Agenda item

Concerns and suggestions raised by petitioners included the following:

• Despite having a 24ft wide entrance, large delivery vehicles accessing the business/industrial units on Moor Lane often struggled to get in and out of the site due to vehicles parking on the road outside, often inconsiderately.  It was thought that this parking could also prevent emergency vehicle access;
• It was thought that the majority of vehicles parked on Moor Lane belonged to British Airways staff.  However, petitioners advised that a s106 agreement had been drawn up between British Airways and the Council in relation to staff parking in the village.  Furthermore, the petitioners had a copy of a letter from British Airways which it had previously circulated to its staff advising that they should not be parking in the village – little notice now appeared to be taken of this instruction;
• In addition to the British Airways staff, holiday makers often left their cars in Moor Lane and went off to Heathrow Airport, not returning for one or two weeks;
• Petitioners requested the implementation of yellow lines from the bend in Moor Lane;
• It was suggested that, as British Airways owned approximately 10 acres of land at a site along the road, this area should be converted into parking for the organisation’s staff;
• Concern was expressed that there was no footpath for pedestrians, particularly pupils of Harmondsworth Primary School, and that this posed a safety risk; and
• Allotment holders had also been struggling to park in the area.

Councillor Keith Burrows listened to the concerns of petitioners and responded to the points raised.  It was noted that, as there was currently no parking scheme in place, as long as their vehicles were legal, drivers were able to park where they liked along Moor Lane and the Police were powerless to do anything about it. 

Petitioners were advised that the 10 acres of land they mentioned which was owned by British Airways was unlikely to gain planning permission to be used a parking for the company’s staff.  It was noted that the yellow lines in Harmondsworth village had been implemented as a result of the parking nuisance caused by British Airways staff to local residents.  This intervention had caused a knock on effect as the drivers were now parking in Moor Lane and the surrounding roads which were unrestricted. 

Councillor Burrows advised that, when planning applications from large companies were approved by the Council, the organisations would often be required to produce green travel plans.  This then meant that companies provided fewer parking spaces on site so that staff had to make alternative arrangements to get to work (e.g., car sharing schemes, 4 day parking, etc).  However, in reality, this frequently resulted in staff still driving to work but parking a little further away from the workplace in the surrounding residential roads.

Officers advised that the area was currently the subject of a parking management consultation exercise which included Moor Lane and the surrounding roads.  Individuals were encouraged to submit their comments and respond to the consultation which would end on 23 July 2012. 

Councillor Burrows confirmed that the Road Safety Team would look into the other issues raised by the petitioners to determine what action could be taken.

RESOLVED:  That the Cabinet Member:

1.            met and discussed with petitioners their request for the installation of ‘at any time’ waiting restrictions.

2.            asked officers to add the request to the Council’s Road Safety Programme.

Reasons for recommendation

Discussions with the petitioners will allow the Cabinet Member to fully understand the concerns and whether it is considered appropriate to add the request to the Council’s Road Safety Programme.

Alternative options considered

None at this stage.