Agenda item

Councillor Bruce Baker as a Ward Councillor attended in support of the petitioners.

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

• Explained that that the problem was worsened a year ago with the extensive noise made by lorries travelling along Field End Road in the early hours.
• That enquiries made by the petitioner had revealed that some lorries were based in Watford.
• Eastcote Residents’ Association had become involved about concerns arising from the volume of lorry traffic, rather than with speeding.
• Urged the Council to enforce the London Night Time Lorry Ban.
• Explained that the Council withdrew in 2001 from the London Lorry Control Scheme that regulated the movement of heavy Goods vehicles over 18 tonnes during the hours of 9pm and 7am on week days and at week ends from 1pm Saturday to 7am on Monday.
• Highlighted that a decision had been made in 2003, following a review to remain withdrawn from the scheme.
• That they had received emails from Councillor Scott Seaman-Digby, a Northwood Ward Councillor and Tony Ellis in support of their petition.
• The lead petitioner stated that he had monitored the flow of heavy goods vehicles at 5am today, and 3 fully laden lorries had driven through within 25 minutes heading north bound.
• Suggested that lorries heading south bound were more of a problem, as they tended to be unladen.
• That several hundred households were affected by this issue in Hillingdon, particularly those in Eastcote.
• Disappointed that the Council had failed to take control of the enforcement of the lorry ban.
• Disappointed that the Council had taken no action against those that failed to comply with the London Lorry Control Traffic Order law.
• Noted that the analysis had been conducted over only 2 days and a weekend and suggested that this should have been done over a longer period.
• Disappointed that traffic counting was not included in the analysis.
• Did not think that £10,268 annual fee was too much for the Council to subscribe to the London Lorry Control Scheme, which would allow the London Councils to manage and enforce the scheme on the Council’s behalf.
• Commented that the report did not state why the Council withdrew from the scheme.
• Advised that the petition sought for the Council at strategic level to either join the London Lorry Control Scheme or implement a viable enforcement alternative.

A Ward Councillor spoke and raised the following points:

• The Ward Councillor expressed concerns about the Council opting out of the scheme in 2003 and stated that he did not recall being consulted on the matter.
• Advised that he had personally observed heavy goods vehicles going through Field End Road and Joel Street and suggested that such vehicles were partly responsible for the poor road conditions, particularly in Joel Street and Field End Road.
• That the route of these heavy goods vehicles followed bus routes and ran through 5 wards namely; South Ruislip, Cavendish, Eastcote and East Ruislip, Northwood Hills and Northwood.
• Suggested that it would be prudent to establish exactly what the Council would receive for the £10,268 annual subscription fee.
• Raised concerns about heavy goods vehicles parking along side the Civic amenity site, leaving little room for vehicular movements.
• Asked why these lorries were exempted from parking where as other vehicles were not?
• Questioned why the Civic Amenity site opened at 5am and allowed loading at this time when the site was not opened to residents until 8am?
• Welcomed officer’s recommendations but asked for recommendation 4 to be reviewed for investigations to include all day.
• Urged the Council to review the current decision and consider joining the London Lorry Control Scheme and assess this over time.
• Suggested that in the meantime, Parking Services should be instructed to enforce parking restrictions and to take enforcement action to prevent heavy goods vehicles parking at the Civic Amenity site at 5am.

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

·        Re-iterated that the decision to withdraw from the London Lorry Ban scheme had been made by the Transportation Sub-Committee in November 2001 and the decision had been upheld by the Cabinet Member in 2003.

·        Acknowledged that Hillingdon, Barnet, Havering and Redbridge (outer boroughs) were currently the only boroughs out of the 33 that did not take part in the scheme.

·        The Cabinet Member advised that he would look at reviewing the scheme and consider whether this was the right time to join the scheme again, based on the information provided from the investigations by officers.

·        Stated that the annual fee of £10268 would need to be investigated further to ascertain whether there were ongoing costs such as for policing the scheme before progressing.

·        Confirmed that he had taken into account the issue of the poor road condition in Field End Road.

·        Stated that he could not understand how it was that heavy goods vehicles were able to access the site at 5am when residents were not able to do so until 8am.

·        The Cabinet Member stated that he would add an additional recommendation 5, to instruct officers to provide a report on the operating times of the Civic Amenity in Civic Way site in order to establish the legitimate operating times.

·        Advised that he would instruct officers to liaise with Councillor Baker on this issue.

·        Emphasised to petitioners that there was no commitment at this stage, as the advantages and disadvantages would need to be assessed to enable informed decision to be made.

·        Advised that it may be that the issue would need to be reported to Cabinet for a decision.

Resolved - That the Cabinet Member:

1. Met and discussed with petitioners their concerns regarding early morning noise intrusion caused by lorry movements along the B472 Joel Street, between Eastcote Village and Northwood Hills;

2. Noted the results of traffic surveys already carried out;

3. Noted the Borough’s previous experience of participation in the London Lorry Control Scheme and instructed officers to review the costs and benefits of rejoining the Scheme taking into account evidence from petitioners, and to report back to him;

4. Instructed officers to carry out further investigation to establish whether the same heavy lorries were passing between 05:00 and 06:00 hours on a regular basis and their identities and to report back to the Cabinet Member. 

5. Instructed officers to provide a report on the operating times of the Civic amenity site to establish the operating times.

Reasons for recommendation

The petitioners’ complaints and the results of the traffic survey indicate a need for the periodic monitoring of traffic along the B472 to ensure the volume and time that heavy vehicles pass does not unreasonably detract from residential amenity in a built up area.  There may be a case to review membership of the London Lorry Control Scheme taking into account both the issues raised in the petition and how membership may conceivably be of wider benefit to the Council.

Alternative Options Considered

None at this stage.