Keith Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised.  It was suggested that, when looking at resurfacing Great Central Avenue, consideration be given to the school’s request to reduce speeding in the area.

Councillor Burrows advised that he would put Great Central Avenue on the list of roads being considered for treatment in the resurfacing programme and advised that the presence of the schools and the high volume traffic flow would be taken into account during this process.  He would be discussing this list with officers in the next couple of weeks and would then need to seek approval from the Leader of the Council with regard to the capital release.

RESOLVED:  That the Cabinet Member:

1. considered the petitioners’ request and discussed with them in detail their concerns regarding the condition of the carriageway surface.

2. instructed officers to place Great Central Avenue on to the list roads being considered for treatment in a future resurfacing programme.

REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION

The existing carriageway surface has deteriorated to the extent that shallow fretting has taken place in isolated areas of the carriageway.  This is due to the natural ageing of the surface and the surface dressing that has been applied over the original layer.  Past patching has filled some of the worst fretting but only as a temporary measure.  The road profile is “bumpy” in places and service trenches have sunk at a number of locations.  In some small areas, the surface has completely worn away exposing small areas of the original concrete surface.  This is not dangerous but does give the road a “patchwork” appearance.  Resurfacing would improve the visual appearance of the avenue and improve the ride surface.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED

Officers consider that the carriageway surface is now beyond normal patching repair and that resurfacing is the only option available to restore a smooth surface.

Councillors Shirley Harper-O’Neill and Allan Kauffman attended the meeting and spoke as Ward Councillors in support of the petition. 

Concerns and suggestions raised at the meeting included the following:

• It was noted that, when the South Ruislip Parking Management Scheme had been established, the Victoria Road service road had inadvertently been missed out;
• Residents advised that they would like to be included in the scheme that other residents around them benefited from – there were approximately 100 properties in the service road;
• As the parking was limited, drivers often parked on the grass verges and on the pavements.  This then made it difficult for pedestrians to pass and they often had to go out into the road;
• There were also gaps in the yellow lines that had been put down on Victoria Road which meant that drivers were parking in these gaps.  This then made it difficult for other drivers to pass;
• Residents had noted that between 80% and 85% of drivers that parked in the service road were not resident there;
• It was suggested that one end of the service road be blocked off to stop drivers from using it to jump the traffic;
• The church had experienced some problems with parking when there were funerals or weddings but this had been addressed; and
• Residents passed additional photographs to Councillor Keith Burrows to illustrate the problems that they were experiencing.

Councillor Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised.  He noted that the review of the South Ruislip Parking Management Scheme was currently due for review so advised that residents in this area of Victoria Road would be included in this consultation exercise. 

With regard to blocking off one end of the service road, residents were advised that consideration would need to be given to access.  Alternative options that could be considered included making the road one way which would mean that drivers would be emerging out onto a busy road.  Officers would investigate the possible options.

Residents were advised to ensure that they responded to the consultation document when it arrived as action would only be taken if the majority of residents supported it.  It was noted that consultation responses would be limited to one per household.

RESOLVED:  That the Cabinet Member:

1. considered the petitioners’ request and discussed with them their concerns with parking outside their homes.

2. asked officers to include this part of Victoria Road in the subsequent review of the recent extension to the South Ruislip Parking Scheme.

3. asked officers to include the request and possible options for traffic calming measures in the Road Safety Programme.

REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION

To allow the Cabinet Member to discuss with petitioners their concerns with parking and, if appropriate, to include this section of Victoria Road within the subsequent review of the most recent extension to the South Ruislip Parking Management Scheme. The success of traffic measures which address speeding and rat-running are largely successful if they are acceptable to local residents. These can  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Councillor Richard Mills attended the meeting and spoke as a Ward Councillor in support of the petition. 

Concerns and suggestions raised at the meeting included the following:

• After years of parking on the footway penalty free, in January 2010 residents started to receive tickets for parking there and they queried what had changed;
• It was suggested that a wider strip of pavement be left for pedestrians on one side of the road with a narrower strip on the other to allow cars to park on the footway on both sides;
• Concern was expressed that, when vehicles were parked with all wheels on the road, there was often not enough room for other vehicles to pass through.  This made it particularly difficult for refuse vehicles to collect rubbish from the houses in the road; and
• A commercial long wheel base removal vehicle driven by one of the residents was regularly parked too close to the end of the road.  This made it difficult for other road users to turn into or out of the road.

Councillor Keith Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised.  He advised that nothing had changed with regard to the rules for footway parking. 

With regard to the commercial vehicle, Councillor Burrows advised that the Council only had powers to act in relation to vehicles over a certain weight and this vehicle did not fit that criteria.  However, it was suggested that the standard 10m double yellow lines be placed at the end of the road to clearly mark where vehicles could park and make access to the road easier and visibility clearer.  In the meantime, officers were asked to informally approach the removal company to discuss the issue. 

The footway parking exemption scheme in St David Close was agreed in principal and officers were asked to report back on the results of the consultation.

RESOLVED:  That the Cabinet Member:

1. considered the request for St David Close to be exempted from the Footway Parking Regulations.

2. approved in principal the installation of a Footway Parking Exemption scheme in St David Close, subject to a detailed design and consultation with residents.

3. asked officers to report back on the results of the consultation.

REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION

It would appear footway parking could be allowed in St David Close in accordance with the Council’s criteria but, before making a formal decision, the scheme needs to be designed and residents consulted to determine the level of support.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED

None as the petitioners have made a specific request to be allowed to park on the footways of St David Close.

Councillors Phoday Jarjussey and Mo Khursheed attended the meeting and spoke as Ward Councillors in support of the petition. 

Concerns and suggestions raised at the meeting included the following:

• As it was so close to the station, drivers regularly parked their vehicles in Blyth Road and Clayton Road and went off to work in London on the train without having to pay to park or pay for the congestion charge.  These drivers often woke residents early in the morning when they slammed their car doors and would not return until late in the evening thus using the limited parking spaces all day;
• An increasing number of people were leaving their vehicles in Blyth Road and Clayton Road for up to four weeks whilst they went on holiday and caught the train or the bus to Heathrow airport;
• As it was easy to get into London from the station, many drivers were parking in the roads and catching the train to events at Wembley or to go shopping at Westfield in Shepherds Bush;
• The high volume of cars vying for a parking space in Clayton Road had resulted in a number of residents’ cars being scraped or scratched and residents were finding that they were often boxed in and unable to move their cars out of their parking space;
• A block of flats had been built at the end of Clayton Road and were being sold.  Residents were concerned that it was cheaper for the tenants in these flats to take on the property without also taking a garage.  As such, this would increase the number of cars wanting to park on the roadside and make it even more difficult to get a space;
• Although all residents were finding it difficult for existing residents to park their vehicles near their homes, it was particularly difficult for parents with young children, residents returning with heavy shopping and those who needed to empty their tools from their vans to ensure that they were not stolen.  It was also difficult for tradesmen (e.g., plumbers) visiting residents houses to park anywhere near the property that they were working at;
• The volume of traffic on Clayton Road was increasing and lorries often used the road when the drivers found that they were unable to fit under the bridge;
• Residents suggested that the unused land in the road be used to alleviate the problem, perhaps by building garages on it;
• There were three motor garages in the road that did MOTs.  This meant that there were a significant number of cars that parked in Clayton Road while they were waiting for an MOT or while they were waiting for the owner to pick them up after the MOT;
• The volume of cars parked in Clayton Road made it difficult for buses to get around the corner and residents had, in the past, had to help the bus drivers manoeuvre round;
• It was noted that there were no signatures on the petition of residents from Blyth Road.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.