Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

RESOLVED:  That all items be considered in public.

The petitioners’ representative was in attendance at the meeting, and stated a number of concerns and suggestions, including the following:

·         At the top end of Wyre Grove there is always congestion and it is very difficult for residents to park in their driveways;

·         The local garage seems to always leave cars on Wyre Grove, parked on the pavements;

·         Cars often park on double yellow lines, which results in blind spots;

·         Issues arise due to cars parking in front of shops to “stop and shop”;

·         The flats above shops have extra cars that do not have parking, and a combination of these factors makes it very difficult for residents to even park on their own road.

Councillor Jazz Dhillon was unable to attend the meeting, but submitted written comments as Ward Councillor which were read out by Councillor Burrows.

Councillor Burrows listened to the petitioner’s concerns and noted that the Council was already considering “Stop & Shop” parking for the local shops. Additionally, cameras were not within the Council’s remit. However, the Chairman noted the petitioners’ concerns, and noted that officers would engage with local Ward Councillors to find out if any other local roads should be consulted to avoid a domino-effect by implementing park restrictions in just one road.

The petitioners heard that the Cabinet Member was happy to add Wyre Grove to the programme, and noted that the next step was a consultation with residents. The petitioners were urged to ensure that as many residents as possible respond to the review in support of the Parking Management Scheme, as the Council requires support from local residents before they agree to implement new parking schemes.

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling:

1.    Listened to the request for the introduction of residents’ permit holder parking in Wyre Grove, Hayes; and

2.    Agreed that the request for residents’ permit holder parking in Wyre Grove and the surrounding area be added to the Council’s future parking scheme programme for further investigation and more detailed consultation when resources permit.

Reasons for Recommendation

The Cabinet Member discussed with petitioners their concerns, and, felt it appropriate to add the petitioners’ request to the parking schemes programmes.

Alternative Options Considered / Risk Management

Options were discussed with petitioners.

The lead petitioner was in attendance at the meeting, and noted a number of concerns and suggestions, including the following:

·         Currently, issues regarding excessive speed, cars driving at people as they walk on zebra crossings and speeding lorries in both directions are of concern to local residents;

·         Some pavement on the road is very narrow or requires fixing;

·         The road is not fit for the volume of traffic that passes;

·         Incidents have taken place on the zebra crossing near Nicholls Avenue, and with a nearby school, there are concerns for pupil safety;

·         Many cars drive at speeds over 30mph at the bottom of the road; and

·         The petitioner has seen roughly 14 accidents near to his home in the past 17 years.

Councillors Roy Chamdal and Brian Stead attended the meeting and spoke as Ward Councillors in support of the petition.

Councillor Burrows noted that he was not able to take action on the narrow or damaged pavements, but this was something that the Ward Councillors would be able to take forward with the Highways Maintenance Team. The Cabinet Member agreed that traffic surveys should take place, and discussed potential locations for these with the lead petitioner and Ward Councillors. The Cabinet Member also noted that recommendation four would be altered slightly, to ensure that any evidence of speeding buses that was identified from the traffic surveys was reported to TfL / London Buses.

The Council’s Traffic, Parking, Road Safety and School Travel Team Manager noted that the traffic surveys would be organised, but would take place following the school summer holidays to ensure that it painted an accurate picture of the traffic flow on Harlington Road, and the volume would drop significantly over the summer.

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling:

1.    Listened to the concerns of the petitioners regarding excessive traffic speeds and road safety on Harlington Road, Hayes;

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

3.    Asked officers to raise the concerns over aggressive driving, speeding and vehicles failing to stop at the zebra crossings to colleagues in the Metropolitan Police Services, who are the enforcement body for these motoring offences; and,

4.    Subject to the above, raised concerns over any speeding buses with TfL / London Buses, so that they can investigate further as appropriate.

Reasons for Recommendation

The petition hearing provided a valuable opportunity to hear directly from the petitioners about their concerns and suggestions.

Alternative Options Considered / Risk Management

None.

The lead petitioner was in attendance at the meeting, and noted a number of concerns and suggestions, including the following:

·         Snowden Avenue faces excessive traffic between the hours of 08:00 - 09:00 and 15:00 – 18:00, and this traffic has led to damage to some residents’ cars;

·         Previous traffic surveys showed that there were 15k car movements in a week on the road, and Snowden Avenue is being used as a “rat-run”;

·         There are additional concerns with a school in the area, and a pupil was hit by a car recently;

·         Speed tables were the preferred outcome, but other suggestions were welcome.

Councillors Wayne Bridges, Alan Chapman and Patricia Jackson were in attendance at the meeting and expressed their support for the petition, noting that the increase in students at Oakwood School caused more concerns. The Cabinet Member heard that the Ward Councillors had witnessed speeding in the area, and the traffic survey noted some vehicles had reached speeds of 50-55mph on Snowden Avenue.

Councillor Burrows commented that the traffic survey will drive the decision made by the Council, and consulted with the petitioners and Ward Councillors as to the positioning of the traffic survey. The petitioners were encouraged to ask as many residents as possible to respond to any consultation that may be sent out to residents asking about a potential change.

The petitioners heard that it may be challenging to add speed tables to the road due to the number of dropped kerbs, but officers had achieved this before, and if it was not a possibility, then other ways to reduce speeding vehicles on Snowden Avenue would be considered. The Cabinet Member confirmed that no option was off the table, but any decision was reliant on the results of the traffic survey.

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling:

1.    Listened to the concerns of the petitioners and request for a 20mph speed limit and raised tables;

2.    Noted the results of previous independent 24-hour, seven-day traffic surveys undertaken in Snowden Avenue; and,

3.    Agreed to commission further traffic surveys, at locations agreed by the petitioners, with results to be reported back to the Cabinet Member.

Reasons for Recommendations

The petition hearing provided a valuable opportunity to hear directly from the petitioners about their concerns and suggestions.

Alternative Options Considered / Risk Management

None.

The lead petitioner was in attendance at the meeting, and noted a number of concerns and suggestions, including the following:

·         This issue has continued for over a year, and has been exacerbated by the new development in Packet Boat Lane, which has made it nearly impossible to park between the hours 07:00 – 18:30;

·         Construction workers are now creating parking problems at weekends, making parking concerns a constant problem for local residents;

·         A residents’ parking management scheme was necessary, with long continuous parking bays the more desirable outcome;

·         There is another year of building work expected, and this will be followed by a development of 130+ flats with only 134 parking bays; this will lead to other residents of the development needing to park elsewhere and cause further problems in Sefton Way;

·         Commuters also park in the area and leave their car on the road to catch the bus to work;

·         The traffic concerns do not impact the top of Sefton Way as they have a private car park and a PMS will not affect them. Any consultation should be limited to only the bottom half of Sefton Way, as well as Verona Close and Fernes Close.

Councillor Farhad Choubedar was in attendance as a Ward Councillor, and Councillor Burrows noted that he is also a Ward Councillor for the area.

Councillor Choubedar noted his support for the petition, and suggested a PMS that restricted parking from the hours of 08:00 or 09:00 – 17:00. It was also suggested that parking restrictions may also be a necessity for Saturdays.

Councillor Burrows noted that there are currently plans for a wider Cowley-area consultation on parking, and the petitioners agreed to include their affected roads in the wider consultation to reduce the time it would take to send out the consultation. The Cabinet Member encouraged the petitioners to get as many residents as possible to respond to the consultation, and noted that in the past, the Council has introduced residents’ parking schemes that only affect half a road.

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling:

1.    Listened to the request for the introduction of a residents’ permit parking scheme in Sefton Way, Verona Close and Fernes Close area; and

2.    Asked officers to add the request to the Council’s extensive parking programme for further informal consultation.

Reasons for Recommendations

The petition hearing allowed the Cabinet Member to discuss with petitioners their concerns.

Alternative Options Considered / Risk Management

These were discussed with the petitioners.

The petitioners’ representative was in attendance at the meeting, and stated a number of concerns and suggestions, including the following:

·         The owners and employees of the shops situated in the Parade had concerns that they, and their customers, were not able to park nearby;

·         There have been confrontations when people were blocked in by other drivers;

·         Parking on double yellow lines has caused blind spots when turning out, and people often park on the double yellow lines on the cul-de-sac;

·         Residents have suggested one-way parking or parking on the green area.

Councillor Oswell was in attendance as a Ward Councillor, and expressed his support for the petition, which was affecting the viability of the parade. Written comments from Councillor Gardner, who was unable to attend as a Ward Councillor, were also read out by the Cabinet Member.

Councillor Burrows noted that consultation with the local Ward Councillors would take place, but noted that the Council try to protect its green spaces. The Cabinet Member expressed his wish to keep the parade viable and help local businesses, and commented that a consultation would take place first, and a further decision would be taken following the results of the consultation.

Councillor Burrows confirmed that officers would consult with the local businesses to build up a whole picture of the parking concerns, and would then inform local Ward Councillors as to when the officers were going out to look at the parking situation in Dawley Parade.

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling:

1.    Discussed with petitioners their concerns with parking in Dawley Parade, Hayes; and

2.    Asked officers to add the request to the Council’s extensive parking programme for further informal consultation.

Reasons for Recommendations

The petition hearing provided a valuable opportunity to hear directly from the petitioners about their concerns and suggestions.

Alternative Options Considered / Risk Management

None.