Agenda item

Councillors Jane Palmer and John Hensley attended the meeting and each spoke as a Ward Councillor.

Concerns and suggestions from petitioners included the following:

·         There had been an increase in large commercial vehicles using Harvill Road. This presented a particular risk as there were three blind crests on the road.

·         Works vehicles had been observed to pull out from premises located along the road in front of oncoming traffic.

·         Rubbish and mud falling from moving vehicles was a problem. This caused both safety and environmental issues for local residents and other road users. Rubbish could build up on verges after falling from vehicles and due to fly tipping.

·         An incident had taken place where a cement bag had fallen off a lorry and landed on the windscreen of a car. This highlighted the need for lorries to secure their loads and the need for enforcement activity in the area.

·         The number of goods operator licenses issued had increased. This should be scrutinised.

·         It was unsafe for large vehicles to be travelling at 50mph along such a narrow road, especially given the blind crests and bends in the road.

·         The speed limit signage was contradictory along parts of the road and was sometimes in the wrong location or was obscured. Better signage should be provided, including the use of flashing signs.

·         Although there were no bus stops on the road, buses stopped unofficially. This posed a safety risk given the 50mph speed limit on the road.

·         Drivers often ignored solid white lines and performed illegal overtaking manoeuvres.

·         Traffic increases of 275% north bound and 400% south bound were forecast, post construction, in the event the event that the HS2 rail link was built.

·         The petitioners were seeking a reduction in the speed limit on Harvil Road from 50mph to 40mph, better signage and more stringent enforcement of highway related regulations.

·         The petitioners had collected 200 signatures rather than the 75 signatures stated in the officer report. The lead petitioner had attempted to contact Council officers to advise of the additional signatures, but had received 'out of office' responses.

Ward Councillors spoke in support of the petitioners’ request and raised the following issues:

·         The Ward Councillors commended the petitioners for their petition and the information provided.

·         Cllr. Palmer had requested, in the week before the meeting, that Harvil Road be cleaned, due to the build up of mud. The mud presented a danger to motorists, who were at risk of skidding.

·         It was difficult for any cleaning schedule to cope with the approximate 800 lorries using the road in a 24 hour period.

·         There was a problem with vehicles speeding in the road, particularly at night, which could cause a serious accident.

·         The Dogs Trust was an asset to the community, but the current road conditions made it unsafe for buses to stop in the vicinity.

·         Harvil Road and nearby Moorfield Road were under siege from lorries.

·         There was a wider issue with speeding motorbikes in the Harefield area. The Ward Member said that many of these travelled at speeds greater than 60mph and some travelled in excess of 80mph.

·         Cllr. Hensley felt that some aspects of the officer report were unhelpful in relation to consideration of the petition. Accidents were not necessarily caused by the issues highlighted by the petitioners, particularly accidents caused by drink drivers, which could happen anywhere. In addition, the report did not address safety issues.

·         Solid white lines could cause problems as this made it illegal to overtake any vehicle, other than those moving very slowly.

·         Harvil Road represented one of the most significant issues than Cllr. Hensley had encountered in his fourteen years as a ward Councillor. It was considered to be one of the dirtiest roads in Hillingdon.

·         There needed to be enforcement of the current speed limit on Harvil Road.

·         Drainage of the road was also an issue, which could cause vehicles to aquaplane. In one case, a vehicle had aquaplaned into a hedge.

·         The lack of a footway or street lighting on a narrow bridge made it dangerous for pedestrians, particularly at night.

·         There was a 50mph speed limit sign close to rumble strips. This should be replaced by a 30mph sign if the rumble strips were to be retained.

·         The entrance to the golf course was a safety risk as there was a lack of visibility for exiting cars.

·         The Council had no authority over licensed vehicles that were based outside the Borough.

·         It was possible that a fuel depot for the HS2 high speed line would be built close to Harvil Road. This would cause a significant increase in traffic for a seven year period.

·         The edges of the road had deteriorated, presenting an additional safety risk. It was noted that the road had been resurfaced 18 months ago but that the volume of heavy goods traffic had caused subsequent deterioration.

·         The installation of cat's eyes should be considered for the length of Harvil Road.

The Cabinet Member, Councillor Keith Burrows, listened to the concerns raised, noting (in response to Cllr. Hensley's comments) that the officer's report had been written to address the specific issue raised by the petitioners. It was confirmed that the possibility of installing cat's eyes would be further investigated.

Officers advised that the narrow bridge in Harvil Road was not owned by the Council and that the Council was not able to force the owner to make changes.

The Cabinet Member added two additional recommendations. The first was to instruct officers to investigate the installation of Varitex flashing signs and the second was to instruct officers to investigate highways enforcement action, particularly in relation to the depot.

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet Member:

1.  Met with petitioners to discuss their request for reducing the speed limit from 50mph to 40mph in Harvil Road, between Harefield and Ickenham.

2.  Noted the results of 24/7 traffic surveys undertaken by the Council to measure the speed, volume and composition of the traffic in Harvil Road in 2012 and 2014 and the accident data provided by TfL.

3.  Instructed officers to undertake a detailed study and consultation on reducing the speed limit of Harvil Road to 40mph and report the results back to him.

4.  Instructed officers to do a detailed study of HGV movements along Harvil Road and investigate ways to mitigate the impacts on residents and report the results back to him.

5.  Instructed officers to feed in the evidence from petitioners and the outcome of any study to HS2 Limited, as part of the ongoing dialogue with them, with a view to achieving suitable traffic mitigation as part of the HS2 project.

6.  Instructed officers to investigate the possible installation of Varitex flashing speed signs, subject to 3 and 4 above.

7.  Instructed officers to investigate possible enforcement action, particularly in relation to the depot in Skip Lane and the material deposited on the Public Highway.