Agenda item

Councillors Beulah East and Neil Fyfe were in attendance as Ward Councillors.

Concerns and suggestions raised at the meeting included the following:

• The lead petitioner gave a brief history of Hayes End over the last 11 years, since the Hayes Park complex was built.
• In 1999 residents lost at least four parking spaces, residents reported that they then got permission to park on the verge.
• Two housing developments have resulted in more people parking in Hayes End Road. This parking issue had been going on for the last 10 years.
• Residents were receiving numerous parking tickets for parking on verges and these tickets were appealed, all successfully.
• John McDonnell MP had been helping with residents’ problems with parking and residents said that he was surprised this issue was still on-going.
• The petitioners felt that over the years they had not received adequate support or help from the Council, and that they were continuously fighting with the Council over this. 
• The petitioners questioned why the Council erected bollards on land that they did not own.
• The petitioners stated that they were not consulted by the Council before the bollards were erected.
• The issue with speeding on the road was noted.
• The residents just wanted somewhere to park their cars; they suggested that instead of bollards the Council could replace this with a few parking spaces.
• A lot of residents had spent money on having drives and dropped kerbs put into their homes to have somewhere to park.
• The parking problems were getting worse.
• People were parking beside the bollards which meant the road was narrowing, which made visibility on the road worse.
• Petitioners explored the idea of extending the double yellow lines with the Cabinet Member.
• Petitioners asked if they could have the details of the land owners so that they could contact them themselves.

The Ward Councillors had no comment.

Councillor Keith Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised. 

• There was a request from local residents about their concern for speeding vehicles in the area.
• The actual siting of the bollards was on the approach to a mini-roundabout and double yellow lines.
• The Cabinet Member explained to petitioners that the Council could look into extending the double yellow lines if this was a road safety issue.
• The Cabinet Member suggested that if obstructed parking had become a problem then double yellow lines may be required.  
• Noted that a recent letter from John McDonnell MP regarding this issue not been seen by The Cabinet Member or officers but the contents of the letter were noted.
• This was an unusual situation where the adoption of the land was never completed, and the bollards were erected in good faith but as it transpired on land that was not owned by the Council. The Cabinet Member noted that lessons had been learned and that this situation should not happen again.
• Before removing the bollards legally the Council must now request permission from the owners of the land.
• That if the land owners were not subject to public record then there was a data protection issue regarding the disclosure of who they were to the residents. However, as noted above, the lead petitioners’’ contact details can be passed to the agents acting on behalf of the landowners.

Officers advised that:           

• They were attempting to contact the land owner and that they could ask them to contact the lead petitioner, and make them aware of the petition submitted to the Council.
• That a site visit would be carried out if recommendation 4 was to take place and within the consultation process.

DECISION

That the Cabinet Member:

1.                  Noted the petition and the request for the removal of bollards in Hayes End Road and listened to the concerns of the petitioners;

2.                  Instructed legal services to explore options for dedicating the land to public highway;

3.                  Asked officers to continue to liaise with the land owners to confirm if they want the bollards to be retained.

4.                  If the land was adopted and the London Borough of Hillingdon become the responsible authority for it further consultation with residents and Ward Councillors would be undertaken with regard to the retention or otherwise of the bollards.

Reasons for Recommendation:

To allow the Cabinet Member to discuss in detail with petitioners their request for the bollards to be removed.  

Alternative Options Considered:

These were identified from the discussions with the petitioners.

Relevant Wards:

Charville