Agenda item

The Cabinet Member considered a petition requesting for traffic speed mitigation measures to be implemented in Sipson Road, West Drayton.

 

The lead petitioner put forward to the Cabinet Member some reasons to action the request for traffic speed mitigation measures. Key points raised by the petitioner included:

 

There had been a number of incidents that had taken place on Sipson Road, including a serious incident that had occurred at 13:00PM on 18thMay 2023 and was reported to have taken 9 hours to clear the road.

 

Two additional incidents had taken place in the month of January 2024. On 28^th January 2024, the petitioner reported that a speeding van had collided with three cars. The police were informed of the incident. On 30^th January, the petitioner reported that a child getting off a bus and trying to cross the road was hit by a car. Although the child was not seriously injured, the petitioner stressed the severity of needing speed reduction measures on the road.

 

There was heavy traffic on Sipson Road, and the lead petitioner emphasised his request for CCTV speed cameras, flashing lights, speed limit signs and zebra crossings near the bus stop so that vulnerable groups, such as children and the elderly could cross the road safely.

 

The lead petitioner noted that he had been reporting to the Council the issue of traffic speeds on the road since 1996 but that nothing had yet been done to resolve the speed problem.

 

Councillor Farley, representing West Drayton Ward, expressed his endorsement of the petition.

 

He had been undertaking Ward Walkabouts on 18 May 2023 and witnessed what he described as the horrendous aftermath of the road accident.

 

An examination of traffic had recently been carried out on Cherry Lane and following the inspection, raised tables were subsequently placed in that area. However, this measure had not slowed the speed issue on Sipson Road and beyond.

 

The issue of safety was reiterated in relation to the speeding problem on the road.

 

It was noted that the proximity of the M4 to Sipson Road meant that drivers approaching into the area were not reducing their speed. There was also a local school nearby where there were no speed reductions on the road around the school, compared to other schools.

 

The Ward Councillor conclusively advocated for the use of monitoring equipment on Sipson Road, similar to Cherry Lane, for traffic speed reduction.

 

In addition, Councillor Nelson, representing Heathrow Villages Ward, expressed her support of the petition.

 

There had been a previous speeding issue in Cherry Lane, where there were a number of incidents that had taken place and on one occasion, a fatality before speed bumps were implemented in Cherry Lane.

 

It was noted that the problem of speeding persisted on Cherry Lane, as the speed limit on the road was currently 30mph as opposed to being a 20mph zone which was preferable for the area.

 

Road users were speeding once they passed the school on Cherry Lane.

 

The Ward Councillor recommended displaying speed limit safety signs to remind road users to monitor their travel speed.

 

The Ward Councillor conclusively promoted the need for traffic speed mitigation measures that would benefit residents, reduce speeding, and console residents regarding their concerns around speeding in the locality.

 

Furthermore, Councillor Islam, representing West Drayton Ward, endorsed the petition and gave the apologies for absence on behalf of Councillor Sweeting, who was also said to be in support of the petition.

 

The Ward Councillor expressed that he was a witness to the 18th of May 2023 incident.

 

Speed bumps had recently been installed on Cherry Lane which was a helpful measure to control speeding on the road.

 

It was noted that Cherry Lane lead on to Sipson Road. The Cherry Lane Junction connected the M4 to local roads, where drivers would often speed.

 

The need to implement speed mitigation measures on the road around the local school was reiterated.

 

The Cabinet Member noted that he was familiar with the issues raised by the petitioner and Ward Councillors.

 

He highlighted that speed cameras were not something that the Council could erect because they were a police matter and added that speeding, in general, fell within the scope of the police.

However, flashing speed signs was a measure that could be considered by the Council to address the speed issues raised by the lead petitioner and Ward Councillors.

 

The Cabinet Member was reluctant to installing speed bumps on the road but as a last resort, this could be considered.

 

The Cabinet Member was minded to consider introducing 20mph zones around schools particularly to aid traffic speed reduction.

 

It was stressed that the police were the only body who could enforce speed. The police also had access to speed guns to deter speeding.

 

In response to the petitioner’s earlier comment about bus stops, the Cabinet Member explained that the Council did not control the location of bus stops but could liaise with TFL, who did control bus stop locations.

 

The Cabinet Member questioned whether moving the bus stop was an option the petitioner had considered.

 

The petitioner responded that the placement of the bus stop was not a problem but that the speed on the road was an increasing concern in the area and raised a suggestion around implementing a pedestrian crossing.

 

The Cabinet Member acknowledged the lead petitioner’s suggestion and additionally recommended that the petitioners lobbied the police for a resolution to their speeding concerns because the matter of speeding ultimately fell within the purview of the police.

 

What’s more, attention was drawn by Councillor Nelson that HS2 vehicles were using Harmondsworth Road to get into gravel pits to offload gravel and often sped along the road, which was hazardous to local residents and particularly children around school times.

 

The Cabinet Member responded that HS2 vehicles were required to follow prescribed routes and cameras relating specifically to such vehicles were nearby to monitor their movements.

 

The Traffic Parking Road Safety School Manager thanked the Ward Councillor for bringing this issue to their attention and confirmed that HS2 vehicles were limited to which routes on the road they could use. Where HS2 vehicles were deviating from the prescribed routes, officers would verify which routes the vehicles ought to have been taking and investigate the issue further.

 

The Traffic Parking Road Safety School Manager also encouraged the petitioners to submit any supporting evidence associated with HS2 vehicles not following their prescribed road routes to officers for further investigation, including photographic or video evidence.

 

RESOLVED:

Thatthe CabinetMember for Property, Highways and Transport:

 

1.    Met withpetitioners andlistened totheir requestfor speedreduction measures.

 

2.    Asked officersto commissionindependent 24/7 traffic and speed surveys on Sipson Road at locations agreed with petitioners and ward councillors, and to report back to the Cabinet Member on the outcome.

 

3.    Instructed officers to investigate possible improvements to the junction where the service road meets the main carriageway adjacent to No.64 Sipson Road, West Drayton.