Agenda item

Councillors Wayne Bridges, Alan Chapman, Neil Fyfe and John Oswell attended the meeting and spoke as Ward Councillors in support of the petition.

Concerns and suggestions raised at the meeting included the following:

·         Residents at 2 to 20 Hewens Road were concerned about the limited amount of parking available to them and their visitors (friends and family), especially in the evenings;

·         Although the nearby Carpenters Arms public house had its own car park, patrons were frequently preferring to park their vehicles in Hewens Road from the early evening until very late at night (and sometime overnight);

·         Residents living in Uxbridge Road were also increasingly parking in Hewens Road after 4.30pm which exacerbated the parking problem for local residents and their visitors;

·         Concern was expressed that the car showroom might be reopening which would further compound the parking issue;

·         Residents requested that the permit operational times be extended to 8am-8pm so that residents could get better use of the limited number of parking spaces available;

·         Although the Ward Councillors were supportive of the petition, this was on the proviso that the proposed changes only affect the parking bays facing numbers 2 to 20 Hewens Road and would not be implemented elsewhere in the road.  It was thought important to ensure that the residents of Star Road and Heath Road were still able to park at the other end of Hewens Road after 4.30pm as they experienced a lack of on street parking in their own roads; and

·         The introduction of the PMS had reduced the parking issues that residents had experienced as a result of the school drop off and pick up times.

Councillor Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised.  It was noted that, if it was agreed to only extend the permit operational times outside numbers 2 to 20 Hewens Road, the Council would be under no legal obligation to consult with the other properties in the road.  When asked, all Ward Councillors present agreed that consultation should only be undertaken with those residents directly affected at 2-20 Hewens Road. 

The Cabinet Member advised that it would be important that the residents responded to the consultation document when it arrived.  Without these responses, the Council would not be able to take action to address the issues that had been raised.  He noted that he would be meeting with officers on Monday and Ward Councillors would subsequently be advised when the consultation would be undertaken. 

RESOLVED:  Meeting with the petitioners, the Cabinet Member:

1)    considered the request to extend the hours of the Parking Management Scheme in part of Hewens Road.

2)    asked officers to add the request for extended operational times to the Council’s future parking scheme programme for informal consultation with residents of Hewens Road from 2 to 20 as per the petition 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 

The Cabinet Member could decide to only consult with residents in part of Hewens Road.