Venue: Committee Room 3a - Civic Centre, High Street, Uxbridge UB8 1UW. View directions
Contact: Steve Maiden 01895 250813
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To confirm that the business of the meeting will take place in public. Minutes: It was confirmed that the meeting would take place in public.
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To consider the report of the officers on the following petitions received. Please note that individual petitions may overrun their time slots. Although individual petitions may start later than advertised, they will not start any earlier than the advertised time. |
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Uxbridge Golf Course, The Drive, Ickenham PDF 76 KB Minutes: Concerns, comments and suggestions raised by the lead petitioner included the following:
Further concerns, comments and suggestions raised by petitioners present at the meeting included the following:
Councillor John Hensely, an Ickenham Ward Councillor, advised that the Council was currently operating in a difficult economic climate. The Council had made £40 million savings so far and was required to make a further £61 million of savings. The cost of reinstating the holes in question had to be understood within this context. He noted that the Council had to be extremely careful with plans for the course to ensure that further damage was not caused to the course. He suggested that the way forward was to develop a clear timetable for the works to be delivered.
Councillor Jonathan Bianco listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised:
RESOLVED: That the Cabinet Member:
1. Met the petitioners and considered their requirements for the reinstatement of Uxbridge Golf Course
2. Instructed officers to conduct a review of the situation with the reinstatement of holes on Uxbridge Golf Course and report findings back to the Cabinet Member for Finance, Property & Business Services.
3. Instructed officers to check on the progress of the report on Uxbridge Golf Course and report findings back to the Cabinet Member for Finance, Property & Business Services for circulation to petitioners and the Ickenham Residents’ Association.
Reasons for recommendation
Allowed the Cabinet Member to consider the petition with the petitioners.
Alternative options considered
These were identified from the discussions with the petitioners.
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Additional documents:
Minutes: Concerns, comments and suggestions raised by petitioners included the following: § Mr Paul Muir spoke on behalf of the petition submitted to the Council. Mr Muir was an Arboricultural Consultant in Bristol. § The Mature Hornbeam Trees on Burnham Avenue were estimated to be 40-50 years old with roughly 30-40 years of life left. § There was damage being caused by tree roots to the public footpath, kerb stones and private garden walls. § Residents recognised that there were significant costs associated with the works to be undertaken on the trees. § The Council must recognise that the proposals to replace the Hornbeam trees on Burnham Avenue with a different species would not be a like-for-like replacement and would change the character of the street. § The Council was too focussed on the costs of the trees and was not sufficiently considering their benefits. According to the London Tree Officers Association’s method of valuing trees, the 37 Hornbeams on Burnham Avenue would have a notional value of roughly £500,000. § It was acknowledged that some of the more seriously damaged trees may have to be removed but that there was ways of repairing root damage which would mean removal was not necessary for many trees. This type of management of the trees may require a periodic budget but this should be understood beside the costs of other options to deal with the issue. § The removal of these trees should also be understood in the wider context of the threat to urban trees in Britain. The current issue with Ash Dieback disease and other diseases facing many British tree species should encourage the Council to reassess its management plan for these trees.
Concerns, comments and suggestions raised by residents of Burnham Avenue present at the meeting included the following: § Not all residents had been given the opportunity to sign, or refuse to sign the petition. § The trees in question had caused significant damage to the street and, in one case, to property drains. § The removal of 37 trees when only a small number of trees were causing problems was excessive.
Councillor John Hensely, an Ickenham Ward Councillor, advised that he had only ever had one complaint as a Ward Councillor concerning the loss of light caused by the trees on the street. He suggested that the best way to resolve the issue with the trees was to conduct another survey, remove the worst affected trees and reduce crowns where necessary.
Councillor Jonathan Bianco listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised: § The Hornbeam trees on Burnham Avenue were not an appropriate species for the street and would not be used today to line a street due to the way in which their roots spread. § Despite the fact that the trees are not ideal for the location, there were a number of factors that needed to be considered in this situation. Amongst other things, considerations included health and safety, insurance issues and residents’ views on the matter. § Any way of managing trees on Burnham Avenue would please some residents and not please others. § The most appropriate way to deal with this situation would involve a compromise – assessing each tree individually and putting together a carefully thought through programme. § A final decision on these trees would only be made after consultation with all residents of Burnham Avenue. It was estimated that the consultation would take place around March 2013.
RESOLVED: That the Cabinet Member:
Reasons for recommendation
The Cabinet Member discussed in detail with petitioners their concerns and considered the Council’s recommendations to remove and replace the highway trees over a three-year period.
Alternative options considered
1. Retention of all 37 trees. This option did not address some of the ongoing issues concerned with highway safety i.e. pedestrian access and trip potential, and vehicle damage from protruding kerbs.
Another pruning option was to prune a proportion each year i.e. prune all trees over a five-year period, so the costs per year would be £1,335.67 (for seven trees) or £1,526.48 (for eight trees); the total for pruning all 37 trees over five years would be £7,059.97.
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The Closes Recreation Grounds - West Drayton, Petition for a Cycle Track PDF 791 KB Minutes: Concerns, comments and suggestions raised by the lead petitioner included the following:
Councillor Anita MacDonald, a West Drayton Ward Councillor, expressed her support for the proposal to introduce a cycle track on the Closes Recreation Ground. This would provide a useful resource for the nearby school. It would also provide significant health benefits to residents of the Ward.
Concillor Dominic Gilham noted his support for the proposal as the Closes Recreation Ground was an ideal location to encourage people to cycle more in a safe environment. He stated that he was doubtful of the £200,000 estimate for the delivery of the track set out in the report. Residents were not asking for major work to be done, just a small path around the perimeter that could be used for cycling. He concluded that the south of the Borough deserved as good cycling facilities as those afforded to the north of the Borough.
Councillor Bianco noted that an email had been received from Councillor Buttivant, a West Drayton Ward Councillor, expressing his support for the proposal due to its health and learning benefits. The email noted that he could see no problems with the installation of a cycle track at the Closes and asked that the Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Business Services instruct officers to review and cost the scheme.
Councillor Jonathan Bianco listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised:
Officers advised that:
RESOLVED: That the Cabinet Member:
1. Met and discussed with petitioners their aspirations for a cycle track around the edge of The Closes Recreation Ground, The Green, West Drayton.
2. Instructed officers to consider the petitioners’ suggestions, undertake further studies and report back to him.
Reasons for recommendation
Gave the Cabinet Member the opportunity to discuss in detail the petitioners’ concerns.
Alternative options considered
There were none considered at this stage. |
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Response to petition received in connection with the Council's cemeteries PDF 71 KB Additional documents: Minutes: Concerns, comments and suggestions raised by the petitioners included the following:
Councillor Anita MacDonald, a West Drayton Ward Councillor, noted that there was consensus in the Residents’ and Environmental Services Policy Overview Committee’s review of cemeteries in the Borough that there were much higher standards at Cherry Lane Cemetery than at West Drayton Cemetery. She suggested that the rationalising of staff would be advisable and the two sites should be treated as equal.
Councillor Jonathan Bianco listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised:
Officers advised that:
RESOLVED: That the Cabinet Member:
1. Met the petitioners and considered their petition for improvements to West Drayton Cemetery.
2. Noted that work was to be carried out by officers as per the Action Plan set out in the report.
3. Instructed officers to communicate to petitions what works were to be undertaken and what standards could be expected.
Reasons for recommendation
Allowed the Cabinet Member to consider the petition with the petitioners.
Alternative options considered
These were identified from the discussions with the petitioners.
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