Agenda item

The Cabinet Member heard item 7, Hill Lane, and item 8, Hill Rise, together. The correction on page 32 of the agenda was noted, ‘Rise’ should read ‘Lane’.

Councillors’ Philip Corthorne and John Riley attended as Ward Councillors in support of the petitioners. 

Concerns, comments and suggestions raised at the meeting included the following:

• Mr Lee and Mr Burnside spoke on behalf of the petitioners.
• It was stated that the problems residents encountered related directly to commuter parking.
• Drivers left their cars parked in Hill Lane and Hill Rise and used the path to walk through to nearby West Ruislip rail station and went to work.
• This had changed the nature of the area from a pleasant residential street into a car park.
• Often cars were left for days at a time whilst the drivers went on holiday and got a train from the nearby station.
• The cars were parked there without reference to the convenience of the residents of Hill Lane and Hill Rise. There were times when it was difficult for residents to leave their drives due to the inconsiderate parking close to and directly opposite their crossovers.
• Residents had, on occasion, been prevented from going to work due to this and have had to leave their cars a considerable distance from their homes, and have had to walk considerable distances.
• Cars were parked on both sides of the road and tightly adjacent to driveways, which made it often impossible to exit and leave safely.
• Several incidents had occurred over the last year. This included an ambulance which had been unable to get to a house and had to park in the middle of the road. A fire engine could not get around the corner. Refuse lorries were reported to struggle every week on the road.
• Commuters would park their cars on top of rubbish sacks that residents had left on the road for collection. This would mean that rubbish would be left uncollected.
• There were a number of disabled residents and carers who found it difficult to get the ‘Dial-A-Ride’ and other vehicles to their homes.
• There were many blind spots as a result of commuter vehicles parking inconsiderately.
• Delivery vehicles often had trouble turning and had problems making deliveries.
• Residents requested a parking restriction of one hour per day, from perhaps 11am – Noon, to deter the commuter parking. It was noted that this arrangement was working well in other surrounding local streets in the area.
• Petitioners also asked the Cabinet Member to consider double yellow lines in the corners of the roads and pictures were distributed to the Cabinet Member to show the extent of the problem.
• Petitioners also explained that a rotary road sweeper had not swept the road in around 2 years.
• Petitioners noted that the situation had got worse since the last consultation exercise.
• There were also issues with commuters using resident drives to turn their cars around. Damage was sometimes caused to resident cars and property.

Ward Councillors spoke and raised the following points:

• Ward Councillors spoke about the consultation exercise that was carried out for residents on Hill Lane a year ago. The result of this was that a consensus could not be reached and therefore parking restrictions were not implemented.
• The majority of residents in the area did want a restriction on parking to stop commuter parking.
• A fair amount of work had already taken place with Hill Lane and Hill Rise residents and various options had been considered. Part time waiting restrictions were considered to be the best option to help resolve the issues.
• Ward Councillors stressed that the parking issues were a major concern to those with caring responsibilities and carers. It was also a continuing problem for emergency vehicles.
• Residents had problems entering and exiting their own properties.
• Those parking were not considering those that lived on the streets.
• Ward Councillor’s had visited the area and saw first hand the issues around parking.
• It was noted that the parking charges at the train station car park had increased considerably and it was notably more expensive than other station car parks.
• There was a woeful disregard to residents by commuter parking.
• That a pleasant series of roads had becomes a very difficult place to get to. 
• The area was never designed for 2.5 cars per household.
• A reduction in the number of cars parked would make it safer and improve the access.
• The Ward Councillors supported the petitioners and the points they had raised.

Councillor Keith Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised:

• The Cabinet Member advised that LB Hillingdon was the largest Borough for car ownership per household.
• He advised residents that the restrictions to parking would apply to the residents of the road as well as commuter parking and thus that the restrictions would apply equally to all who used the road.
• He reiterated that the earlier consultation that the Ward Councillors had mentioned had not given the Cabinet Member a mandate to go proceed, and tha he required a clear mandate to move this forward. 
• The Cabinet Member went on to say that in the last consultation only one person had said yes to 11am – 12pm being a suitable time for waiting restrictions.
• He clarified with petitioners that their petition specified for waiting restrictions and not a permit scheme.
• The Cabinet Member stressed to the petitioners that he would base his decision on the results that were returned. He asked that they encouraged all neighbours to complete the consultation forms when they receive them.
• When the results of the consultation exercise have been received these would be shared with the Ward Councillors.
• He advised that to include the waiting restrictions to a road this had to be advertised, under the relevant legislation. A notice would be placed in the Gazette and notices would be put on lampposts in the area.
• If any objections were received these would be passed to the Cabinet Member for consideration. If no objections were received then the necessary work could be carried out.

Officers advised that:

• The timing of the consultation exercise would be around March/ April.
• Ward Councillors would have the opportunity to view the consultation before it is sent out.

Resolved - That the Cabinet Member:

1.                  Discussed with petitioners and listened to their concerns regarding all day commuter parking in their road and the request for limited time waiting restrictions.

2.                  Requested that residents be further consulted on proposals for limited time waiting restrictions on a section of Hill Lane and Hill Rise.

Reasons for recommendation

Residents had specifically asked for a one hour waiting restrictions to be installed along a section of Hill Lane and Hill Rise.

Alternative Options Considered

These were discussed with petitioners.