Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

RESOLVED:  That all items of business be considered in public.

The Cabinet Member considered a petition from residents requesting traffic calming measures in Carlton Avenue, Hayes. The petition organiser was in attendance at the meeting, with a number of residents, and informed the Cabinet Member that he had been a resident of Carlton Avenue for over 30 years and had particularly noticed an increase in drivers breaching speeding regulations over the last few years. The petition organiser cited an increase in the volume of traffic and a rise in incidences of speeding vehicles as the reason for submitting the petition. Concerns specified by the petitioners included, commuters utilising Carlton Avenue as a shortcut and excessively noisy vehicles on the road. The petitioners informed the Cabinet Member that they were looking for consideration of feasible means to address traffic calming in Carlton Avenue.

The Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling informed the petitioners that the most common topics raised at petition hearings pertain to Parking Management Schemes and speeding vehicles. The Cabinet Member called attention to the officer's report, specifically noting the police recorded collision data for the three year period to the end of September 2018, whereby there was one recorded incident in Carlton Avenue. He also explained that police recorded collision data only accounted for collisions resulting in injury. The petitioners confirmed to the Cabinet Member that they saw an increase in the volume of vehicles on Carlton Avenue during peak hours.

The Cabinet Member explained that, in order to justify Council expenditure on traffic calming measures, valid data would be required from traffic surveys undertaken on Carlton Avenue. He also explained to the petitioners how these traffic surveys work and that data could be passed to the police if a trend of repeated incidences of speeding became evident. The precise locations of three traffic surveys were agreed upon by the Cabinet Member, the Head of Transport and Town Centre Improvements and the lead petitioner.

RESOLVED:

Meeting with the Petitioners, the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling:

1)    Listened to their request for traffic calming measures in Carlton Avenue, Hayes; and

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

Reasons for decisions

The petition hearing provided the Cabinet Member with an opportunity to fully understand petitioners’ concerns and suggestions.

Alternative options considered / risk management

None at this stage.

Due to the absence of the lead petitioner associated with this item, the Cabinet Member decided to defer the item to a future petition hearing.

RESOLVED: This item was deferred to be heard at a future petition hearing.

The Cabinet Member considered a petition requesting a parking management scheme and road safety measures in Clyfford Road, Ruislip Gardens. The petition organiser, who was in attendance at the meeting, informed the Cabinet Member that they had been a resident of Clyfford Road for four years and expressed two primary concerns; limited parking and road safety.

On the issue of limited parking, the petition organiser noted the existing Parking Management Scheme (PMS) which covered the end of Clyfford Road which adjoins Bedford Road. It was stated that, on weekdays, the remaining portion of Clyfford Road (not covered by the PMS) is utilised for parking by commuters using the nearby Ruislip Gardens underground station. Similarly, it was claimed that on weekends, the road is also used for parking by shoppers attending the Westfield shopping centre in Shepherds Bush. The lead petitioner also stated that commercial vehicles parking on Clyfford Road obstructed residents from parking close to their own properties.

Concerning road safety, the lead petitioner noted the proximity of Clyfford Road to Ruislip Gardens Primary School, citing an incident where a young boy had been knocked down by a car. The petitioner also highlighted the bend in Clyfford Road close to the junction with Bedford Road as a hotspot for speeding vehicles, recalling near misses with drivers taking the corner at high speeds.

Councillor Steve Tuckwell attended the meeting and spoke as Ward Councillor for South Ruislip in support of the petition. Councillor Tuckwell thanked the petition organiser for his hard work in collecting 65 signatures and highlighted that the high number of signatures exhibited the significant interest in the matter. Councillor Tuckwell reiterated the petitioners' two main issues of speeding and parking limitations; adding that, commuters were arriving from as far as High Wycombe to utilise the road's proximity to Ruilsip Gardens underground station.

The Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling read out an email from the Ward Councillor for South Ruislip, Councillor Vanessa Hurhangee, stating "I fully support this petition". Followed by an email from the Ward Councillor for South Ruislip, Councillor Alan Kauffman stating "I am happy to be guided by officer's recommendations as I have another meeting on that night."

The Cabinet Member commended the lead petitioner's dedication in collection 65 signatures on the matter and acknowledged that there were two parts to this petition. On the matter of road safety, the Cabinet Member explained that he was happy to endorse the officer's recommendation and implement traffic surveys on Clyfford Road to capture data which could justify future traffic calming measures. The Transport and Projects Senior Manager highlighted the importance of where the traffic surveys are placed in capturing reliable and valid data. The Cabinet Member outlined to the petitioners how the traffic surveys would work and agreed upon the precise locations of the surveys with the lead petitioner, Councillor Steve Tuckwell and the Head of Transport and Town Centre Improvements.

RESOLVED:

Meeting with the Petitioners, the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40.

The Cabinet Member considered a petition requesting various traffic calming measures and road safety initiatives in Ducks Hill Road, Ruislip. The petition organiser was in attendance and informed the Cabinet Member of the primary reasons for submitting their petition which included:

• They felt that the 50 miles per hour speed limit on Ducks Hill Road should be reduced;
• A safe form of pedestrian crossing is vital for families attending the Ruislip lido; and
• Vehicles were failing to sufficiently reduce their speed when travelling from the 50mph section of Ducks Hill Road to the 30mph section.

The petitioners commended the support of their West Ruislip Ward Councillors in the formation of the petition and went on to note recent incidents of people struggling to cross Ducks Hill Road safely and a road traffic accident whereby a bollard was damaged. The lead petitioner suggested potential locations of traffic calming measures which they believed would most beneficial to residents and pedestrians.

Councillor Philip Corthorne attended the meeting and spoke as Ward Councillor for West Ruislip in support of the petition. Councillor Corthorne informed the Cabinet Member that the petitioners had contacted him for support in advancing their petition. He stated that residents had suffered harrowing experiences with regards to road traffic accidents on Ducks Hill Road, including damage to property. Whilst fully endorsing the petition, he noted that implementing traffic calming measures can be a lengthy process and emphasised the importance of keeping residents informed of the process.

Councillor John Riley attended the meeting and spoke as Ward Councillor for West Ruislip in support of the petition. Councillor Riley highlighted the section of Ducks Hill Road where the speed limit is reduced from 50mph to 30mph as a cause for concern; he understood that the road was not densely populated; hence the 50mph limit but pointed out that the reduction in speed to 30mph was not always adhered to. Councillor Riley suggested relocating the 30mph sign further up Ducks Hill Road and noted the importance of a safe pedestrian crossing for families attending the Ruislip Lido in summer.

Councillor Devi Radia attended the meeting and spoke as Ward Councillor for West Ruislip in support of the petition. Councillor Radia noted four road traffic accidents that had occurred on Ducks Hill Road in recent years as justification for exploring traffic calming measures. She also noted the need for a pedestrian crossing on roads popular with people attending the Ruislip Lido, such as Breakspear Road.

The Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling noted the difficulty in hearing a petition following a recent fatality on the road in question. The Cabinet Member emphasised the importance of rigorously investigating feasible locations of any potential pedestrian crossings; taking into account the Ruislip Fire Station and areas with the most footfall to ensure the public safely adhered to using any crossing, and didn't cross where it was just convenient to do so. He also explained to the petitioners how traffic surveys are conducted and that, dependant on the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41.

The Cabinet Member considered a petition from residents requesting a parking management scheme in the service road fronting numbers 195 to 207A in Swakeleys Road, Ickenham. The petitioner organiser was in attendance at the meeting and informed the Cabinet Member that they had lived in the area for 10 years. They noted a number of concerns and reasons for their request, including the following:

·         All houses on the service road had one parking space on their driveway;

·         Three new properties, each containing six flats, had been constructed adjacent to the slip road, with an allocation of one parking space per flat;

·         Residents of the flats with more than one vehicle were utilising the service road for parking needs, often blocking residents' driveways;

·         Visitors to the flats were parking in the service road for convenience;

·         There had been incidences of cars being parked on the service road for weeks at a time;

·         Attempts to resolve the issue with residents of the flats had been met with aggression; and

·         With more flats due for construction, the problem is likely to get worse.

The petitioners requested the implementation of a parking management scheme to address the issues on their road.

The Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling outlined various methods of parking management which could be implemented by the Council including waiting restrictions and a residents' permit parking scheme. He informed petitioners that consultation with residents is a statutory requirement and that any consultation would feature a variety of options. The results of any consultation would signify the method of parking management best suited to residents' needs.

The Head of Transport and Town Centre Improvements noted that, new housing developments often risked disadvantaging local residents when it came to the allocation of parking at these developments; in other words, the development may allocate only a limited amount of parking within the site, but some tenants or buyers may nevertheless try and park in any nearby unrestricted street. He also informed petitioners that, even if residents' permit parking was not favoured by a consultation, the Council can still nevertheless offer, for a fee, vehicle access markings in front of residents' driveways which can deter others from infringing on the access to residents' driveways.

RESOLVED:

Meeting with the Petitioners, the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling:

1)    Listened to their request for the introduction of a residents' permit parking scheme in part of Swakeleys Road, Ickenham; and

2)    Decided that the request for a residents' permit parking scheme should be added to the Council’s future parking scheme programme for further investigation and more detailed consultation when resources permit.

Reasons for decision

The petition hearing allowed the Cabinet Member to discuss with petitioners their concerns and add their request to the parking schemes programme.

Alternative options considered / risk management

These will be discussed with petitioners.