Agenda item

The lead petitioner addressed the Cabinet Member and made the following points:

• Residents were increasingly concerned about the speed of vehicles traveling down Grosvenor Avenue
• People seemed to be using the road as a shortcut from Kingshill Avenue to Lansbury Drive, avoiding the traffic lights at Lansbury Drive
• There had been a few incidents recently:
  • When someone was fixing a telegraph pole, a speeding van caught a wire which pulled him down and resulted in a dislocated shoulder
  • A dog walker was crossing the road and a speeding car caught the lead, dragging the dog up the road and causing £8,000 of vet bills
  • At the junction of Weymouth Road and Grosvenor Avenue, amongst a number of incidents a neighbour had his car written off because a car pulled out of Weymouth Road without looking and caused a collision
  • The entrance to Grosvenor playing fields was at that junction, where young people were dropped off and there were dog walkers, allotments and the entrance to the Hillingdon trail
• The worst times of day were 06:00-09:00, 15:00-19:00 and late in the evening when boy racers sped down the road
• It was not only residents who parked in the road, but also parents who were going to Grosvenor playing fields
• Residents would prefer to have parking restrictions rather than speed tables to slow traffic down when traveling up the road from Kingshill Avenue before the junction of Weymouth Road
• At the bottom of the road, although there were double yellow lines people cannot see around the corner and people tended to speed which had led to a neighbour’s car being shunted into a garden
• The petitioner sat on the Metropolitan Police Ward Panel and this had been discussed with one of the PCs who had now completed a course with a speed gun
• The petition signatories were from different sections of the road and included young families

The Cabinet Member asked and the petitioner clarified that when they referred to restrictions, they were talking about width restrictions.

Councillor Darran Davies addressed the Cabinet Member as Ward Councillor:

• The petitioner had the full support of the local community, and the Safer Neighbourhood Team had already carried out several speed operations on the road, underscoring the seriousness of the issue
• Grosvenor Avenue had experienced a number of accidents, particularly at the lower end, on the bend where several cars had crashed through resident’s windows
• The alarming pattern coupled with the recent incident where a telecom engineer was injured highlighted the ongoing danger that speeding vehicles posed to residents and those working in the area
• Meaningful action was required
• The road was also used as a main travel route for SEN transport towards Hedgewood School, and therefore the safety of vulnerable passengers was at risk
• Given the specific challenges of the road, traditional speed tables may not be suitable due to concerns about vibration and noise. Therefore, it was proposed that chicanes be installed which would slow traffic
• Width restrictions at the junction of Grosvenor Avenue and Weymouth Road may reduce the number of large vehicles and cars using the road as a cut through from Kingshill Avenue, avoiding the traffic lights
• Installing traffic monitoring cables not only down Grosvenor Avenue but also on Weymouth Road would note the volume of cars that were travelling at speed
• With the support of the Safer Neighbourhood Team there had been some traffic measures including high visibility police which had had a good impact
• There were concerns as this was a very busy road and there were a large number of cars parked on both sides causing blind spots

Officers commended the work already done by residents, working with local police. The evidence they provided was valuable. There was a possibility of yellow lines on the bend in the road for improved visibility. It could be possible to build out the junction at Weymouth Road to discourage parking on the corner and also improve visibility. The point about speed tables was noted; traditional chicane arrangements might prove challenging.

Councillor Barry Nelson-West attended the meeting and noted his support for the petitioner.

The Cabinet Member asked and it was clarified that Grosvenor Avenue was used as a rat run from the Brook House Rugby Club, taking an immediate right onto Grosvenor Avenue, and then either left at Weymouth Road or straight down Grosvenor Avenue. This happened in both directions. It was further noted that bollards had been installed in front of people’s property on Langdale Drive.

The Cabinet Member noted that width restrictions could impact on delivery drivers and SEN transport. However, it was highlighted that there were alternative routes that the SEN transport could take such as through Kingshill Avenue and Adelphi Way.

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet Member for Property, Highways and Transport:

1)    Met with petitioners and listened to their request for measures to slow down traffic in Grosvenor Avenue, Hayes; and

2)    Asked officers to commission independent 24/7 speed and traffic surveys on Grosvenor Avenue and Weymouth Road at locations agreed with petitioners and Ward Councillors.