Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

It was confirmed that the business of the meeting would take place in public.

The Cabinet Member considered a petition from residents requesting a review of road safety in Old Mill Lane and Packet Boat Lane, Cowley. The Cabinet Member informed residents present that he was a Ward Councillor for Uxbridge South Ward.

The petitioner addressed the Cabinet Member and raised the following points:-

·         An accident had occurred outside his property during which a car had ploughed through 6 steel bollards and hit a tree. Fortunately no injuries were sustained but it could have been a lot more serious;

·         Department of Transport advice to motorists was to slow down and allow 2 to 3 metres distance when passing pedestrians or horses. It was impossible to drive safely given the width of the roads in question;

·         In another incident, a woman riding a horse had been forced off the road by a car;

·         A dog had reportedly been run over and killed by a motorist;

·         People were forced to step into the river at times to avoid the traffic;

·         Large lorries regularly used the roads which exacerbated the problem;

·         One incident had been recorded since 2017; however, the Cabinet Member was advised that at least four accidents had occurred in reality;

·         There was no lighting along the roads which made them more dangerous;

·         Local residents were of the opinion that traffic needed to be restricted and speed controls put in place.

Councillor Cooper, Ward Councillor for Uxbridge South, addressed the Cabinet Member and confirmed that it was both difficult and dangerous for pedestrians and motorists to use the roads in question.

Councillor Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners and Ward Councillor and responded to the points raised. Councillor Burrows confirmed that the data regarding numbers of accidents recorded was taken from a police database. Accidents were only recorded by the police if an injury had been sustained. 

Councillor Burrows requested further clarification regarding the lorries currently using the roads. It was confirmed that some large lorries were using the road to access the industrial area while others were simply passing through. The Cabinet Member noted that further studies would need to be undertaken to ascertain where the lorries were coming from / going. Since traffic monitoring equipment needed to be attached to something, it was agreed that the independent monitoring company employed by the Council would need to assess the feasibility of using 24/7 monitoring strips in the area. Possible safety measures could potentially include the use of solar Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS). If it was found that the road was being used as a cut through, camera enforcement could be put in place which would not transform the appearance of the country roads.

In considering the matter, Councillor Burrows moved the following recommendations:-

RESOLVED:

Meeting with the Petitioners, the Cabinet Member:

1.    Listened to their concerns about safety along Old Mill Lane and Packet Boat Lane and listened to their request for a review of road safety and HGV movements along these roads;

2.    Noted the outcome of traffic surveys which  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50.

The Cabinet Member considered a petition from residents requesting parking changes and the removal of part of the grass verge in Cottingham Chase, Ruislip.

The petitioner addressed the Cabinet Member and raised the following points:-

·         It was reported that the road was very narrow - 19'11" in width. When cars were parked on both sides, the gap was reduced to approximately 7' and it was impossible for an ambulance (measuring approximately 8'7" in width) to pass along the road.  On one occasion, when a child had been taken ill, an ambulance had taken ten minutes to exit Cottingham Chase due to the narrowness of the road;

·         The Cabinet Member was advised that yellow lines were currently in place along part of the road;

·         Residents requested that grass verges on either side of the road (measuring 4'10" at present) be reduced in size by 2' on each side to enable residents to park. Such a reduction in the size of the verges would provide a gap of 11' between parked cars and would enable emergency vehicles to pass through easily;

·         It was reported that, due to the reduced width of the road, a standard refuse vehicle could not gain access; hence a smaller truck was provided to collect the rubbish;

·         It was claimed that other similar narrow roads did not have grass verges in place;

Councillor Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised. It was noted that, as detailed on page 14 of the officer's report, The London Fire Brigade had undertaken a route test and felt the proposed waiting restrictions were a suitable measure to aid their access in an emergency. However, it was acknowledged that the route test had taken place during the day when there were generally less cars parked along the road. Councillor Burrows stated that he was unaware of any specific concerns raised by the emergency services to date regarding Cottingham Chase.  

Residents were advised that the removal of grass verges was not in line with Council policy. An alternative solution suggested was to extend the current yellow lines along the entire length of Cottingham Chase; however, it was acknowledged that this option might be unpopular with residents.

In considering the matter, Councillor Burrows moved the following recommendations:-

RESOLVED:

Meeting with the Petitioners, the Cabinet Member:

1.    Listened to their request for alterations to the highway layout and the introduction of waiting restrictions in Cottingham Chase; and

2.    Instructed officers to liaise with all emergency services with regard to access into Cottingham Chase at various times of the day / evening.

Reason for decisions

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

Alternative options considered / risk management

None at this stage.

The Cabinet Member considered a petition from residents requesting a parking management scheme in Lovett Road, Harefield.

The petitioner addressed the Cabinet Member and raised the following points:-

·         Lovett Road had originally been a small close with 15 houses and no parking problems. A Care Home had since been built which had increased the number of cars in the road but had not caused a major issue;

·         Revised parking regulations in neighbouring roads had had a negative impact on parking in Lovett Road. Another problem was caused by commercial vehicles which often parked on corners at weekends creating dangerous blind spots;

·         It was reported that drivers travelling to and from the Care Home sometimes travelled at speed which endangered pedestrians;

·         Refuse vehicles experienced difficulties when attempting to access the road due to the number of parked cars;

·         Cars were sometimes parked along the road for long periods of time.

Ward Councillors Higgins and Palmer had submitted comments prior to the meeting in support of action to address the difficulties being experienced by residents. Ward Councillors were in favour of 'conservationist' yellow lines which were narrower than the standard yellow lines but equally effective.

Councillor Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised. It was noted that possible options to resolve the problem could be restricted hours or permit parking. Another option would be to install 'Controlled Parking Beyond this Point' signs at the entrance to Lovett Road; in this case bays would not be needed and residents could self govern the area. Wardens would patrol at regular intervals and parking contraventions could be reported to the Council by residents if necessary.

In considering the matter, Councillor Burrows moved the following recommendations:-

RESOLVED:

Meeting with the Petitioners, the Cabinet Member:

1.    Listened to their request for the introduction of a Parking Management Scheme and some double yellow lines in Lovett Road, Harefield;

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

3.    Instructed officers to speak to the refuse department to establish issues currently being experienced there and report back to the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling.

Reason for decisions

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

Alternative options considered / risk management

None at this stage.

The Cabinet Member considered a petition from residents requesting "Resident Only Parking" in Apple Tree Avenue, Yiewsley.

The petitioner addressed the Cabinet Member and raised the following points:-

·         It was reported that Apple Tree Avenue was an extremely busy and dangerous road;

·         Holiday makers travelling to Heathrow Airport often parked along the road and left their cars there for two or three weeks at a time. If their car alarms were activated at night, residents were woken up and lost sleep;

·         People working at the Hospital also often parked along the road during the day;

·         On three occasions, the petitioner had been obliged to park illegally and had been in receipt of parking tickets due to the lack of available parking;

·         Parking issues had been known to result in unpleasant confrontations along Apple Tree Avenue.

Councillors Ahmad-Wallana and Deville, Ward Councillors for Yiewsley, addressed the Cabinet Member. Councillor Ahmad-Wallana reiterated the concerns of the petitioner stating that there were three schools in the area therefore safety had to be a priority. Councillor Ahmad-Wallana had witnessed double parking in Apple Tree Avenue and was aware that hospital staff and holiday makers often parked there. Councillor Deville also expressed his concerns regarding safety and congestion in Apple Tree Avenue and confirmed that he had witnessed people parking there before taking a taxi to the airport.

Councillor Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised. It was recognised that there were already parking restrictions in place along part of the road and the request was for a similar programme along the remaining part of the road. It was confirmed that, subject to Ward Members' agreement on the scope of the scheme, Birch Avenue would be included within the proposals. It was acknowledged that there may be some resistance to the scheme and it was important that people were encouraged to respond to the consultation. The whole process would take a few months.

In considering the matter, Councillor Burrows moved the following recommendations:-

RESOLVED:

Meeting with the Petitioners, the Cabinet Member:

1.    Listened to their request for the introduction of "residents only parking" in Apple Tree Avenue, Yiewsley; and

2.    Asked officers to add the request to the Council's extensive parking programme for further informal consultation on options to manage parking in an area agreed with local Ward Councillors.

Reason for decisions

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

Alternative options considered / risk management

None at this stage.