Agenda and draft minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

It was confirmed that all items of business would be considered in public.

The Cabinet Member considered a petition requesting the Reversal of the Abolition of 30 minutes Free Car Parking for Non-Residents.

There were no petitioners in attendance therefore the Cabinet Member made the following resolutions in their absence:

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services:

1.    Noted that the decision to amend the parking fees and charges had been approved by Full Council on 24 February 2022 and 23 February 2023; and

2.    Noted that the decision to abolish the 30 minutes free parking for non-HillingdonFirst cardholders would be reviewed as part of the budget setting process for 2024/2025.

The Cabinet Member considered three petitions requesting the Reversal of the Proposal to Relocate Uxbridge Library to the Civic Centre.

The lead petitioner for the Change.org petition was in attendance and addressed the Cabinet Member. Key points highlighted included:

·       In the proposed new library, capacity would be reduced from six floors to one floor;

·       The proposed library would be located at the far end of Uxbridge in an office block rather than at the heart of the town;

·       A library was not just for borrowing books – it was an essential hub for education, culture and social interaction which was well used by students – the proposed reduced space would not be conducive to study;

·       In the proposed new library, there would be insufficient space for impactful free exhibitions;

·       It seemed likely that the number of activities and events for senior members of the community would be reduced;

·       The current library was easily accessible by bus, train or car whilst only a few buses stopped outside the Civic Centre. Access in bad weather would be challenging for those with mobility issues and for parents with young children;

·       Under the new proposals, it was unclear where the local studies and archives area would be situated – the old market area and Old Windsor Street were a reminder of local history and should be on show;

·       It would be impossible for the proposed reduced library space to house a large book collection as promised; and

·       The current library had been refurbished in 2014. It could be made more carbon neutral by installing solar panels and energy efficient heating and lighting – this would be a more cost-effective option than relocating it.

A petitioner representing the North Uxbridge Residents’ Association petition was in attendance and addressed the Cabinet Member. Key points highlighted included:

·       Uxbridge library was a valued resource with discrete areas which could be subdivided naturally so groups could work without interference. The current library could cope with surges in demand from students, large activity classes and talks of over 100;

·       The library was a surge demand service which was particularly busy in the evenings and at weekends. Large numbers of students visited the current library during GCSE revision time and sometimes had to sit on the floor due to lack of space. The proposed new library would have insufficient capacity to cope with such surges. There would also be insufficient space to accommodate large class sizes for community activities;

·       On the evening of Monday 20 November 2023, 72 residents had been in the library using the PCs, laptops or studying / reading. This did not include those in the display or children’s areas on the ground floor. It was estimated that the new library would have a total of 47 spaces therefore some 35% of users would have no place to work / study;

·       Students used the study spaces in the current library to study alone, in pairs or in groups of up to 9. The planned library would not accommodate  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.