Agenda item

The lead petitioner addressed the Cabinet Member and noted a number of concerns, including the following:

·         All residents of the road have seen cars speeding on The Brambles and over 40 signatures were received for the petition, although it would have been easy to gather more;

·         Due to speed bumps on surrounding roads, The Brambles has become a ‘rat-run’ for cars, which often drive around the bend at high speeds.

·         The bend on The Brambles is too narrow for two cars to pass;

·         There are a number of disabled bays on the road, and it is difficult for them to pull out onto the road or get out of their cars due to cars passing at high speeds;

·         There is a park on the road and a lot of concerns about children’s safety;

·         Cars are parked on the road, so visibility when turning out onto the road is very poor;

·         Speed bumps or a 20mph zone on the road would help as cars often travel at 40mph or more on the road.

Councillor Jan Sweeting, Ward Councillor for West Drayton, thanked the Cabinet Member for deferring the item from the last meeting and noted she was glad the lead petitioner was able to attend. Councillor Sweeting offered her full support to the petition, and noted that children in the area were at risk from cars travelling at high speeds near the park. The Cabinet Member heard that due to the narrow road and parked cars, drivers travel at high speeds down The Brambles to avoid getting stopped by cars coming the other way, and the road is used as a rat-run following traffic calming measures on Laurel Lane. Councillor Sweeting expressed concern that the traffic survey may not show the high speeds required to progress speed reducing measures, but noted that the road was very dangerous and she would support any measures that could be taken to lessen the speed of cars travelling down a residential street with a lot of children.

Councillor Burrows noted that he had seen and experienced the problems on The Brambles first-hand as drivers become frustrated waiting on the road for other cars to pass. The Cabinet Member also noted that the bend was very narrow and dangerous.

The lead petitioner and Ward Councillor also noted that the implementation of a residents’ parking scheme in Harmondsworth Road may also exacerbate the problem.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Transportation agreed traffic surveys should take place on the road and the local Ward Councillor and lead petitioner agreed the locations that the traffic surveys would take place.

Councillor Burrows noted that if high speeds were not shown in the data, a high volume of traffic may still be, and other actions that could help reduce the speed or volume of traffic would be considered.

The Cabinet Member also requested that officers look to add possible signage by the park to tell drivers to slow down as children may be in the area.

RESOLVED: Having met with the petitioners, the Cabinet Member for Planning and Transportation:

1.    Listened to the petitioners’ request for speed humps and / or speed reduction measures in The Brambles, West Drayton;

2.    Asked officers to undertake further traffic surveys, at locations agreed by the petitioners, and to then report back to the Cabinet Member; and,

3.    Instructed officers to look at possible signage by the park and report back to the Cabinet Member.