Agenda and minutes

The Cabinet Member considered a petition requesting a 20 mph speed limit on Abbotsbury Gardens, Eastcote.

The lead petitioner put forward to the Cabinet Member some reasons to action the request for a 20 mph speed limit on Abbotsbury Gardens, Eastcote. Key points raised by the petitioner included:

·       Many drivers frequently used Abbotsbury Gardens as a shortcut, primarily to access Eastcote Road and continue to Pinner. This residential road was home to a mix of elderly residents and families with young children. Notably, some of these young children walked to the nearby Canon Lane Primary School, which was at the end of the road of Abbotsbury Gardens.

·       In response to growing concerns about the potential for serious accidents or fatalities due to speeding, the lead petitioner contacted one of their Ward Councillors in December 2023 to express their concerns. The Councillor advised the lead petitioner to gather evidence for their proposal of a 20 mph speed limit on Abbotsbury Gardens by raising a petition.

·       Following this advice, the lead petitioner visited 113 households over several days and engaged with 74 households, while the remaining households were either not at home or unable to answer the door.

·       The lead petitioner reported that 71 out of the 74 households they spoke to had signed the petition, reflecting 96% unambiguous support for the proposed speed limit of 20 mph on the road.

·       The lead petitioner noted he had lived on Abbotsbury Gardens for 17 years. Additionally, two of his neighbours, who were also petitioners, had lived on the same road for 7 years and 46 years, respectively. The consensus was that speeding was becoming worse.

·       The lead petitioner attributed increased speeding to recent Council changes. The first was the changing of the speed limit on Field End Road through Eastcote High Street purportedly due to the addition of extra pedestrian crossings. Consequently, drivers heading north through Eastcote on Field End Road at 20 mph and then turning into Abbotsbury Gardens encountered signage indicating a 30 mph limit, which effectively encouraged them to accelerate to a 50% higher speed on a residential street. This situation had become a growing concern among residents.

·       The second change involved the imposition of a £75 fee on residents for parking their cars on the street. In consequence, most households now opted to park their vehicles on their driveway, resulting in very few cars being parked on the street. This, then, became an invitation for some drivers to speed. The resident cited that data from the Department of Transport supported this observation, revealing that on so-called free flowing roads lacking bends, speed humps, cameras, and other restrictions, 50% of cars exceeded the 30 mph speed limit.

·       The lead petitioner highlighted point 10 of the petition report and expressed concerns regarding the claim that 20 mph speed limits only result in a 1 mph reduction in speed.

·       The petitioner also conveyed that a pedestrian struck by a car traveling at 30 mph was eight times more likely to be killed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23.

The Cabinet Member considered a petition seeking parking permits and traffic calming measures on Tudor Road, Hayes.

The lead petitioner, unable to attend the Petition Hearing on 16 April 2024, submitted a written representation detailing reasons to action the request for parking permits and traffic calming measures on Tudor Road, Hayes to present to the Cabinet Member.

The written representation addressed concerns about parking congestion and traffic safety on Tudor Road. The lead petitioner highlighted critical levels of congestion causing frustration and safety risks, exacerbated by the absence of traffic calming measures. He suggested implementing a parking permit system to regulate parking and prioritize access for residents, particularly during peak times, and installing speed bumps to mitigate speeding and enhance road safety for Tudor Road residents.

Councillor Kaur, representing Wood End Ward, expressed her support of the petition.

·         Prior to the submission of the current petition requesting parking permits and traffic calming measures on Tudor Road, there was a previous e-petition on July 15th, 2023, seeking speed bumps on Tudor Road. Preceding this, in June 2023, Councillor Kaur had received a letter from a resident, which was subsequently forwarded to Members' Inquiries. The letter expressed concerns about ongoing accidents, stating: ‘As I am writing this email, yet another serious accident has happened, the second time in 2 days. Can you please take action before a fatality occurs? As a resident, I propose installing a speed bump and a camera to mitigate the impact, but increased awareness and clear signage would also be beneficial.’ The concerns that the lead petitioner had raised, and the visit by Councillors to Tudor Road reflected previous cases.

·         Tudor Road was a road that connected Judge Heath Lane at one end to Kings Way Road at the other.

·         Speeding issues were resulting in numerous safety hazards on Tudor Road. Despite its narrowness, this did not discourage vehicles from traveling at high speeds.

·         The petitioners and Ward Councillor were advocating for traffic calming measures, such as speed bumps or lowered speed limits, to address their worries regarding safety and speeding.

Councillor Garelick, representing Wood End Ward, also expressed her endorsement of the petition.

·         Speed bumps were renowned for their ability to reduce speed.

·         Numerous residents had reported vehicle damage on the road, such as lost wing mirrors or scratches.

·         The road also posed dangers for residents attempting to cross safely, underscoring the potential benefits of installing speed bumps.

·         In light of the insufficient parking situation on Tudor Road, there was uncertainty about endorsing a parking management scheme due to concerns that it might not guarantee an adequate amount of parking space, which mirrored a similar situation on adjacent roads.

·         Encouragement was given by Cllr Garelick for a survey among residents due to the relatively small number of signatories on the petition compared to the total number of households on the road. Consequently, additional investigation would be required to establish a consensus among the majority of residents regarding their preferences.

Councillor Mathers, also representing Wood End Ward, further  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

The Cabinet Member considered a petition request to repair the pavements on Arlington Drive, Ruislip.

The lead petitioner put forward to the Cabinet Member some reasons to action the request to resurface the pavements on this road.

·       The petition organiser expressed gratitude for the hearing and shared a personal story about her dental appointment coinciding with the notification of the Hearing. She detailed her struggle with dental implants after losing a front tooth and breaking another due to a fall on uneven paving stones on Arlington Drive, costing over £5,000.

·       The lead petitioner stressed the dangers of the road, citing incidents involving themselves, their sister-in-law, and children, emphasizing the need for pavement replacement for safety.

·       The petitioner proposed using the proceeds from the sale of assets, such as golf courses and libraries, for the purpose of repairing the pavements on Arlington Drive, and further highlighted that the pavements were not fit for purpose.

·       An additional petitioner added that the presence of trees along the road, while aesthetically pleasing, contributed to the movement of pavements due to root growth. He had participated in Residents' Association meetings in Ruislip, where a Councillor had delivered a lecture highlighting the benefits of using tarmac over paving stones. The petitioner noted that Fairfield Road was a good example of the kind of look he hoped the road, Arlington Drive, could have.

·       It was conclusively noted that all residents had signed the petition in support of the request for the repair of pavements on Arlington Drive.

The Cabinet Member acknowledged the points raised by the petitioners, noting that the Council’s allocation of funds for local roads and pavements had increased this year, marking an upward trend.

The Cabinet Member further noted that Hillingdon Council ranked as the second-largest council in London, resulting in overseeing the longest stretch of road surface and pavements compared to most other councils in the city. Therefore, maintaining them was a substantial undertaking.

The Council routinely surveyed all streets and pavements. A third-party specialist had recently conducted a bi-annual survey, assessing the condition of every road in the Borough, and provided recommendations.

The Council prioritised its approach to repairing roads and pavements based on urgency.

Officers had been looking into the condition of Arlington Drive, identifying several local areas where minor repair work would be undertaken.

The duty of officers was to traverse the Borough's streets, identifying defects meeting a certain threshold, which would then be promptly addressed.

The Council aimed to inspect all roads annually, with more frequent checks for busier roads. Arlington Drive fell into the yearly inspection routine.

The Cabinet Member informed that officers would address several defects on the pavements of Arlington Drive in the coming months. Regarding urgency, Arlington Drive, was not high on the priority list for resurfacing; it was currently scheduled for year 6 of the programme prepared.

In response, the lead petitioner stressed that there were pavement humps and cracks on the road, emphasizing the urgent need for resurfacing.

The Head of Highways  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.