Agenda item

Councillors Tim Barker and Pat Jackson were in attendance and spoke as Ward Councillors.

Concerns and suggestions raised at the meeting included the following:

• The lead petitioner distributed photographs of the area (showing issues of concern) to officers and the Cabinet Member.
• The lead petitioner told the Cabinet Member how Parkfield Ave was used as a cut through for people driving in the area. This included parents who were dropping their children off at nearby schools.
• The photographs highlighted the parking issues that residents encountered.
• People were parking on single yellow lines.
• Cars for sale were being parked on the road by the garages there. This could be an obstruction of highway. 
• They were also test driving the cars on the roads at high speeds.
• Petitioners felt that with the current situation it was near impossible to have a safe road. 
• There were issues with people parking in front of driveways. 
• Petitioners questioned whether it would take for someone to get hurt before something was done about the speeding on the road.
• That traffic wardens drove there but people from the garage would move their cars when they saw the traffic wardens’ car, and then move the cars back on the road when they left. 
• The residents felt dictated to by the garages on where they could park their own cars in their own street.
• The residents would come home and there were no available parking spaces.
• The garages had so many cars they could not store them on their premises so parked on the street.
• There was no consideration for resident parking. 
• The garage owners had a bad attitude against residents who tackled them about street parking. 
• The speeding occurred all day. 

The Ward Councillors commented on the petition:

• Councillor Barker spoke on behalf of all 3 Ward Councillors. 
• The Ward Councillors were in full support of the petition and agreed with what the lead petition had to say. 
• They highlighted the speeding concern and how this effected the residents.

• A speeding consultation was suggested by the Ward Councillors.

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

• A person’s perception of speed could be different to what the speed the vehicle is travelling in actually is. Therefore a speed survey could be of benefit here.
• The parking issue was not acceptable for residents. 
• That the traffic wardens were playing a cat and mouse game to try and catch people parking illegally but this was noted and would be highlighted to Parking Services. 
• There was case law on how to undertake a consultation and this had to be followed. The surrounding roads would need to be consulted on any parking schemes that could be implemented in the area.
• Once plans were drawn up the Cabinet Member agreed to send this to traffic order to advertise and to see if there are any objections. If objections came in the Cabinet Member would receive another report and then it would be for him to decide what to do.  He would assess the impact on single lines after the plan came through.

Officers advised that:           

• They made note of the issue of parking wardens and would pass the information to parking services. They would ask the wardens to approach the road on foot rather than drive through.
• Officers had other means of doing a survey on speed other than black strips. They could use a radar box, a 24/7 survey could be done and this information could be shared with the police if necessary. 
• Officers would ask Planning Enforcement to check breach of licensing regulations for illegal street trading of vehicles for sale.
• Residents would need to be consulted for a parking management scheme. 
• A consultation was rejected by the frontages on the Service Road – options had been proposed for a limted parking stop and shop scheme. 
• A record of the number of parking tickets issues could be made available to the Ward Councillors. 

DECISION

That the Cabinet Member

1.      Met with and discussed with the petitioners’ their concerns with speed of traffic and obstructive parking in Parkfield Avenue;

2.      Instructed officers to undertake a 24/7 speed survey of this area. 

3.      Subject to (2) asked officers to place this request on the Council’s road safety programme for subsequent investigation and the development of possible options; 

4.      Instructed officers to liaise with the Police and local Safer Neighbourhoods teams to investigate and if appropriate undertake some local enforcement 

5.      Instructed officers to draw up proposals for double yellow lines from New Broadway to Parkfield Ave as shown.

Reasons for Recommendation:

To investigate in further the detailed concerns of the petitioners

Alternative Options Considered:

Options were discussed with the petitioners

Relevant Wards:

Hillingdon East