Agenda item

Councillors Shehryar Ahmad-Wallana and Peter Davis attended the meeting and spoke as Ward Councillors in support of the petition.

Concerns and suggestions raised at the meeting included the following:

·         Petitioners confirmed that both ends of Violet Avenue had parking permit schemes, which had adversely parking in the middle section of the road.

·         The area was used by a number of non-residents, including staff and visitors to the nearby hospital and schools, as a parking area. Because of this, residents were having difficulty in entering and exiting their driveways, or even entering their vehicles.

·         Cars were often double parked on the side of the road. This made travelling the road difficult for motorists. Buses often had to drive on the opposite side of the road, which was a safety concern.

·         Emergency services would not have sufficient access to properly service the areas.

·         Cars often speed down the road, which was a safety concern.

·         This was an all-day issue, not limited to mornings and afternoons.

·         Pedestrian safety was compromised due to the parked cars.

Councillor Ahmad-Wallana addressed the Cabinet Member, and stated:

·         The three roads in question were residential areas, near primary schools.

·         Parking by hospital staff was seen as the main issue, through this was exacerbated by parents picking up and dropping off children, to and from the schools.

·         Safety of residents, including children, was of key concern.

·         Having visited the area and having spoken to local residents, it was clear that most residents were in favour of some kind of parking management scheme.

Councillor Davis addressed the Cabinet Member, and stated:

·         Hillingdon Hospital was the main issue.

·         Some of Violet Avenue was already under a parking management scheme, and actions to address the issue, such as limited hours of parking, should be explored.

Councillor Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised, confirming that a limited hours parking scheme would apply to everyone, including residents of the area.  In an area where not everyone would have access to off-street parking, this could result in further problems.

With regard to the middle area of Violet Avenue's exemption from the parking management scheme, this was as a result of a consultation that had been held previously, which had shown that residents at that time did not support a blanket scheme.

Issues of speeding in the area had been recognised, and a road safety scheme to address this within Violet Avenue was currently being progressed within the Council.

Councillor Burrows understood the petitioner's concerns, and therefore moved the following recommendations:

RESOLVED:  Meeting with the petitioners, the Cabinet Member:

1.    Discussed with petitioners their concerns with parking in Violet Avenue, Heather Close and Campion Close;

2.    Noted the results of the previous consultations with residents of the area on a possible Parking Management Scheme; and

3.    Asked officers to add the request to the Council's extensive parking programme for further informal consultation.

Reasons for recommendations

To allow the Cabinet Member the opportunity to hear directly from the petitioners of their concerns and suggestions.

Alternative options considered / risk management 

None at this stage.