Agenda item

The Cabinet Member considered a petition requesting a residents parking management scheme in Columbia Avenue, Eastcote. A petitioner spoke in support of the request. Councillor Eddie Lavery also attended the meeting and spoke as Ward Councillor in support of the application.

Concerns and suggestions raised at the meeting included the following:

·         The petitioner confirmed that Columbia Avenue was a very narrow road which was very popular with commuters due to its close proximity to Eastcote Station via a footpath which was used as a short-cut;

·         Resident parking was not an issue as most residents had their own allocated parking spaces; the main problem was commuter parking. It was confirmed that commuters sometimes parked inconsiderately and access was therefore restricted;

·         It was reported that emergency vehicles and refuse collection vehicles were at times unable to pass along the road. Recently an ambulance had been unable to gain access.  On another occasion a resident's property had been damaged by a refuse collection vehicle as it attempted to turn in the road; 

·         It was confirmed that the road was very busy during the week, particularly between the hours of 7.30am and 5pm, but was relatively quiet at weekends;

·         Ward Councillor Lavery confirmed that commuter parking was a problem - particularly near the entrance to the footpath. Councillor Lavery supported the idea of daytime parking restrictions but reported that, when this issue went to consultation on a previous occasion, residents' responses were very mixed;

·         It was confirmed that access via the footpath could not be restricted and there was a legal requirement for the footpath to remain open.

Councillor Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised. He commented that a discussion with emergency services could possibly speed things up if it was confirmed that this was an area of concern. It was agreed that the petitioners would speak to the Ward Councillor after the meeting regarding the damage caused by the refuse collection vehicle; this incident had already been reported to the Council. The consultation process was explained to the petitioners - all residents would receive a hand-delivered letter and it was important that they all responded to ensure their views were taken into consideration. The requested parking scheme would not be enforced if there was no majority. It was estimated that the consultation would take place in the summer / autumn.

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling:

1.    Met with and listened to the petitioners' request for the introduction of a residents' only parking scheme on Columbia Avenue, Eastcote;

2.    Asked officers to add the request to the Council's extensive parking programme for further informal consultation on a possible area agreed with ward councillors;

3.    Asked officers to contact the Waste Services department to establish whether they had encountered any issues in this area and to report back to the Cabinet Member;

4.    Asked officers, as part of the Transport Liaison Group meeting, to ascertain if there were any issues experienced by emergency services in this area.

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 will be discussed with petitioners.