Agenda item

The Cabinet Member considered a petition from residents requesting a parking management scheme in Drayton Gardens, West Drayton. The petitioner organiser was in attendance at the meeting and noted a number of concerns and reasons for their request, including the following:

·         The houses had been constructed after World War II when there were fewer cars on the road; the infrastructure was not built to handle the current vehicular demand;

·         Commuters to other London Boroughs and specifically the BAA offices at Waterside were using Drayton Gardens for parking;

·         Commuters were parking in a more obtrusive manner, specifically users of West Drayton train station;

·         The access of emergency vehicles was of particular concern;

·         There was a nearby car park on Brandville Road which could be utilised by commuters.

The petition organiser noted that a previous consultation on a Parking Management Scheme in Drayton Gardens had been unpopular with residents; this was attributed to a potential lack of understanding on the part of residents as to what the implementation of the scheme would entail. The lead petitioner stated that 10am to 12pm waiting restrictions would eliminate the issue of commuter parking, but also noted that any scheme would need to suit everybody, and compromise would be required.

Councillor Janet Duncan attended the meeting as Ward Councillor for West Drayton and supported the petition organiser's comments. She acknowledged that the two absent West Drayton Councillors also supported the petitioners’ request but could not attend due to ward surgery commitments. Councillor Duncan explained that a similar Parking Management Scheme in Swan Road had been very successful with residents but had pushed commuters to park more often in Drayton Gardens, causing obstruction to residents there. Councillor Duncan noted that part of Drayton Gardens was widened which would aid emergency vehicles if waiting restrictions were observed appropriately. Councillor Duncan endorsed the careful implementation of on pavement parking to make sure the area was still wheelchair and pushchair accessible.

Councillor Keith Burrows acknowledged that the number of residents present at the meeting indicated the strength of feeling in support of the petition. He noted that a previous similar scheme had been rejected by residents and indicated that he did not want to commit Council time and money to a scheme that could once again be rejected. It was therefore agreed that a meeting with West Drayton Ward Councillors and the lead petitioners would be arranged thereby ensuring that any proposed scheme complied with residents' wishes.

RESOLVED:

Meeting with the petitioners, the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling:

1)    Discussed with petitioners their concerns regarding parking in Drayton Gardens, West Drayton;

2)    Noted the results of the previous consultation with residents of the area on a possible Parking Management Scheme;

3)    Instructed officers to arrange a meeting with petition organisers and Ward Councillors to suggest a scheme that would be more likely to succeed at the consultation stage; and,

4)    Asked officers to add the request to the Council’s extensive parking programme for further informal consultation.

Reasons for decisions

The petition hearing provided a valuable opportunity to hear directly from the petitioners of their concerns and suggestions.

Alternative options considered / risk management

None at this stage.