Agenda item

Petition Requesting The Introduction Of Parking Restrictions In Pield Heath Avenue, Uxbridge

Minutes:

Councillor Richard Mills attended the meeting and spoke as a Ward Councillor in support of the petition. 

 

Concerns and suggestions raised at the meeting included the following:

·         Petitioners expressed concern that, as well as being very narrow,  Pield Heath Avenue was located close to Hillingdon Hospital, a veterinary surgery, GP surgeries, medical centres and Heathrow airport which meant that non residents parked there every day of the week, but particularly Monday to Friday;

·         The majority of parking issues appeared to be concentrated around numbers 1, 3 and 5 where drivers would park with two wheels on the pavement which sometimes made it difficult for those residents to leave their driveways.  Although there was a footway parking exemption in Pield Heath Avenue, there were some cars that parked at the kerbside and some that parked with two wheels on the pavement making it more difficult for vehicles to negotiate the road;

·         Residents had been verbally abused by drivers when they tried to reason with them about their inconsiderate parking;

·         Residents requested the installation of a single yellow line outside numbers 1, 3 and 5 as well as an alternative parking control solution for the remainder of Pield Heath Avenue.  They were aware that a residents' parking scheme and single yellow lines had been successfully implemented in St Margareta Avenue.  Similarly, single yellow lines had been installed along the entire length of Micawber Avenue;

·         Residents were unsure whether fire engines would be able to access the road.  As there had not been any reported issues with refuse vehicles' accessing the road, it was thought unlikely that fire engines would experience any problems.  It was noted that the footway parking exemption had been agreed and installed, in part as a result of refuse vehicles previously been unable to access the road;

·         As the pavement was quite narrow, there were times when vehicles were parked with two wheels on the pavement leaving so little room that pushchairs were unable to pass them; and

·         It was recognised that residents in the road had previously been consulted on parking restrictions but that there had not been a strong response at that time.  Parking restrictions had since been introduced in surrounding roads and this had negatively impacted on residents in Pield Heath Avenue.

 

Councillor Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised.  He noted that single yellow lines were effective in controlling parking but that they would be incumbent on everyone, including residents of the Pield Heath Avenue.  Furthermore, legislation would not permit a local authority to provide exemptions and this would impact on those properties with no off street parking.  The Cabinet Member noted that parking management schemes also worked and that vouchers were available to enable visitors to park.  Residents' preferences could be sought through an informal consultation. 

 

Councillor Burrows recognised that parking problems were being experienced by residents in Pield Heath Avenue and advised that residents would need to be encouraged to return their consultation forms once they were circulated to provide the Council with a mandate to proceed if that was what residents wanted.  Contact details for the Transport and Projects team would be included with the consultation paperwork and residents were advised to make contact if they had any queries about the options.  Any decision made would be based upon the majority response received by the Council.  The Cabinet Member would then discuss the consultation responses with the Ward Councillors to determine a way forward.

 

It was noted that it could be 3-4 months before the consultation was undertaken with residents in Pield Heath Avenue. 

 

RESOLVED:  Meeting with the petitioners, the Cabinet Member:

 

1.    listened to their request for the introduction of parking restrictions in Pield Heath Avenue, Uxbridge.

 

2.    asked officers to add the request to introduce parking restrictions in Pield Heath Avenue to the Council’s future parking scheme programme for further investigation and more detailed consultation when resources permit.

 

Reasons for recommendations

 

To allow the Cabinet Member to discuss with petitioners their concerns and if appropriate add their request to the parking schemes programme.

 

Alternative options considered / risk management 

 

These were discussed with petitioners.

Supporting documents: