Agenda item

Councillor Ray Graham attended the meeting and spoke as a Ward Councillor in support of the petition. 

Concerns and suggestions raised at the meeting included the following:

·         The report indicated the history of parking concerns expressed by residents who felt that the situation had changed since 2014;

·         The majority of vehicles that parked in the road were regularly those of staff who worked in Manor Parade, Bishopshalt School, Heathrow Airport or Brunel University;

·         The volume of vehicles parked significantly restricted access in Cedars Drive and reduced visibility for residents trying to get out of their driveways which was dangerous for cyclists;

·         Some vehicles driving along Cedars Drive did not appear to adhere to the speed limit;

·         The vision of drivers travelling south on Vine Lane and turning into Cedars Drive was restricted by vehicles parked adjacent to the south border of 46 Vine Lane which caused additional congestion from delays in exiting Vine Lane;

·         There had been incidents where vehicles had been unable to pass cars that were parked on Cedars Drive and one ambulance was seen having to drive over a pavement and grass area to continue its journey.  Access for emergency vehicles was an issue;

·         Refuse collection vehicles had experienced difficulties accessing the road and had put advisory notices on some vehicles' windscreens;

·         The implementation of a residents parking scheme in Chetwynd Drive had since caused parking to be displaced into the surrounding roads; and

·         The petition organiser advised that he thought it would be preferable to have a residents' only parking scheme that was operational during the working hours of the working week.

Councillor Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised.  He recognised that there appeared to be a change of feeling amongst residents with regard to the implementation of a parking scheme as a result of the vehicle displacement.  The photographs that had been provided by the petition organiser illustrated the issues that were being regularly faced by residents.  The Cabinet Member was shocked by the photographs of the ambulance and the possible implications of such delays for an emergency vehicle. 

Councillors Burrows advised that officers would be asked to consult with all residents in the area on the options that were available and noted that waiting restrictions would affect all residents if implemented.  He advised that, when the informal consultation was circulated, it was important that as many households responded as possible to provide a clear representation of residents' feelings.  Officers would be available to respond to any queries that residents might have about the process.  It was anticipated that the informal consultation was likely to take place in late spring/early summer at the earliest.

RESOLVED:  Meeting with the petitioners, the Cabinet Member:

1.    discussed with petitioners their concerns with parking in Cedars Drive, Attle Close, Mills Close and Bishops Close, Hillingdon.

2.    noted the results of the previous consultation with residents of the area on a possible Parking Management Scheme.

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

Reasons for recommendations

The Petition Hearing will provide a valuable opportunity to hear directly from the petitioners of their concerns and suggestions. 

Alternative options considered / risk management 

None at this stage.