Agenda item

Concerns, comments and suggestions raised by petitioners included the following:

• The Lead Petitioner informed the Cabinet Member that in August 2011 her sister Ms Lisa Clubb had been fatally struck by a speeding car on the eastbound carriage of Hillingdon Hill, the A4020;
• Petitioners said their 766 signature strong petition requested that the pedestrian crossing be named after Ms Clubb to act as a constant reminder of what took place on the night of 25 August 2011;
• Petitioners said road safety measures were required along Hillingdon Hill before another tragedy occurred;
• Petitioners said speed cameras along the road would deter motorists from speeding along this stretch of the road;
• The Lead Petitioner said Hillingdon Hill was a busy road, with the pedestrian crossing being used by children of Bishopshalt School. The Petitioners noted that this very crossing would be used by Ms Clubb’s three year old daughter to attend school in the future;
• Residents informed the Cabinet Member that the A4020 was a major road running through the London Borough of Hillingdon, from Hillingdon/Uxbridge towards Hayes;
• Petitioners urged the Cabinet Member to dedicate the crossing to Ms Clubb and to implement road safety measures to ensure Ms Clubb’s death would not become another statistic.

A Ward Councillor attended the meeting and said he fully supported the petition and urged the Cabinet Member to approve the recommendations in the Officer’s report.

Councillor Keith Burrows listened to the concerns of petitioners and responded to the points raised. Cllr Burrows informed the petitioners that the matter at hand was one he could relate to, having tragically lost his 15 year old son in a road traffic accident. Cllr Burrows expressed his deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Ms Clubb. Cllr Burrows said he understood that it had taken great courage for the family of Ms Clubb to submit this petition and to present their case with passion and pride.

Cllr Burrows informed the petitioners that he would have the pedestrian crossing at Hillingdon Hill named after Ms Clubb, and invited petitioners to join him in unveiling the plaque at the crossing soon. Cllr Burrows said there was a crossing in the borough dedicated to his son and he understood that this was a great way to honour the person who lost their life.

With regard to increasing road safety measures on Hillingdon Hill, Cllr Burrows informed the petitioners that the London Borough of Hillingdon did not control road safety cameras but these were controlled by Transport for London (TfL). Officers were instructed to present a case to TfL for speed cameras on Hillingdon Hill. However, Cllr Burrows advised petitioners that unfortunately TfL had to be presented with a case with solid statistics such as a high number of fatalities on the site. Nevertheless, Officers would present the case to TfL.

Cllr Burrows informed petitioners that he would be adding a fifth recommendation to the report regarding the placement of a VAS sign or a sign that Officers deemed fit for the location. These signs had been proven to deter motorists from speeding as they displayed the speed of the travelling car. The Local Authority had a £250,000 budget dedicated to road safety, and Cllr Burrows informed residents that the sign would be funded from this budget.

Finally, Cllr Burrows congratulated the friends and family of Ms Clubb on presenting a passionate petition to keep the memory of Ms Clubb alive and to try to deter future accidents of this nature.

RESOLVED: 

The Cabinet Member;

1. Met with petitioners and discussed in detail their request for speeding measures on Hillingdon Hill and their request to name the crossing after Lisa Clubb.

2. Considered the request for naming the controlled crossing on Hillingdon Hill, which could take form of a suitable plaque dedicated to the memory of Lisa Clubb.

3. Asked officers to investigate any feasible measures identified as part of the Council’s Road Safety Programme.

4. Instructed officers to liaise with Transport for London with regard to the case for safety cameras in the vicinity and report back to the Cabinet Member.

5. Instructed Officers to investigate the best location for a permanent VAS sign and report back to the Cabinet Member. The funding for this sign would be taken from the Road Safety Programme.

Reasons for recommendation

To allow the Cabinet Member an opportunity to discuss concerns with petitioners.

Alternative options considered

None were identified from the discussions with petitioners.