Agenda item

The Chairman considered a petition from residents requesting a residents’ parking management scheme in Temple Park, Uxbridge.

A petitioner was in attendance and addressed the Cabinet Member. Key points highlighted included:

·       Temple Park was a small cul-de-sac comprising six houses and eight flats;

·       Parking restrictions had been introduced in neighbouring roads hence residents from surrounding roads were now using Temple Park as a place to park free of charge;

·       Some cars were left for weeks on end and others were parked across driveways resulting in stress and confrontation;

·       On occasion residents from surrounding roads parked on the pavements thereby blocking footpaths and endangering the residents of Temple Close one of whom was registered blind;

·       Some people were using Temple Park as free airport parking then taking the A10 bus to the airport;

·       Commercial vehicles and customers of the nearby Prince of Wales Pub also parked in Temple Park;

·       Residents of Temple Park were often unable to park near their houses when returning late at night;

·       The parking situation had led to an increase in crime – one resident’s car had been hit twice by a hit and run driver and two catalytic converters had been stolen;  

·       A parking management scheme was being requested to resolve these issues – it was acknowledged that a proposed parking scheme had previously been rejected; however, at the time, residents of Temple Park had not fully understood the repercussions of the introduction of parking schemes in surrounding roads.

Ward Councillor Roy Chamdal was in attendance and addressed the Cabinet Member in support of petitioners. Councillor Chamdal reported that driving into and out of Temple Park was often challenging as cars were parked across driveways. Cars were also often parked outside the garages to the rear of the properties. The same cars and vans were frequently seen in Temple Park and sometimes parked there for prolonged periods of time. The residents of Temple Park took pride in their road and had a valid reason for bringing their petition before the Council.

The Cabinet Member sought clarification as to the hours of operation of the parking schemes in surrounding roads – it was confirmed that these were operational from 09:00 hours to 22:00 hours.

Having listened to the concerns of residents and the Ward Councillor, the Cabinet Member raised no objection to the introduction of the requested parking permit scheme in Temple Park and asked officers to devise a suitable scheme for consultation with residents. The Head of Transport and Projects suggested that a Residents’ Only parking sign at the entrance to the road could be an effective measure. Yellow lines across individual driveways were not an option; however, white barways were a possibility. It was agreed that officers would devise a scheme which residents would be consulted on prior to implementation. It was noted that charges for parking permits were likely to increase in the near future. The garages to the rear would not form part of any scheme as they were privately owned.

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet Member for Property, Highways and Transport:

1.    met with petitioners and listened to their request for a Parking Management Scheme;

2.    noted the results of the previous consultations with residents of Temple Park, as detailed in the body of the report; and

3.    asked officers to add this request to the Council’s extensive Parking Scheme Programme for further investigation and possible informal consultation.