Agenda and draft minutes

None.

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

The Cabinet Member considered a petition from residents requesting that a 20 mph speed limit and traffic calming measures be provided on Swakeleys Drive and Court Road to prevent speeding and rat running. Representatives from the petition were in attendance and made the following points: 

·         The petition was primarily in response to the issue of speeding however after speaking to other residents it became apparent that there were also concerns of rat running.

·         More people driving contributed to more vehicles on the road. This had also increased due to new developments in the area.

·         Many people used mobile phone navigations, and often this did not differentiate the different road types and the impact of traffic congestion on these roads.

·         There has been a number of near miss incidents causing serious concern for resident safety. 

·         It was virtually impossible to cross the road due to the speed of vehicles and there was a real risk of life threatening injuries stemming from vehicle speed.

·         It was requested that a 20 mph speed limit be introduced to manage the speeding concerns.

·         Traffic filtering measures could improve the situation and the quality of life for residents.

·         There was a growing concern for young pedestrians particularly as there were two schools nearby.

·         Residents were keen to work with officers to deliver solutions.

Councillor Riley listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised. Councillor Riley accepted that speeding was an issue in the area and noted it was clearly a busy road that had been impacted by HS2 road closures. It was acknowledged that the London Borough of Hillingdon had the third highest car ownership in London. It was also explained that the 20 mph speed limit was difficult to enforce as the national speed limit was 30 mph.

The Transport Planning and Development Team Manager explained the traffic survey consultation process. Once the investigations had concluded, the results would be analysed, and appropriate support measures would be considered. Residents were invited to agree suitable locations for where the surveys should be undertaken.

Councillor Riley agreed that 24/7 traffic surveys would be completed. This information was useful to inform the process as they provided information on the speed of vehicles, volume of traffic and the types of vehicles using the road. The results from the surveys would be shared with Ward Councillors. Cllr Riley requested that officers consider the points raised and suggest traffic calming measures that could be put in place to resolve the issues raised.

In considering the matters, Councillor Riley made the following decisions. 

RESOLVED:

Meeting with the Petitioners, the Cabinet Member for Public Safety and Transport:

1)    met with petitioners and listened to their request for traffic calming and rat run traffic mitigation on Swakeleys Drive / Court Road, Ickenham;

2)    asked officers to undertake 24/7 automated traffic counts at locations along Swakeleys Drive and Court Road as agreed with petitioners;

3)    asked officers to consider as appropriate the request for traffic calming and rat running mitigation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 52.

The Cabinet Member considered a petition from residents requesting a zebra crossing or pedestrian island on Rickmansworth Road. Representatives from the petition were in attendance and made the following points: 

• It was noted that this petition had a total of 117 signatures and was supported by many residents.

• It was difficult to cross the road near the Baptist Church on Rickmansworth Rd or from Sancturary Close. It was dangerous to cross the road to access the the Hospital, Taylor Meadows, The Bowls Club, Barden Court, Hall Drive and the bus terminal inside the hospital grounds.

• Concerns were raised about safety of pedestrians given the heavy traffic flow.

• There was a large elderly community in the areas and crossing the road was a ‘nightmare’ due to speed at which vehicles travelled.

• Although there were drop curbs, this was not enough to make residents slow down and there had been many near miss collisions.

• Residents requested an island or zebra crossing to help cross the road making it safer for residents.

Councillor Jane Palmer attended the meeting as Ward Councillor and supported the petition. She attested to the concerns raised by the petitioners and requested that measures be considered to increase pedestrian safety. Visibility was already limited due to trees and cars often sped on the road making it difficult to cross safely. This impacted all residents, but there was a real concern for the elderly residents in the Ward. It was requested that the any traffic tubes be placed discreetly to enable accurate data to be collected.

The Traffic, Parking, Road Safety and School Travel Team Manager considered that it would be sensible to include speed warning signage as an integrated part of the scheme to address concerns. The consultation process was explained and investigations would take place. Once the investigations had concluded, the results would be analysed and appropriate support measures would be put in place. A zebra crossing may unfortunately not be viable on technical grounds as there were a number of studies that needed to be undertaken and a high threshold to be met.

Councillor Riley listened to the concerns of the petition organiser and was keen to mitigate the issues raised. In order to install a zebra crossing particular national design standards and regulations had to be met. The present financial constraints involved with funding from TFL were noted.  Councillor Riley advised that independent traffic surveys would be commissioned through a specialist company in the normal manner, and the results from the surveys would be shared with Ward Councillors. Cllr Riley requested that officers consider the points raised and suggest traffic calming measures that could be put in place to resolve the issues raised. It was agreed that an island crossing would be a good starting point.

In considering the matters, Councillor Riley made the following decisions. 

RESOLVED:

Meeting with the Petitioners, the Cabinet Member for Public Safety and Transport:

1.    met with petitioners and listened to their request for either a Zebra Crossing or pedestrian island  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53.

The Cabinet Member considered a petition from residents requesting the introduction of a residents’ permit parking scheme.  A representative from the petition was in attendance and made the following points: 

·         Concerns were raised about parking issues on Bedford Road as there was limited parking available for residents.

·         Residents from nearby roads often used Bedford as parking for long periods.

·         Bedford Road was a popular location to park due to its close proximity to a local tube station. Many commuters also used the road to park whilst they travelled to the city.

·         There had been a knock-on effect on the residents of Bedford Road as a result of parking management schemes in other nearby roads.

·         Often households had multiple cars which also added to the parking stress and driveways were often difficult to access due to inconsiderate parking. 

·         The situation had become worse due to ongoing building work and the increase of larger vehicles on the road. This reduced the already limited amount of space available.

Councillor Steve Tuckwell attended the meeting as Ward Councillor and supported the petition and comments made by the petitioners. He added that that Bedford Road was a main artery road and there was increased parking pressure on the road as result of nearby roads that had parking management schemes in place and houses with drop curbs. Councillor Tuckwell noted that the parking stress was also caused by commuters using the local tube station and there had been incidents of anti-social behaviour.

The Traffic, Parking, Road Safety and School Travel Team Manager considered that it would be sensible to progress a parking management scheme for this road. It was suggested that officers worked with Ward Councillors to agree an appropriate location for informal consultation and encouraged residents to respond to the surveys once they had been circulated. Residents were also encouraged to contact the London Borough of Hillingdon’s enforcement team if there were incidents of driveways being blocked.

Councillor Riley listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised. Councillor Riley noted the knock-on effect neighbouring parking management schemes had had. Cllr Riley confirmed that Bedford Road would be added to the future parking scheme programme for informal consultation. The present financial constraints involved with funding from Transport for London (TFL) were noted, although the Council has sought alternative funding to mitigate the delays that would otherwise ensue. 

In considering the matters, Councillor Riley made the following decisions.

RESOLVED:

Meeting with the Petitioners, the Cabinet Member for Public Safety and Transport:

1. met with petitioners and listened to their request for a residents’ permit parking scheme in Bedford Road, Ruislip.

2. asked officers to add this request to the Council’s extensive Parking Management Scheme Programme for a possible informal consultation in a possible wider area agreed with ward councillors.

Reasons for decisions

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

Alternative options considered / risk management

None at this stage.