Agenda item

Although not present at the meeting, Councillor John Hensley had provided a written statement in support of the petition which was read out by Councillor Keith Burrows. 

Concerns and suggestions raised at the meeting included the following:

·         Because of the parking, Hoylake Crescent was effectively a single track road with a minimal number of passing places, hampering access for emergency vehicles, delivery drivers and waste collection vehicles;

·         Residents in the road found that other drivers parked their vehicles so close to their driveways that they had to ease out very slowly to avoid a collision.  Furthermore, it could sometimes take up to ten minutes to pass through the road and even longer to exit it when the road was gridlocked;

·         Pupils from Breakspear School crossed Hoylake Crescent and petitioners were concerned that it was only a matter of time before they would be involved in an accident as some motorists used excessive speed;

·         There had been numerous traffic accidents outside the petition organiser's house and petitioners felt that there was no energy from the Council to apply a solution;

·         Petitioners were keen to get the situation addressed immediately;

·         The lobbying exercise undertaken in 2014 had included the whole of Hoylake Crescent but only 25% of the residents were affected.  As such, residents requested that any future consultation only be directed at the residents that would be affected or for consultation to be undertaken with the affected and unaffected residents separately; and

·         The issues for Hoylake Crescent residents had arisen following the introduction of the parking management scheme (PMS) in Rectory Way.  However, the Copthall Road East PMS had improved the situation as traffic there was able to flow more freely.

Councillor Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised.  He advised that the Council consulted whole roads else any decision could be challenged by the section that had not been consulted.  However, he acknowledged that the petitioners wanted the Council to specifically look at the results of the affected stretch of Hoylake Crescent. 

The petitioners were advised that there were a huge number of PMSs in the Borough and each one had to be managed, consulted on and reviewed once in place.  Based on the concerns raised by the petitioners, Councillor Burrows asked officers to request that the emergency services drive down the road during peak times to establish whether access was sufficient. 

Hoylake Crescent would be included in the review being undertaken of the existing PMS and officers would consult with all households in the road.  The results would be shared with the Cabinet Member and Ward Councillors and consideration could then be given to the point in Hoylake Crescent at which a PMS could start/stop. 

It was noted that, once proposals that been drawn up and consulted on, a statutory consultation need to be undertaken.  This process could take six months as there might be objections which needed to be properly considered. 

RESOLVED:  Meeting with the petitioners, the Cabinet Member:

1.            listened to their request for an extension to the Ickenham Parking Management Scheme to be introduced in the eastern section of Hoylake Crescent, Ickenham;

2.            informed petitioners that the Council intended to review the Ickenham Parking Management Scheme Zone IC again in July 2017;

3.            instructed officers to include Hoylake Crescent within the upcoming review of the Ickenham Parking Management Scheme so that residents can reconsider parking restrictions within this section of the road; and

4.            instructed officers to contact the emergency services regarding their access to and from this section of Hoylake Crescent.

Reason for recommendations:

To allow the Cabinet Member to discuss with petitioners their concerns and inform them that the Council plans to review the parking in the vicinity.

Alternative options considered / risk management

These will be discussed with petitioners.