Agenda and minutes

Petition Hearing - Cabinet Member for Community, Commerce and Regeneration - Thursday, 1st October, 2015 6.00 pm, NEW

Venue: Committee Room 3a - Civic Centre, High Street, Uxbridge UB8 1UW. View directions

Contact: Nikki O'Halloran  01895 250472

Items
Note No. Item

1.

To confirm that the business of the meeting will take place in public.

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That all items be considered in public.

6pm

2.

Petition Report: 68a Minterne Waye, Hayes pdf icon PDF 513 KB

Minutes:

Councillor Jagjit Singh attended the meeting and spoke as a Ward Councillor.  He stated that he had liaised with the police and residents about the issues raised in the petition and the associated concerns of the residents. 

 

Concerns and suggestions raised by petitioners included the following:

  • Temporary CCTV had been installed in Minterne Waye for approximately 12 weeks about 18-24 months ago and had deterred fly tipping, alcohol/drug abuse and possible prostitution as well as cars parking and playing loud music until 2am in the area of concern.  The camera had been installed on a lamp column on the opposite side of the road so that it focussed directly on the area and a sign had been put up to say that CCTV was active in the area.  Petitioners noted that, once the temporary CCTV had been taken down, the anti social behaviour had resumed;
  • In addition, a number of cars had been being left for months at a time and the area had been used by some individuals to fix cars.  In one instance, a car had been reported and clamped but someone had managed to get the clamp off (left it in the road) and drove the vehicle away;
  • The area had been used for fly tipping, particularly the alleyway between Minterne Waye and Dorchester Waye, with recent items including a mattress, cooker hood and washing machine;
  • There were a number of families with young children and elders living in the area and petitioners were concerned about them coming across broken bottles, used needles, empty cans and other debris as they walked to and from their homes;
  • Petitioners believed that a temporary CCTV camera would act as a deterrent, even if it was just for a 12 week period;
  • In addition to a CCTV camera, petitioners requested that a street light be erected in this part of Minterne Waye to also act as a deterrent to anti social behaviour.  Without the street lighting, the area was very dark and made residents feel unsafe passing it and intimidated when there were cars parked there playing loud music;
  • Residents were apprehensive about reporting instances of anti social behaviour to the police for fear of repercussions from the perpetrators.  However, on the occasions that the police had been called, residents were really grateful for their response;
  • Some residents had been threatened by people hanging around in the area, they had had their car windows smashed, possessions stolen from their cars and wing mirrors broken off; and
  • Although the anti social behaviour could occur on any night of the week, it was more common at the weekend.

 

Councillor Douglas Mills listened to the concerns of petitioners and responded to the points raised.  Although the fly tipping and littering was taking place in the green space and wooded area adjacent to the bypass as well as in the alleyway, the Cabinet Member was advised that the alleyway was well used by residents (and well lit) so it would be detrimental to have  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

6.30pm

3.

Petition Report: Fairdale Gardens, Hayes pdf icon PDF 318 KB

Minutes:

It was noted that Councillors Lynne Allen and Peter Curling had been unable to attend the meeting and had submitted their apologies. 

 

Concerns and suggestions raised by petitioners included the following:

  • Children were increasingly using the road as a football pitch and had even marked the road surface as such.  It was noted that the issue was prevalent after school, at weekends and during school holidays and could involve 4-8 participants (it was becoming less frequent during the darkening evenings);
  • Although residents had asked the young people (who ranged from the very young to 16/17 years old) to stop playing in the street, they had refused and, on occasion, had been verbally abusive;
  • Petitioners were concerned for the safety of the very young children as they would often run out from behind parked vehicles and risked being hit by moving vehicles;
  • Furthermore, during their games, the young people's balls had been kicked into residents' vehicles and when they landed in neighbours' gardens, they retrieved the balls without permission from the occupier;
  • The petitioners were requesting that the Council erect 'No ball signs' in Fairdale Gardens as a reminder that ball games should not be played in the road;
  • It was acknowledged that the Council had sent letters out in August 2015 to a number of households in Fairdale Gardens asking that they find an alternative place for their children to play football.  However, the turnover of tenants in many of the properties in the road was high which meant that subsequent families moving into the area would be unaware of the nuisance that it caused and potentially let their children play in the street; and
  • As well as children that lived in the cul-de-sac playing football on the highway, residents advised that there were some that came from elsewhere.

 

Councillor Douglas Mills listened to the concerns of petitioners and responded to the points raised.  He advised that, although there were signs in Hayes Town prohibiting certain activities, these were regularly enforced and fixed penalty notices issued.  It was noted that those ball signs that were still visible in the Borough were generally on housing estates or very old signs.  The Cabinet Member stated that signage was not necessarily the answer to this type of issue as it would be difficult to enforce as the Council would not be able to levy fixed penalty notices for breaches. 

 

The petitioners were advised that, following the letter that was circulated to households in August 2015, the Council had received calls saying that there were no signs in the street advising that ball games were not permitted.  It was agreed that officers would hand deliver personalised letters to all households in the cul-de-sac to advise that it was unacceptable for children to be allowed to play football on the highway as it was unsafe and was causing a nuisance to their neighbours.  This face-to-face contact would enable officers to answer any queries that residents might have, address any language barriers and advise that legal  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.