Agenda and minutes

Cllr John Morgan declared a non-pecuniary interest in Item 4. He left the room and did not participate in the item.

RESOLVED: That all items be considered in public.

Councillors Jonathan Bianco and Duncan Flynn attended the meeting and each spoke as Ward Councillors.

Concerns and suggestions from the petitioner in SUPPORT included the following:

·         The petitioner highlighted the Council's slogan of 'Putting Residents First' and requested that it introduce a Parking Management Scheme as set out in the petition.

·         A Parking Management Scheme was needed to deter commuters.

·         The petition in support had been signed by more than 2,500 residents, which represented a quarter of the people in the Ward.

·         95% of the residents living within a 500m radius, as shown in Appendix B on page 7 of the agenda had also signed the petition in support.

·         Car parking in and around Northwood Hills Tube Station was a major problem for residents.

·         Northwood Hills was the only Ward with a Tube station which did not have a Parking Management Scheme.

·         The issue was exacerbated as Northwood Hills Tube station did not have a dedicated car park.

·         The petitioner was convinced the Council had the funding available to it to introduce a Parking Management Scheme should it be minded to do so.

·         The Schools expansion programme and UTC College had created additional congestion in Northwood Hills.

·         Given the overwhelming support for the introduction of a Parking Management Scheme, there should be no need to consult with local residents before it was implemented.

·         Residents currently suffered from displaced parking and in particular blocked driveways. A Parking Management Scheme would help reduce this problem.

·         Northwood Hills was advertised as the station to use for visitors to Wembley Stadium and so it encouraged parking in and around the station.

·         The Officer report was correct and the right balance needed to be struck in order to benefit residents.

Concerns and suggestions from the petitioner in OBJECTION included the following:

·         The petitioner explained he was speaking in his capacity as the Vice-Chairman of the Northwood Hills Residents Association.

·         While he was not opposed to the principle of a Parking Management Scheme, the rationale behind his petition was to ensure residents were fully aware of what the implications would be if a scheme was implemented.

·         The gentrification of Northwood Hills meant it had become a more vibrant area and the occupancy of shops had increased from 75% to 95% recently. The petitioner also confirmed that 100% of Argyle House was in use.

·         The petitioner confirmed that from a personal point of view, he had not experienced displaced parking in his road.

·         Based on figures provided by the Council, he confirmed that if a Parking Management Scheme was introduced, local roads would lose a total of 186 parking spaces.

·         As a result of the lost spaces, the immediate vicinity outside the 500m radius would begin to suffer from displaced parking.

·         The elderly and less mobile would lose out if the scheme was introduced.

·         Northwood Hills was the fastest growing station in the Borough and so the parking issue needed to be resolved.

Ward Councillors spoke with regard to the petitioners’ requests and raised the following issues:  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

No Ward Councillors attended the meeting.

Concerns and suggestions from petitioners included the following:

·         Parking issues took place on the unrestricted section of Field End Road between Ivy Close and the Borough boundary.

·         Vehicles parked on both sides of the road of North view which made it more dangerous.

·         Speeding was common place along North View.

·         North View was on a bus route.

·         There had nearly been two accidents recently.

·         It was suggested that a limited parking restriction scheme could be put into place to remove all day parking from this section of North View.

·         There was an overall concern expressed about speed along North View and what could be done about it. Residents wanted to be proactive and take preventative measures rather than await fatalities.

·         Further suggestions included the installation of some form of speed camera to reduce the number of speeding vehicles. It was also highlighted that as children crossed North View twice a day to walk up Boundary Road to attend Canon Lane School there was an increased likelihood of there being an accident at some point in the future.

The Cabinet Member, Councillor Keith Burrows, listened to the concerns raised and agreed that signage alone was not likely to significantly reduce vehicle speeds in North View. With regards to the suggestion that the Council consider deploying speed cameras, the Cabinet Member advised that the Council was not responsible for the introduction, management or maintenance of safety cameras as these were overseen by Transport for London working in partnership with the Police and London Councils.

Councillor Burrows advised that before safety cameras could be considered, there needed to be a history of four or more incidents which had resulted in serious or fatal accidents and this had not been the case at this location.

Cllr Burrows advised that, in order for the Council to consider reducing the speed limit or investigating other measures in the vicinity of North View, it first needed to obtain evidence that there was evidence of excessive speed in the area. The most effective and nationally recognised method for obtaining such evidence was through the undertaking of a speed and vehicle survey.

The petitioners were asked to help identify locations on North View for the survey to be carried out at. Following discussion, two locations were agreed. It was confirmed that the survey would provide data on vehicle speeds, time of day and vehicle size. In the event that specific concerns were identified e.g. motorists regularly exceeding the existing speed limit at a certain time of day, this information would be passed to the Police for them to consider enforcement action.  

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet Member:

1.    Consider the petitioners' concerns regarding parking issues and vehicle speeds on North View.

2.    Subject to the above, asks officers to undertake classified traffic volume and speed survey(s) at location(s) to be agreed with the petitioners and the relevant Ward Members.

3.    Subject to the above, considers adding North View to future phases of the Council's  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

In the absence of the petitioner and Ward Councillors, Councillor Burrows considered the officer report and made the following decisions:

RESOLVED: That:

1.    In the absence of the petitioner and Ward Councillors the Cabinet Member considered the request for additional "Zone SR" permit holder parking places to be introduced in The Runway, South Ruislip.

2.    That the Cabinet Member instructs Officers to undertake a parking stress survey in the area identified and, before any decision is made, report back to the Cabinet Member in consultation with Ward Councillors

Councillors Beulah East, Neil Fyfe and John Oswell attended the meeting and spoke as Ward Councillors.

Concerns and suggestions from petitioner, in relation to the petition, included the following:

·         The petitioner explained he was a business owner in Uxbridge Road, Hayes and because there was no parking this had created problems.

·         The lack of parking meant that the viability of some businesses was in question.

·         There was not currently enough footfall in the area and consideration was being given to withdrawing the cash machine.

·         A parking space was needed to enable businesses to load and off load.

·         The petitioner requested the Cabinet Member to consider ideally 3, but at worst a minimum of 2 car parking spaces outside the shops.

Ward Councillors spoke in support of the petitioners and raised the following issues:

·         Councillors had visited the area and agreed with the petitioner that due to the lack of parking, shops and local businesses had suffered.

·         The issue of a site visit was mooted to see where the parking spaces might be located.

·         A Ward Councillor mentioned there was space to the rear of the parade of shops. Officers explained this was owned by a leaseholder and so there would be legal ramifications which would require further investigation.

·         One of the suggestions focused around the relocation of the existing cycle locking barriers on the highway so this space could be used for parking.

The Cabinet Member, Councillor Keith Burrows, listened to the concerns raised and noted that to have a successful business it was important to have customer parking. Instead of moving the second recommendation in the report, the Cabinet Member requested Officers to undertake further investigative work and to report back to him,  to see how the Council might be able to assist in future.

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet Member

1.    That the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling discusses with petitioners their request for a “Stop and Shop” parking scheme outside Nos. 1174-1184 Uxbridge Road, Hayes.

2.    That the Cabinet Member instructs Officers to undertake a site visit with Officers, Ward Councillors and Shop Keepers to identify the issues faced at this specific location.

No Ward Councillors attended the meeting. However, Cllr June Nelson had sent an email to Cllr Keith Burrows supporting the petitioners' request.

Concerns and suggestions from petitioners included the following:

·         The petitioner explained that residents were experiencing difficulties with non-residential parking in Eton Road, Hayes and the surrounding area due to the parking pressures created by Heathrow Airport.

·         Reference was made to a local Mosque which had begun as prayer room but due to its popularity had soon expanded. The increase in the number of vehicles visiting the Mosque had contributed to a local parking pressure.

·         There were a considerable number of elderly residents in the area and they supported the idea of a parking management scheme.

·         An allegation was made that an airport parking business was using Eton Road to park its customer's vehicles which contributed to the parking pressures locally.

The Cabinet Member, Councillor Keith Burrows, listened to the concerns raised and noted that parking difficulties could well be created by a combination of holiday makers and airport workers parking in the vicinity of Eton Road. Cllr Burrows agreed to the petitioners request for the Parking Management meeting to be added to the programme and highlighted the importance of ensuring residents completed their feedback forms during the consultation period.

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet Member

1.    That the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling  listens to petitioners request for a Parking Management Scheme to be introduced in Eton Road, Hayes and the surrounding area.

2.    That the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling  instructs Officers to add the request for a Parking Management Scheme in Eton Road and the surrounding area to the Council’s future parking scheme programme for further investigation and more detailed consultation with when resources permit