Agenda and minutes

Councillors East and Oswell were in attendance as Ward Councillors for Charville, in respect of Agenda Item 5: Objection to Parking on Hewens Road.

Councillors Khatra and Money were in attendance as Ward Councillors for Heathrow Villages in respect of Agenda Item 7: Request for Sunday Parking Permits in Warner Close and Harlington Street, and Agenda Item 8: Request for Residential Parking Restrictions in Shortlands, Harlington.

The above Councillors confirmed that they had no pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests to declare in respect of the relevant items.

Councillor Curling was in attendance as Ward Councillor for Townfield, in respect of Agenda Item 6: Request for a Parking Management Scheme in Bourton Close. The item was deferred to a future petition hearing.

RESOLVED: That all items be considered in public.

The Cabinet Member considered a petition received from residents requesting action be taken to address excessive speeding along Frithwood Avenue, Northwood. A representative of the petitioners addressed the Cabinet Member. Comments and suggestions included:

·         Frithwood Avenue is a straight, wide, mainly residential road

·         The road also includes a blind bend near house no. 25

·         The  speed of traffic travelling the road appears to have increased over the years

·         Many residents of Frithwood Avenue have young children who are at risk due to the speed of vehicles using the road

·         There is a primary school located in the area, which is busy at peak times with parents picking up and dropping off their children

·         The road is often used as a 'rat run' by motorists seeking to avoid the nearby High Street and traffic lights

·         34 people have signed the petition, who agree that some action is needed to address their concerns

Councillor Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners, and confirmed that he had received two emails from residents of the road who were objecting to any proposed traffic calming measures.

Councillor Burrows responded to the points raised by the lead petitioner, and confirmed that he was minded to instruct officers to carry out a traffic survey. The results of this survey would then allow Councillor Burrows to make an informed decision as to what action, if any, was required.

The petitioners examined a plan showing the layout of Frithwood Avenue and marked on it their preferred locations for three surveys.

Councillor Burrows therefore moved the following recommendations:

RESOLVED:  Meeting with the petitioners, the Cabinet Member:

1.    Listened to their concerns with the speed of traffic; and

2.    Asked officers to undertake traffic surveys, at locations agreed by the petitioners, and then report back to the Cabinet Member.

Reasons for recommendations

The Petition Hearing will provide a valuable opportunity to hear directly from the petitioners of their concerns and suggestions.

Alternative options considered

None at this stage.

The Cabinet Member considered a petition received from residents requesting the suspension of the parking management scheme in Hewens Road. A representative of the petitioners addressed the Cabinet Member. Comments and suggestions included:

·         The petitioner asserted that there was no designated pick up/drop off point within Hewens Road for parents taking their children to and from the school and nursery on Hewens Campus

·         This made it very difficult to manage children's journeys when in bad weather or poor health

·         Hewens Road has 73 residential houses

·         The school's parents/guardians came in approximately 300 cars, with circa 400 children, so traffic was a significant issue. Those involved were unhappy about having to walk a long distance from side roads, where they now park.

·         The petitioner suggested that a drop off point be installed on the field side, as this would not result in additional traffic issues

Councillor Oswell addressed the Cabinet Member as Ward Councillor for Charville, and confirmed:

·         A previous petition had been submitted by residents of Hewens Road, which had resulted in the current parking management scheme

·         The local school had chosen not to take part in the Council's consultation on road safety and parking management, and had not submitted a traffic plan

·         At peak times (morning/afternoon), traffic was a significant issue for residents of Hewens Road, due to the influx of parents travelling to and from the school

·         A bus route was also present on the road, further compounding traffic congestion

·         Whilst Councillor Oswell had sympathy for the petitoners, his first duty of care was to residents of his ward, living within Hewens Road, and therefore recommended that the present parking management scheme remain

·         Councillor Oswell went on to suggest that perhaps a wholly new scheme could be contemplated, that would benefit all parties

Councillor East addressed the Cabinet Member as Ward Councillor for Charville, and reiterated Councillor Oswell's comments, though appreciated the difficulty for parents attempting to pick up and drop off their children from the school

Councillor Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners, and responded to the points raised by the lead petitioner. Councillor Burrows confirmed that the issue affected two Wards (Hillingdon East and Charville) and that he had received written testimony from all three Ward Councillors for Hillingdon East, who had echoed the points set out by Councillor Oswell.

Councillor Burrows confirmed that, as set out in the officer's report, a formal consultation had been undertaken prior to the introduction of the residents permit only parking scheme in Hewens Road. This included notices placed on nearby lamp columns, and published in a local newspaper and the London Gazette. In addition, an information letter and plan was delivered to every residential property in Hewens Road as well as the school, college, and directly affected businesses in adjacent roads. Councillor Burrows confirmed that the Council had abided by the relevant legal framework and associated regulations, and had not breached the four points of the Operational Guidance to Local Authorities on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

The item was deferred to a future petition hearing at the Ward Councillor's request, as the lead petitioner was not in attendance.

The Cabinet Member considered a petition received from residents requesting an extension to the operational times of the Heathrow Parking Management Scheme in Warner Close, Harlington. A representative of the petitioners addressed the Cabinet Member. Comments and suggestions included:

·         The area has a high volume of mini cabs and private hire vehicles parking within the area. Often these are parked overnight and throughout the weekend

·         Airport staff and people going on holiday use the area to park their cars

·         Disabled parking bays are often used by people without disabilities

·         The influx of cars and people has resulted in a large amount of refuse, including bottles and rubbish thrown into residents' gardens

·         Residents are subjected to antisocial behaviour from the people using the area as a car park

Councillor Money addressed the Cabinet Member as Ward Councillor for Heathrow Villages. Points raised included:

·         The issue is predominantly due to private hire vehicles parking within the area

·         Data shows that in Hillingdon Villages, 1158 vehicles have been ticketed within the last 9 months, in comparison to the next highest Ward, (Uxbridge South), which has had circa 100 vehicles ticketed

·         The area is located close to the High Street, which has resulted in people parking within Warner Close and then taking advantage of free bus services to the airport

·         Similar issues in other areas have been resolved by the extension of parking management times

·         It was suggested that other areas local to Warner Close be included in any parking restrictions, to fully resolve the issue

·         Regarding antisocial behaviour, it was suggested that additional officers be tasked with patrolling the area

Councillor Khatra addressed the Cabinet Member as Ward Councillor for Heathrow Villages, and reiterated the points raised by Councillor Money.

Councillor Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners, and felt that the matter should be added to the Council's future parking scheme programme for informal consultation with residents. Councillor Burrows recommended that Ward Councillors contact officers with a list of suggested roads for inclusion within the consultation. In addition, Councillor Burrows felt that the matter of antisocial behaviour should be addressed.

Councillor Burrows therefore moved the following recommendations:

RESOLVED:  Meeting with the petitioners, the Cabinet Member:

1.    Listened to their request for the operational times of the Heathrow Parking Management Scheme to be extended in Warner Close, Harlington;

2.    Decided that the request for an extension to operational times of the parking scheme in Warner Close, Harlington, and any other roads in the nearby area, agreed with local Ward Councillors, should be added to the Council’s future parking scheme programme for informal consultation with residents; and

3.    Instructed officers to inform the Antisocial Behaviour team of the issues within the area, and request that appropriate action be taken.

Reasons for recommendations

To allow the Cabinet Member to discuss with petitioners their concerns and, if appropriate, add their request to the parking schemes programme.

Alternative options considered

These were discussed with petitioners.

The Cabinet Member considered a petition received from residents requesting an extension to the operational times of the Heathrow Parking Management Scheme in Shortlands, Harlington. A representative of the petitioners addressed the Cabinet Member. Comments and suggestions included:

·         The area includes parking bays, but these are insufficient for the number of cars owned by residents of the area

·         By 5pm on weekdays, and often throughout the entirety of the weekend, residents are unable to park outside their homes, due to the volume of cars parked within the area

·         This is likely due to private hire vehicles and airport staff parking their vehicles within the area

·         19 of the 20 households in Shortlands have signed the petition and are in agreement that the parking scheme hours should be extended, from 8am to 10pm, including Sundays

Councillor Money addressed the Cabinet Member as Ward Councillor for Heathrow Villages. Points raised included:

·         The issue is predominantly due to private hire vehicles parking within the area

·         The area is located close to the High Street, which has resulted in people parking within Shortlands and then taking advantage of free bus services to the airport

·         Similar issues in other areas have been resolved by the extension of parking management times

·         It was suggested that other areas local to Shortlands be included in any parking restrictions, to fully resolve the issue

Councillor Khatra addressed the Cabinet Member as Ward Councillor for Heathrow Villages, and reiterated the points raised by Councillor Money.

Councillor Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners, and agreed that the matter should be added to the Council's future parking scheme programme for informal consultation with residents. Councillor Burrows recommended that Ward Councillors contact officers with a list of suggested roads for inclusion within the consultation.

Councillor Burrows therefore moved the following recommendations:

RESOLVED:  Meeting with the petitioners, the Cabinet Member:

1.    Listened to their request for the operational times of the Heathrow Parking Management Scheme to be extended in Shortlands, Harlington; and

2.    Decided that the request for an extension to operational times of the parking scheme in Shortlands, Harlington, and any other roads in the nearby area, agreed with local Ward Councillors, should be added to the Council’s future parking scheme programme for informal consultation with residents.

Reasons for recommendations

To allow the Cabinet Member to discuss with petitioners their concerns and, if appropriate, add their request to the parking schemes programme.

Alternative options considered

These were discussed with petitioners.